MKothari999

Hi MKothari999!

Great job staying active and playing a lot of games  

 . I’ve looked at your most recent wins and losses to build the feedback below.

What you already do well

• Tactical alertness vs. similar-rated opponents. In your July 20 win you spotted Nb5–Nc7–Nxe6 and later converted an extra pawn into a queen. This shows good awareness of forks and key promotion ideas.
• Active rook play. When you reach an open position you often double rooks on open files and penetrate the 7th rank—excellent attacking instinct.
• Willingness to fight in the endgame. You keep pushing passed pawns (e.g. …f-pawn races) instead of offering premature draws. That fighting spirit is essential for improvement.

Top improvement priorities

1. Opening fundamentals before creativity.
   Your early moves like 2.f3, 2.Qf3, or g4 weaken e1–h4 diagonals and delay development. Many of your losses (March 8, June 22) start with your queen getting chased and your king stuck in the center.
   • Follow the “three golden rules”: control the center, develop pieces, castle early.
   • Try the simple setup: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 (Italian) as White and 1…e5 2…Nc6 3…Nf6 (Two-Knights) as Black. No theory memorisation—just apply principles.
2. King safety.
   In the recent loss (1.e4 b6 2.d3 … 5.g4 … 7…Qxc1+) the queen simply captured on c1 because your king was still on e1 and dark-square bishop undeveloped.
   • Practice the habit “Castle by move 10 unless there is a clear tactical reason not to”.
   • Avoid pawn pushes f/g/h in front of your king before castling.
3. Stop moving the same piece repeatedly in the opening.
   Example: March 8 game—your queen danced Qh4–Qe7–Qd8 while Black developed smoothly. Each extra queen move costs two tempos; use them instead on new minor pieces.
4. Tactics calibration.
   You spot some tactics but also fall to basic motifs like the scholar-style checkmate and knight forks (…Nd4+, …Nf5#). Ten minutes of daily puzzle training will fix this quickly. Focus on:
   • forks
   • pins
   • Back-rank mates
   • Double attacks on king + hanging piece
5. Time management in fast games. You sometimes lose on time even from winning positions. Two suggestions:
   • Use the “10-second rule”: if the move isn’t forced, spend up to 10 s checking tactics before playing.
   • Play a few 15|10 rapid games each week to practise deeper calculation without clock panic.

Mini-lesson: Safe, solid opening blueprint

  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bc4 Bc5
  4. c3      (prepares d4)
  5. d4 exd4
  6. cxd4 Bb4+
  

Try this as White for the next 20 games. Focus on getting all pieces out and castling before launching pawn storms.

Example analysis of your last loss

• 5.g4? attacks nothing yet, weakens your king.
• 7.h3? another pawn move; instead Nf3 or Bg2 developing would parry the queen.
• 8.Ke2?! walks into the open, stops castling rights.
• Lesson: Don’t start an attack before finishing development and king safety.

Personal milestones

Your current peak rapid rating: 826 (2023-06-01). Set a short-term goal of +100 points in the next three months by following the plan above.

Action checklist (print this!)

1. Play 3 rapid games/week with the Italian setup, review each with computer & notes.
2. Solve 15 tactics/day (forks, pins, back-rank mates).
3. After each game, write down one move you’d change and why.
4. Watch one 5-minute video on basic endgames weekly (king & pawn vs. king, rook endgames).
5. Challenge a higher-rated friend such as otsuking for analysis games rather than only competitive ones.

Keep up the enthusiasm, follow the fundamentals, and you’ll see fast rating gains. Good luck and have fun on your chess journey!