Coach Chesswick
Fernando, here’s a tailored review of your recent games
What you are doing well
- Dynamic piece play. You rarely shy away from activity. The following finish against papas_con_nuggets shows how well you can keep the initiative:
- Opening variety. You comfortably switch between the Italian, Smith-Morra, French, Caro-Kann, off-beat 1…a5 setups, etc. This broad base keeps opponents guessing and has helped you reach 2800 (2025-06-16).
- Tactical alertness. In several wins you spot forcing moves quickly (e.g., 22.Rf1 in the same game, or 22.Nf6+!! in your Smith-Morra win vs cafuca).
- Conversion skill. Once ahead you usually trade into won endings efficiently; resignations and checkmates arrive before move 35 in many victories.
Most urgent improvement areas
- Time management. Two of your recent losses (vs GP9isback23 and delphin11) came from completely winning or equal positions that you flagged. Try a simple rule: after every 10 moves glance at the clock; if under 60 s, switch to “safe mode” (easy plans, no deep calculation).
-
Pawn-storm timing vs fianchetto setups. In the Caro-Kann Exchange against Andrej Ljepic you launched 11.Rg1 12.g4 too early and your pawn became a hook for …f4/…h5.
Critical moment:
Before pushing the g-pawn be sure your centre is solid and your king safe. Study the classical plans in the Panov and Exchange Caro-Kann for model timing. - Prophylaxis in the middlegame. Opponents have exploited unattended squares (…Nd5 vs your French, …Nc4+ fork vs your Queen’s Pawn games). Add a “blunder check” routine: on each move ask “what is my opponent’s next threat?” This simple habit prevents many oversights and trains prophylaxis.
- Endgame technique vs knight pieces. The long loss to GP9isback23 featured a holdable R+N vs R endgame. Spend 15 minutes with the basic Lucena & Philidor rook endings and common knight fork tricks; your over-the-board confidence will rise.
Action plan for the next two weeks
- Play three 15 | 10 games daily and record the time left after moves 20 & 30. Aim to arrive at move 30 with ≥40 s.
- Review 5 master games in the Caro-Kann Exchange focusing on move orders before pawn storms.
- Do 20 “defensive move” puzzles each day (e.g., choose the puzzle rush setting and intentionally look for your opponent’s threat first).
- Finish the session with one theoretical rook endgame drill on a training board.
Progress trackers
Stay sharp, enjoy the process, and let me know how your next set of games goes!