Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice cluster of clean wins recently — you convert active chances, you see tactical shots, and you know how to hunt a king in blitz. The losses show a recurring theme: time trouble and occasional overextension. Below are focused, practical points to keep the good stuff and fix the leaks.
Recent-game examples (click to replay)
Replay your most recent tidy win and a loss that highlights time-management problems.
- Most recent win vs alex883320 — key ideas: king hunt, passed pawns, promoting the pawn:
- Recent loss that ended by flag vs voso001 — shows how quickly a winning position can slip when the clock is ignored:
What you're doing well
- Hunting the king: you convert initiative into decisive material or mate quickly in many blitz wins.
- Endgame/promotion instincts: multiple games show clean pawn pushes and successful promotions — you spot passed-pawn races.
- Opening repertoire pays off: your favorite systems (Nimzo-Larsen, some Sicilian lines, and aggressive gambits) produce real winning chances — you get practical positions you understand.
- Tactical vision under time pressure — you find forks, captures and decisive tactics in short time controls.
Main issues to fix
- Time trouble is recurring — several losses end on the clock or in rushed mistakes. You need a simple, repeatable time plan for 5|0 games.
- Opening-specific leaks: the Nimzo-Larsen Classical Variation shows a lower win rate than your other lines. That suggests some concrete move-order or typical middlegame plans are unclear there.
- Endgame technique in complex piece/rook endgames under clock — convert earlier or trade into simpler winning king-and-pawn endings when ahead.
Concrete next steps (weekly plan)
- Daily 15–20 min tactics (target: 50 puzzles/day). Focus on forks, pins, discovered attacks — patterns you already convert well.
- 3 times per week: one 15+10 rapid game for conversion practice. Play those serious (no pre-moves), analyze the turning points.
- Time management drill: play 10 games of 5|0 with the rule “use at least 5 seconds on every move in the first 12 moves.” This prevents burn-down to zero early.
- Study the Nimzo-Larsen Classical Variation 2× per week: pick two model games (annotated) and learn typical pawn breaks and where your pieces belong. Save 30 minutes for this.
- Endgame practice: 2× per week spend 20 minutes on king-and-pawn versus king and basic rook endgames (winning method, Lucena, Philidor). Converting passed pawns is already a strength — seal it.
Quick blitz tips you can apply immediately
- Before every move ask: "Is my opponent threatening mate or a fork?" — a 1–2 second safety check saves flags and blunders.
- If you’re ahead in material, trade queens and simplify when the opponent has counterplay — don’t chase flashy checks if it costs time or allows a counterattack.
- Use increment-style thinking even in 5|0: build a mental clock plan (e.g., keep 30–45 seconds for the last 10 moves).
- In large tactical complications, commit to a depth: calculate candidate captures and one clear forcing line rather than trying to calculate everything.
- When you win material early (knight forks, piece wins), convert by reducing the opponent’s activity — freeze their counterplay.
Study resources & focused drills
- Daily tactic trainer (pattern emphasis: forks, pins, discovered checks).
- Short endgame bite: Lucena/Philidor + king and pawn vs king checklists — 20 minutes twice a week.
- Opening folder: add 5–8 model games for Nimzo-Larsen Classical; summarize one-page notes: typical pawn breaks, piece squares, and a plan vs ...c5 or ...d5.
- Analyze 2 recent losses each week: mark the move where the advantage changed and annotate why — this builds pattern recognition for recurring mistakes.
- Use the tag LPDO (loose pieces) in your analysis — ask “Which of my opponent’s pieces are hanging this position?” before moving.
Short checklist to use at the board (5-second routine)
- Are any pieces hanging (LPDO)?
- Opponent's last move: any new threats? (rook lift, back-rank, knight fork)
- Material vs activity: can I simplify safely?
- Do I have enough time? If < 30s, choose safe practical moves.
Motivation & next milestone
Your long-term rating curve shows strong peaks and a positive short-term trend slope. With focused blitz drills on time management + targeted opening study you should stop the -81 slide and push the next stable zone higher. Aim to convert one extra winning position per session by applying the checklist above — that small improvement compounds fast in blitz.
If you want, next
- Send 3 recent games you felt unsure about and I’ll mark the exact turning moves and give a 10-point actionable checklist for each.
- Or ask for a 2-week training micro-plan tuned to your available time (I’ll use your openings data).