Quick recap
Nice stretch — your rating and recent results show a strong upward trend. You're converting attacking chances in blitz and your piece activity (especially rook lifts and queen infiltration) is producing real wins. Below are focused, practical suggestions based on your most recent games.
One position to review (clean win)
Game vs Amanmuhammet Hommadov — you created decisive kingside pressure with active rooks and a timely queen run. Re7 + Rxh7 followed by Rh8+ was the turning point: direct threats forced the opponent into passive defense and you finished by invading with rooks and queen.
- Replay the attack:
- Key idea to keep: when the opponent's king is short on squares, combine a rook lift with a queen check; don't be afraid to sacrifice material if it opens lines to the king.
What you're doing well
- Active rooks and queen coordination — you spot invasion routes fast (Re7, Rxh7, Rh8+ in the win).
- Good pattern recognition in tactical, open positions — your strength-adjusted win rate above 0.52 reflects real tactical edge.
- Strong momentum and consistency — recent rating slope and gains show steady improvement. Keep the learning habit up.
- Opening preparation in many lines is paying off (Scandinavian, French and some Sicilian lines are big positives).
Where to focus (highest-impact improvements)
- Endgame technique — several losses (and close wins) hinge on handling passed pawns, king activity and rook vs rook endgames. Drill basic rook endgames, king and pawn races, and defending with the passive rook.
- Defensive timing — in your loss vs ArtemDyachuk you allowed opponent pawn breakthroughs and king infiltration. Look for prophylactic moves to stop pawn advances (blockade, exchange to reduce passer potential) rather than chasing material.
- Time management in blitz — keep ~8–10 seconds as reserve on the clock for tactical moments. Avoid big think on routine moves; use a simple rule: think deeply when the opponent creates more than one forcing threat or when you can change the pawn structure.
- Opening line choices — your Caro‑Kann results are weaker (sub‑41% win rate). Either refine specific Caro‑Kann lines or simplify to more familiar systems where you score higher (Scandinavian, French or your favorite Sicilian line).
Concrete drills and training plan (daily / weekly)
- Daily (15–30 minutes): 15 tactical puzzles focused on forks, pins, skewers and x‑ray/overload motifs — these are recurring in your wins.
- Every other day (20–40 minutes): Endgame practice — 10 rook vs rook positions, basic king and pawn promotion races, and defending when down a tempo.
- Twice a week (30–45 minutes): Opening review — pick one problematic opening (Caro‑Kann) and drill 4–5 typical plans for both sides. Add one “must‑know” tactical trap per line.
- Weekly (play): 6–10 longer rapid games (10|0 or 10|5) to practice transitioning from opening to a slow, precise endgame — this will improve your blitz conversion rate.
Notable mistakes to track (examples from your recent games)
- Loss vs ArtemDyachuk: allowing the h‑pawn to roll and the opponent's king to invade — prioritize stopping connected passers or exchanging into a drawish rook endgame when behind.
- General pattern: when you win material, check whether opponent gets dangerous passers/king activity in return. If yes, switch from “materialism” to concrete defence (blockade, king centralization).
Small checklist to use between moves (blitz-friendly)
- Opponent threats: any checks, captures or threats? Respond first.
- King safety: is your king safe after the next two moves?
- Piece activity: can I improve a piece by one useful square (lift, double, outpost)?
- Pawn breaks: will a pawn trade create passers or open files for opponent rooks?
Goal for the next 30 days
Consolidate +50 rating points of practical play by: (1) weekly endgame focus, (2) reducing time losses by preserving a small clock buffer, and (3) fixing one opening (Caro‑Kann) to a couple of safe, tested lines. Your recent +110 month shows this is realistic.
Resources & next steps
- Run a 10‑minute post‑mortem on each loss: write the single reason you lost (passer, hanging piece, time) — repeat for 5 games.
- Targeted study: 20 rook endgame positions and 100 tactical puzzles this week.
- If you want, I can prepare a short set of 10 tailored puzzles and 6 endgame drills based on these games — tell me which you prefer (tactics or endgames) and I’ll build them.
Parting note
You have clear strengths — tactical sharpness and attacking instincts. Tightening up endgame technique and time management will convert more of those dominant middlegame positions into wins. Keep the focused practice plan and you'll keep climbing.