Coach Chesswick
Coach’s Report for MisaPap
1. Quick Snapshot
- Current competitive level: ~2500 in 10 | 5 Live.
- Favourite openings: Scotch/Scotch-Gambit as White, …e5 vs 1.e4 and Kalashnikov-style Sicilians as Black.
- Best recorded peak: 2527 (2022-02-27).
- Typical activity pattern: .
2. What You’re Doing Well
- Early Initiative. You often seize the centre with e4-d4/f4 pushes and are willing to sacrifice material for activity. The following miniature illustrates your attacking flair:
- Tactical Awareness. Accurate calculation converts practical chances – see 25…R6e7!! in the same game shutting down counter-play.
- Opening Preparation. You know typical traps in the Scotch Gambit (…Nxe4 lines, …d5 breaks) and handle them confidently from either side.
3. Main Improvement Priorities
- King Safety vs Counter-Attack. Several losses (e.g., vs Vnebo 2022-04-17) stem from launching aggression while your own monarch stays in the centre or behind a thin pawn shield. Adopt the rule “initiative is priceless – unless it’s checkmate against me”. Double-check:
- Castling before pawn storms.
- Pawns in front of the king ≠ free tempo moves.
- Handling Defensive Resourcefulness. A critical moment from your last defeat:
After 20…Qxf5 you underestimated White’s incoming mating net. Study defensive concepts like the perpetual check, the Zwischenzug and piece trades to blunt pressure. - End-Game Technique & Time Management. Two defeats came from superior but complex endings where you either over-pressed or lost on time. Dedicate 15 % of weekly study to technical endings (rook+minor vs rook, rook vs passed pawns) and use a simple move/clock routine:
- Critical positions ⇒ invest up to 25 % of remaining time.
- Non-critical ⇒ move inside 10 s; keep at least 1 min for each 15 moves.
4. Opening Fine-Tuning
As White (Scotch Gambit):
You already score well. Next step is adding variety so opponents can’t prepare only one line. Consider:
- 4.Bc4 Bc5 5.c3 – study modern Giuoco Piano ideas with early d3 & h3.
- Against …d6 set-ups apply the slow plan c3–d4 only after castling.
As Black vs 1.e4:
Your Kalashnikov/Lowenthal repertoire is dynamic but sometimes risky when the f-pawn leaves home (…f6 vs fxe lines). Add a solid option such as the Classical Caro-Kann or the Petroff for tournament variety.
5. Middlegame Drills
- Solve 25 mixed tactical puzzles/day – 70 % of them rated above your own rating.
- Replay two annotated GM games weekly that feature your key structures (Scotch IQP, Kalashnikov pawn chains). Focus on plans, not just moves.
6. End-Game Tasks
- 100 bishop-vs-knight rook endings in a specialised trainer (e.g., Chess.com drills 163-178).
- Practical endings from your own games. Strip to 8 pieces or fewer and defend vs engine to hold a draw.
7. Training Road-Map (Next 4 Weeks)
| Week | Main Focus | Bench-mark |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | King-safety audit of last 20 games | No repeat of “un-castled attacks” |
| 2 | End-game drill set #1 | Score ≥80 % vs engine defence |
| 3 | New Petroff sideline + model games | Play 10 blitz test games |
| 4 | Rapid event with focus on clock control | Average ≥30 s left at move 30 |