Coach Chesswick
Hi Mireya!
Great job keeping an active tournament schedule and crossing the 2100 blitz line (2137 (2023-09-01))—that takes commitment. Below is a personalized review based on your latest games.
What you already do well
- Fearless initiative. Your most-recent win (Pirc, 1-0 vs. FoxPS) shows how comfortably you launch pawn storms on opposite-side castlings. 11.h5!! and 17.e5!? underline an intuitive sense for tempo and piece activity.
- Tactical alertness. Combining 25.Nd6+ with the double rook battery (21.Rd6!) reveals good board vision and pattern recognition—skills that decide fast time-controls.
- Resilience with Black. Your Najdorf win vs. 1664 (0-1 as Black) featured an instructive exchange-up conversion where you neutralized White’s pressure before counter-punching on the dark squares.
Growth opportunities
- Time management. In both rapid and bullet you often reach critical positions with <10 s (e.g., 24.Nxb5 took 40 s, leaving you at 0:32). Train yourself to freeze at three moments—opening transition, first tactic, and endgame entry—to keep ≥30 % of your clock for the last 20 moves.
- Central pawn tension. In the loss vs. Ave_Mariia you advanced 14.c5 without completing development, allowing …Nf4 → …Nd3/d3 ideas. Re-watch that game and ask, “Which pawn breaks are mandatory vs. optional?” A quick rule: if half your pieces are undeveloped, maintain the tension.
- Defensive technique. When under pressure you sometimes “drift” instead of creating counter-threats (see 31.Red1? vs. 2257; …Rad8! piled up). Study classic games where defense turns into counterplay—Karpov is a model.
- Endgame conversion. Several wins stall in R+N vs. R+N endings. Focus on principles of two weaknesses and the “four-point rule” for converting extra pawns.
Action plan for the next 30 days
- Drill a 15-minute “tight openings” repertoire. Pick one main line each vs. 1.e4 and 1.d4 and rehearse with the Woodpecker method: play 10 blitz games focusing only on move-12 knowledge, ignore the result.
- Daily tactics, but timed. 10 puzzles @ 3 min each; if you see the idea but not the full line, move. This mirrors your real-game pace.
- Endgame mini-plan. Finish Silman’s “Minor Piece vs. Pawns” chapter; then solve 20 rook-endgame studies (max 5 min each). Tag the ones you fail and repeat weekly.
- One annotated rapid per week. Play 15 + 10, annotate within 24 h, and send the PGN to a stronger player or coach for feedback. Include critical positions (▼) and your candidate moves.
At-a-glance stats
Peak ratings: Blitz 2137 (2023-09-01), Rapid 2019 (2021-09-08)
When do you win most?
Which days are hot streaks?
Key motif to add to your toolbox
Study the “Octopus Knight” on d6/f6 (you used it in 25.Nd6+). Look up games by Kasparov where this piece dominates, and note how he freezes enemy pieces before switching wings.
Quick glossary refresh
- zugzwang – position where any move worsens the situation.
- zwischenzug – an intermezzo; you employed one with 22.Rxh8! before recapturing material.
Keep the momentum!
You have a dynamic style and the tactical foundations to push toward 2200. Sharpen the non-glamorous areas—time usage, defense, and endings—and the rating gains will follow naturally.
See you on the board, and feel free to send over your next annotated game!