Coach Chesswick
Quick summary — recent form & improvement
Nice run — you’ve been on a clear upward trajectory (recent 1‑month change +112, 3‑month +211). Your win rate and conversion in rapid games is strong, and you’re already getting results from sharp opening choices like the English Opening and French Defense: Exchange Variation. Keep building on this momentum.
What you’re doing well
- Creating and converting passed pawns — excellent example in the game vs. 71encinal where you pushed the c‑pawn to promotion and finished the game decisively.
- Active piece play and seizing open files — you place rooks on 7th and open files quickly, turning small advantages into concrete threats.
- Good tactical awareness — lots of wins come from forcing sequences (captures, forks, promotions) rather than long positional grinds.
- Opening preparation pays off — very high win rates in focused lines (100% in some English/French/Bird lines). That consistency is a real strength.
- Strong momentum control — you keep pressure on opponents and make them find precise defensive moves, which they often don’t in rapid time controls.
Most useful example to study (replay)
Replay the game where you promoted the c‑pawn and forced resignation — go through it move‑by‑move and ask at each turn “what else could my opponent have tried?”
Interactive replay:
Main weaknesses to fix (concrete)
- Endgame technique: you promote well when the position is tactical, but standard rook/ pawn endgames (Lucena, Philidor) will give you more reliable conversions — spend focused time here.
- Occasional looseness in the middlegame — a couple of games show giving the opponent counterplay (allowing active knights or checks). Slow down to check for opponent counterthreats before committing pawns.
- Opening transpositions — you’re doing well in your favorite lines but sometimes get less comfortable when opponents deviate early. Work on key move orders and typical plans, not just moves.
- Time allocation in complex positions — when the position becomes tactical, spend a couple more seconds to calculate critical lines; that avoids fast blunders in the transition to the endgame.
Targeted 4‑week training plan
- Daily (20–30 min):
- 15 tactical puzzles (focus forks, discovered checks, promotion tactics).
- 5 minutes of spaced review on recent mistakes (annotate one loss/win each day).
- Weekly:
- 2 endgame sessions (30–45 min) — rook & pawn basics: Lucena and Philidor, king activity, opposition.
- 1 opening consolidation session (30 min) — pick a top 2 openings you play: English Opening and French Defense: Exchange Variation. Build a one‑page plan for common middlegame ideas and a “what to do if opponent plays X” list.
- 1 longer rapid game (15'+10' or 25'+5') — play slow to practice deep calculation and endgame technique.
- Post‑game routine:
- After each rapid, annotate only the critical turning point(s) without engine, then run engine to check your assessment.
Short drills and resources (practical)
- Tactics: focus on promotion motifs and mating nets — set puzzle tags to “endgame tactics” and “forks”.
- Endgames: drill 10 Lucena/Philidor positions until you can force the technique quickly from any side.
- Openings: make a 1‑page cheat sheet for each main line you play with typical pawn breaks and ideal piece squares (not just move lists).
- Game review: pick your last 10 wins and 3 losses — for wins, identify how you converted the advantage; for losses, find the earliest inaccuracy that allowed the opponent back into the game.
How to use your stats to get stronger
- High opening win rates are a great base — double down, but watch for survivability when opponents sidestep your prep.
- Strength Adjusted Win Rate ~0.53 — you’re beating similarly rated players consistently. Convert that into rating gains by removing avoidable losses (time management + endgame tech).
- Maintain the practice that produced the +112 last month: regular focused study + review of your own games.
Next session checklist (before you play)
- Warm up 5 tactical puzzles (forks/discovered attacks).
- Review your 1‑page opening plan for the side you expect to play.
- Set a clear goal for the session (e.g., “no hanging pieces; trade into endgames only when winning pawn structure”).
Closing — keep going
Your recent form shows you’re doing many things right: tactical sharpness, practical converting, and strong opening preparation. Focus this momentum on systematic endgame work and structured opening plans and you’ll keep climbing. If you want, I can:
- Annotate any one of these recent games in detail (pick which one).
- Generate a 1‑page opening plan for English Opening or French Defense: Exchange Variation.
- Produce a 4‑week daily tactic/endgame schedule you can copy into your calendar.
Which would you like next?