Megan Lee FM

Quick recap

Nice run of wins — your play shows good attacking instincts, tactical vision and willingness to trade when it opens lines to the enemy king. Below I highlight concrete strengths from your recent daily games and a focused plan to get even better.

• Played active, direct chess: you opened lines and attacked the opposing king instead of drifting into quiet positions.
• Converted tactics into decisive material or mate — you spot forks, captures and forcing sequences quickly.
• Comfortable with taking calculated risks to open the position (sacrifices that rip open the king).

What you did well (examples)

Concrete patterns I saw across the games that are already working for you:

• Line opening and piece activity — when you traded a defender or captured to open a file, your rooks and queen moved in quickly and decisively.
• Use of tactical motifs — you used captures and forks to create immediate threats (e.g., capturing on g7 and then using the queen to finish the game).
• Attacking the king — you consistently brought pieces toward the enemy king rather than shuffling on the back rank.
• Finishing ability — when the opponent weakened around their king you backed them into a mating net rather than letting the moment pass.

See your most recent win visually:

Areas to improve — specific and actionable

You're doing a lot right. To keep improving, focus on these targeted areas next:

• Calculation depth: before committing to a capture or sacrifice, scan one more move deeper for the opponent's best defensive resource. That prevents missing counter‑tactics.
• Loose pieces awareness (LPDO / "Loose pieces drop off"): make a quick habit of checking which of your pieces are undefended after every move, and which opponent pieces are hanging.
• Opening consistency: you’re comfortable in many attacking lines — pick two openings to learn typical plans and pawn structures (for example the lines you already play like Scandinavian Defense and Alekhine Defense). That reduces surprise positions and improves your midgame decisions.
• Endgame basics: many wins came from mating attacks, but basic king-and-pawn or rook endgames will turn more close games into wins. Drill a handful of elementary endgames so you can convert when the position simplifies.
• Post-game review routine: after each finished daily game, spend 5–10 minutes annotating the turning point (where the win or loss started). That habit accelerates learning more than playing many games without reflection.

Concrete practice plan (weekly)

Small, focused habits produce big gains. Try this 4-step weekly routine:

• 3× 15-minute tactic sessions (puzzles that emphasize forks, pins and discovered attacks).
• 2 games with longer time controls (daily or rapid) where you force yourself to spend an extra minute on every capture or sacrifice to check for defenses.
• 1 hour studying the typical middlegame plans from an opening you play — pick one opening per week (start with Scandinavian Defense or Alekhine Defense).
• 10 minute review after each game: mark the turning point and one recurring mistake (loose piece, missed tactic, or weak square).

Study drills and cues to use in games

Short reminders you can use while playing to avoid common pitfalls and reinforce good habits:

• Before each capture: "What is my opponent’s best reply?" — forces one more step of calculation.
• After each move: quickly scan all your pieces and pawns for defenders to avoid leaving anything hanging.
• When you see an open file or diagonal: look for lining up rooks/queen or a rook lift — you already do this well; make it a conscious trigger.
• Endgame cue: if queens come off the board, switch to counting pawn breaks and opposition — simplify to technical conversion.

Next steps & resources

Keep the momentum. A few practical next steps:

• Pick one opening and study model games (3–5 instructive games) so you know the typical middlegame ideas rather than only the first moves. Try Vienna Gambit, with Max Lange Defense or Amazon Attack for attacking practice.
• Do pattern drills for mating nets and back-rank themes — you already find mates; make them automatic.
• Use the PGN viewer above to replay the win and try to find the moment where your opponent slipped — annotate that moment and write down the key tactical pattern (e.g., sacrifice to open the king).
• Once per week, share one game with a coach or a stronger friend for a 10–15 minute post-mortem — verbalizing a position reveals gaps faster than solo analysis.

If you want, I can create a 4-week training schedule tailored to the openings you prefer and the motifs you encounter most. Also can annotate one of these games move-by-move if you paste which game you want reviewed.

Useful links & quick placeholders

Click to open opponent profile or common terms in your study notes:

• Opponent: maushouse
• Opening reference: Scandinavian Defense
• Tactical cue term: Loose pieces drop off