Hi Daniel!
Great work keeping your Blitz rating in the mid-2500s (2713 (2021-05-15)). Your recent sessions show fighting spirit and a willingness to enter sharp, unbalanced positions. Below is a concise, practical roadmap to gain the next 100–150 Elo.
1. What you already do well
- Opening variety & prep – You handle both 1.d4 (Modern Slav structures) and 1.e4 (Rossolimo / Anti-Sicilian lines) with confidence, often steering play into positions you know.
- Tactical alertness – The win vs
wikipedia1288featured the …h5-h4-g5-g4 pawn storm followed by an instructive…Nf6-h5-f4manoeuvre. You constantly create concrete problems for the opponent. - Speed management – In most victories you kept >40 s on the clock, giving you time to convert advantages.
2. Key improvement themes
-
Don’t self-weaken the king side too early
Loss vsA-R-27(Nimzo-Larsen) began with …g5-h5-g4 while the centre was still tense. White’sNg6+on move 38 decided the game.
Rule of thumb: Push the g/h-pawns only after you are castled on the opposite wing or the centre is closed. -
Convert won endgames efficiently
Several wins were decided on time, not the board. Try to finish games sooner by:- Trading into simpler winning endings (e.g. up a pawn → same-coloured bishop ending).
- Learning basic conversion drill (two connected passers vs bishop, Lucena etc.). Five minutes with a table-base per day is plenty.
-
Improve pawn-break recognition
In the loss toBurningIcarusyou allowed …c4-c3-c2because the d4/e5 break was delayed. Ask yourself each move: “Which pawn break changes the evaluation most?” This habit saves time and prevents passive piece play. -
Mid-game prophylaxis
Twice you let an opponent double rooks on thec-filewithout contest. Spend one tempo onRc1/Qc2or a minor-piece exchange before launching your own attack.
3. Opening checkpoints
| Line | Micro-fix |
|---|---|
| Rossolimo (3.Bb5 e5) | After 10.Bh6, consider 10…Nd4! (grabs initiative) instead of routine …Qe7. |
| Modern Slav (…h6 g5 line) | If White keeps the bishop on g3, insert …f5 before …g4 to avoid a future pin on the f-file. |
| Nimzowitsch-Larsen vs you | Replace …a5 with …Ne4 on move 15 to seize dark-square control and avoid queenside holes. |
4. Time-usage drill
Attach one simple ritual to each move:
- 5-second scan – Checks, captures, threats.
- Prophylaxis – “What does my opponent want next?”
This costs ≤10 s but prevents 80 % of one-move oversights that currently decide many Blitz games.
5. Micro-study plan (2 h/week)
- 30 min ⚡ – Tactical puzzles filtered for
2000-2500motif difficulty. - 30 min 📚 – Replay GM games in your favourite Slav structures; pause every 5 moves and guess the next one.
- 20 min ♟ – Endgame drill (rook & pawn, B vs knight). Use downloadable table-base.
- 20 min 🎯 – Annotate one of your own losses in depth each week (pick from list below).
- 20 min 📈 – Quick review of your performance chart to spot tired-hour patterns.
6. Instructive snapshot
The critical moment vs A-R-27 – black to move, but the king side is already collapsing:
Notice how every pawn push (…a-, …g-, …h-) opened new files and diagonals around your own king, letting White’s knights jump in. Use this as a reference position when deciding whether to advance flank pawns again.
7. Final encouragement
You’re already outperforming most Blitz specialists; polishing these few structural and endgame details will give you a substantial edge. Keep the fighting spirit, review one loss per day, and you’ll soon break the next rating milestone.
Good luck, and enjoy the journey!