Morteza Darban Vaighani IM

Hi Morteza!

You are already an accomplished player (current blitz ≈2230, 2394 (2023-05-19)), and your recent games show a solid grasp of strategic concepts. Below is a focused review designed to turn more of your good positions into effortless wins.

1. What you do well

• Opening Understanding – With White you handle both 1.e4 mainlines (Sveshnikov/Pelikan) and flexible g3–Bg2 systems. With Black you are comfortable in Sicilians and Modern set-ups. Your piece development is harmonised and you seldom fall behind in space.
• Central Breaks – Notice how in your latest win you seized the d5–d4/d6 break (24.c5! dxc5 25.bxc5 Nd7 26.d6! …) and converted it smoothly. Spotting these moments is one of your key strengths.
• King Safety Awareness – You routinely tuck the king away (Kh1, …Kh8, …Kg7) before launching operations, avoiding cheap tactics.
• Pressure Management – Against lower-rated opponents you keep tension, refraining from early simplifications and letting them self-destruct.

2. Common pain points

• Time-handling – A large share of your losses are on time or due to abandoning clearly playable positions. Even vs ≪1300 you ended the game early. Add mini time checks at move 15, 25, 35; if you are below 5×remaining-moves seconds, accelerate.
• Conversion Technique – You create winning positions, then need multiple attempts to finish them off. Endgame table-base drills and “won-game-speed-runs” will help.
• Under-estimating counter-play – In some Sicilian games you allow …f5/…b4 counter-thrusts. A quick prophylactic scan (“What does my opponent want?”) before each move will save rating points.
• Early Queen Deployments – Examples: 3.Qe2 (Sicilian French), 5.Qa4+ (Caro-Kann) give you interesting play, but also hand the initiative if the opponent knows the refutation. Consider keeping the queen flexible until development is complete.

3. Tactical snapshot

Play through the critical sequence from your most recent win. Ask yourself:

1. How many forcing moves could Black try after 26…Nxc5?
2. Would 27…Qg4 have changed the evaluation?

4. Training menu (next 4 weeks)

1. Bulletproof your Sveshnikov knowledge: review 9.c4 Be7 10.Be2 a6 11.Nc3 with engine annotations and compare to GM games.
2. Endgame hour – 15 min daily on rook-and-pawn vs rook; aim to convert within 30 sec on a clock.
3. Clock discipline drill – Play three 3|2 games where you must move before the clock dips under 2:40 every time. This builds rhythm.
4. Once a week, annotate one of your wins vs timucin-nurmagamedov from Black’s side; look for hidden resources you missed.

5. Mindset cues

• “Convert, then calculate.” In clearly winning positions prune your candidate moves to the simplest line.
• Apply the Rule of the Square and other technical markers to decide instantly whether to push a passed pawn or centralise the king.
• Before every move ask: “What tactic loses me the game in one?”—your anti-blunder vaccine.

6. Performance heat-map

When you feel a plateau, study when you win more often:

7. Take-aways

You have the strategic backbone of a 2300-plus player. Sharpen the three conversion skills below and 2400+ is realistic:

1. Faster decision-making in equal or winning positions.
2. Technical endgame competence (especially with increment).
3. Always finish the game—no early resignations or disconnects.

Keep the pieces coordinated, nurture the clock, and let the rating follow.
Happy grinding! – Coach