Matt Zebroski IM

Your Performance at a Glance

• Current peak: 1596 (2014-01-15)
• Activity patterns:

Opening Phase

• Strength: You are comfortable in flexible setups (Modern/Pirc as Black, open games as White) and often steer play into tactical positions you handle well.
• Watch-out: Many early queen excursions (e.g., 5…Qb6 in your B07 loss and multiple queen moves in the recent 0-1 game vs bkchessdog) cost you tempi and expose your king. Aim to follow classical principles: rapid minor-piece development, timely castling, and central control.
• Action Item: Build a compact repertoire sheet. For Black, deepen your understanding of typical pawn breaks in the Modern/Pirc (…c6/…e5 vs d4 setups). As White, consider adding a main-line, center-oriented weapon (e.g., Scotch or Italian) to complement your creative 1.e4 sidelines.

Middle-Game Insights

• Tactical Eye: Your wins frequently feature nice combinations—e.g., in your C20 victory you used the doubled rooks on the e-file (18…Re2! 19.Ra2 Rfe8!) to overload White. Keep sharpening with daily puzzles.
• Coordination vs. Pawn Grabs: Several losses stem from picking off pawns (or allowing opponents to) before completing development. Train yourself to ask, “If I take this pawn, are my pieces still connected?” A quick Zwischenzug Zwischenzug check can save the game.
• Prophylaxis: In the 2016 loss you allowed …Qh5+, …Qxe5 etc. because the light squares were weak. Practice identifying your opponent’s half-threats each move.

Endgame & Technique

• Active King: In the most recent loss you reached a queen+rook ending where your king remained stuck while Black’s rook infiltrated. Make it a habit to centralize the king the moment queens are traded.
• Rook Endgames: They appear often after your tactical middlegames. Spend a week with the “Lucena” and “Philidor” positions; knowing them converts many of your advantages.

Clock Management

You have at least three games lost on time while holding playable or even better positions. Set calendar reminders for daily games and consider adding a shorter time-control session (rapid/blitz) each week to train decision speed.

Suggested Training Plan (4 weeks)

1. Openings (30 min/day): Create a “first 10 moves” script for each side of 1.e4 and 1.d4. Drill vs. engine until you can play them blindfold.
2. Tactics (15 min/day): 20-30 puzzles focusing on motifs like double attack, pin, and discovered attack.
3. Endgames (3 sessions/week): Study rook vs. pawns, king-and-pawn basics, and typical Modern/Pirc endings with open f-files.
4. Game Review (weekly): Pick one win and one loss, annotate without engine first, then compare to engine suggestions.

Positive Takeaways

• You are not afraid of dynamic positions—an excellent quality.
• You already convert tactical advantages when given the chance.
• Your rating graph shows steady improvement; small structural fixes will yield big gains.