Coach Chesswick
Hi mouseWLZ!
You have an impressive Blitz peak of 2823 (2020-01-07). Your recent results show you can beat 2600+ opponents with ease, yet even stronger GMs can still pose problems. Below is some targeted feedback based on your latest games.
What you’re doing well
- Dynamic Scandinavian as Black. Against e4 you’re scoring heavily with 1…d5. Your queen manoeuvres (…Qd6/…Qa5/…Qb4) are crisp and you’re comfortable entering middlegames with the bishop pair.
- Harmonious piece co-ordination in East-Indian structures. Games versus MattyDPerrine and Annawel show excellent dark-square control and timely pawn breaks …e5/…c6.
- Killer instinct. When the initiative is yours you rarely let go—note the mating attack 18…Bf3!! in your second win.
Recurring issues to address
- Over-extension in the London/Bf4 repertoire. Losses to Sanan_Sjugirov and crescentmoon2411 started with seemingly harmless London moves, but early
a4, b4(orc3–d4setups) left weak squares that Black exploited. Strengthen the opening by:- Delaying queen-side pawn thrusts until you’re fully developed.
- Studying critical lines where Black plays …c5 + …g6, aiming for queenside pressure.
- Adding the aggressive 2.Nf3 & 3.c4 systems to force different pawn structures and keep opponents guessing.
- End-game technique & stubborn defence. In the loss to Sanan you were down a pawn but still had drawing chances. Instead of forcing matters with
33.Ne5?you could strengthen the fortress first. Investing a tempo to activate the king often makes the difference. - Time-management in sharp endings. You entered multiple sub-20-second scenarios with complex positions (e.g. crescentmoon2411). Remember that with a 2-second increment you only need 1–2 accurate moves to grow your clock again. Avoid “zero-second” habits—force yourself to move when you reach 10 s.
- Occasional tactical blind spots. Two recent tactics you missed:
- After 14…Nxc3 in your loss to Sanan,
15.Qb3!would have kept material balance. Instead 15.Bxh7+? back-fired. - In the Crescentmoon game the motif …Ra5–c5–c4 hit your loose pawn chain; prophylaxis with
15.h3or15.Bb5could have averted it.
- After 14…Nxc3 in your loss to Sanan,
Illustrative snapshot
From the Sanan game—Black just played 14…Nxc3:
Your idea 15.Bxh7+?! allowed Black to consolidate. Engines suggest quiet play (15.Qe1 or 15.Qe3) leading to equality.
Action plan for the next two weeks
- Opening tune-up: Spend one session analysing the line 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bf4 c5 3.e3 g6 4.c3 Bg7 with an engine and database. Identify three safe set-ups you’re happy to repeat.
- Endgame ladder: Solve 15 rook-and-pawn endgame studies; focus on Vancura/Philidor defences. Then play 10 unrated Blitz games starting from R+P endgames versus an engine.
- Clock discipline drill: Play 5 games of 3|2 where you must press the clock once you reach 12 s—even if it means playing a safe waiting move. Review whether this helped maintain time buffers later.
- Tactic theme of the week: Zwischenzug & deflection. Aim for 100 puzzles at 2700–3000 difficulty.
Performance snapshots
- Hourly win-rate trend:
- Day-by-day consistency:
Keep it up!
Your attacking flair already puts enormous pressure on opponents. By patching the few structural leaks in the London and sharpening your defensive technique, you’ll convert even more of those 50-50 games—and push that Blitz peak even higher. Good luck at the next Titled Tuesday!