David Balogh CM

Quick summary

Nice streak — your recent rapid games show a strong attacking instinct, reliable conversion, and very good opening results in your favorite systems. You win more than you lose, create practical chances, and finish games decisively. Below I highlight the concrete strengths to keep and the recurring weaknesses to target with short drills.

Recent game to review (clickable)

Here’s the most recent win I reviewed — Black checkmated on move 29 using aggressive rook activity and a back‑rank motif. You can replay it below or open your opponent’s profile: gezukak.

• Opening shown: Bishops Opening
• Replay the game:

What you’re doing well

• Finisher instinct — you convert advantages cleanly and often find the finishing blow (back‑rank / mating nets show up repeatedly).
• Active rooks and major‑piece play — you use rook lifts, swings to the 7th/2nd and doubling effectively to create decisive threats.
• Opening mastery in your chosen lines — your results show deep practical knowledge in lines like the Amazon Attack and several French variations (high win rates).
• Tactical alertness — you spot combinations and remove defenders quickly, turning small imbalances into wins.
• Consistency — your overall W/L/D record is excellent; you keep pressure in most games instead of going passive.

Recurring weaknesses to target

• Pawn over‑pushes and holes — in a few games you push pawns too quickly (or without preparation) and create weak squares near your king or in the center. Work on timing pawn breaks and preparing them with piece play.
• Occasional rush to mate patterns without checking counterplay — the mate comes fast, but sometimes you miss defensive resources (intermezzos) when the position gets sharp. Slow down one extra half step in complications and check opponent replies carefully.
• Minor piece coordination in closed moments — when the position becomes closed or simplified, your knights/bishops occasionally lack good squares; improve maneuver plans and prophylaxis in those structures.
• Reliance on opponents’ inaccuracies — many wins come from opponents blundering into tactics. Aim to create positions where opponents must make precise defensive moves rather than just wait for mistakes.

Concrete practice plan (next 2–6 weeks)

• Daily tactics: 10–20 minutes solving mixed tactics (focus: back‑rank mates, discovered checks, rook/queen batteries). Target 8–12 solved problems per day with quality (not speed) for two weeks.
• Endgame drill: 3 simple endgames twice a week — king+rook vs king, basic rook endgames, and Lucena position. These consolidate your conversion technique when ahead.
• Opening refinement: for your top systems (Amazon Attack, French Exchange/Advance, Slav) build one short notebook per opening:
  • Three typical pawn structures and the correct plan for each.
  • One trap to avoid and one trap to aim for.
• Checklists in complex positions: before making a critical move, run a 4‑point check: (1) immediate captures for both sides, (2) checks, (3) opponent threats, (4) your worst–case reply. This slows down tactical misses.
• Weekly slow game: play one 30|5 rapid or 45|10 game focused on technique (no brainless aggression). Use this to practice patience and prophylaxis.

Targeted drills and study resources

• Tactics set: pick puzzles labeled “Back‑rank”, “Rook lifts”, and “Decoy/deflection” — 3 of each per session.
• Game study: take two of your wins and two of your close calls (loss or narrow win) and annotate them — explain the plan for both sides in plain English, then check with an engine.
• Model games: watch/annotate one master game in the Amazon Attack and one in the French Exchange each week — focus on pawn breaks and where the minor pieces go.

Opening notes (based on your performance)

Your opening win rates are excellent in several systems (Amazon Attack, French Exchange, Slav). Keep what’s working, but:

• Don’t try too many new sidelines before you understand the typical middlegame plans — master the pawn structures of 2–3 openings deeply rather than 10 superficially.
• Prepare short anti‑system responses for common sidelines your opponents play (one central reply and one plan if they deviate).
• If you want, I can give a 1‑page “cheat sheet” (key plans + common traps) for each opening you listed — tell me which two you want first.

Time management and psychological tips

• You tend to keep reasonable clock times — keep the habit of spending a little more time (10–20 seconds extra) on critical branching points.
• Use simple heuristics in time trouble: prioritize king safety and tactical forcing moves; avoid long quiet maneuvers unless you’re sure.
• When you convert a small edge, switch to a checklist: decrease counterplay, centralize king, trade off active enemy pieces that can create threats.

Follow‑up

If you’d like I can:

• Annotate one specific game (pick any from your recent wins or the loss you want to fix).
• Make a one‑page opening cheat sheet for two systems you play most.
• Send a 2‑week tactical workout tailored to back‑rank and rook tactics.

Tell me which option you prefer and I’ll prepare it. If you want a deep dive on the recent game I embedded above, say “Analyze the Gezukak game” and I’ll annotate move‑by‑move.