Sergei Mihajlovskij NM

What you’re doing well

You show good ability to stay active in the middlegame and to generate practical chances even in tricky positions. Your recent wins demonstrate you can spot forcing lines and keep the initiative, often converting complex setups into concrete advantages. You also handle sharp tactics with confidence, which is a strong trait for blitz where quick, decisive decisions matter most. In addition, your openings indicate solid practical understanding, especially in Scandinavian and Chekhover-variation structures, where you can steer the game into favorable middlegame plans.

• Active piece play and initiative: you frequently choose moves that increase pressure on your opponent's position and force responses rather than passively defending.
• Tactical acuity in complex positions: you find forcing sequences and keep the game dynamic, which helps you win when opponents are under heat.
• Strategic handling of practical openings: your comfort with Scandinavian and Chekhover lines gives you reliable pathways to middlegame play with clear plans.

Key improvement areas

• Time management in blitz: some losses and time scrambles suggest you can benefit from a faster, safer decision process in the early-middle phase. Practice making solid, quick first moves and rely on a simple, repeatable plan in common structures.
• Defensive calculation and prophylaxis: in sharp games, double-check threats and consider defensive resources earlier to avoid overextending or missing critical defensive resources.
• Endgame technique: when material becomes imbalanced, strengthen a few practical endgame patterns (rook endings, basic queen vs rook concepts) to convert advantages more consistently.
• Pattern recognition in your go-to openings: continue building familiarity with typical middlegame ideas in Scandinavian and Chekhover lines so you can spot ideas faster under time pressure.
• Opening discipline under pressure: blitz rewards concise repertoires. Consider consolidating 2–3 core lines in your strongest openings and know the key middlegame plans, so you can stay accurate even when the clock is tight.

Drills and practice plan (next 4 weeks)

• Time-pressure training: run 20+0 or 3+2 blitz sessions several times a week to build comfort with quick, correct decisions. After each session, review 2–3 critical positions.
• Endgame focus: practice 5–10 rook endgames and a few queen vs rook endgames weekly, emphasizing practical conversion and standard technique.
• Tactical pattern drills: dedicate 15–20 minutes daily to puzzles emphasizing forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks, especially those that arise from your preferred openings.
• Opening refinement: reinforce 2 main lines in Scandinavian and Sicilian Chekhover, study typical middlegame plans, and practice these lines in 15–20 blitz games per week to build familiarity under time pressure.
• Post-game review ritual: after each blitz session, write down 3 key takeaways, 3 better alternatives, and 1 action to implement in the next game.

Opening repertoire notes

Your data suggests that Scandinavian Defense and Sicilian Chekhover Variation have yielded solid results for you in blitz. Continue to lean on these for their practical bite and clearer middlegame plans. When exploring other openings, favor lines with straightforward plans and easy-to-check ideas so you can maintain accuracy in short time controls. If you want variety, select a flexible system that can lead to a few different structures and learn 2–3 concise plans for each to stay sharp under pressure.