Chess Coaching Advice for Ni_Coulas

Coach Chesswick

Hi Ni_Coulas – your recent games tell an interesting story!

You have a lively, tactical style that scores very well against opponents who are surprised by early complications, but it sometimes backfires against stronger or well-prepared players. Below is an action-oriented review based on your last few wins and losses.

1. Opening Choices & Early Queen Adventures

You often bring the queen out on moves 2-4 (Qf3, Qf4, Qh5, etc.). Versus hoeineim-55 you played 2.Qf3 in a Scandinavian and were already worse by move 5.
Why it matters: the queen can be chased, costing tempo tempo and leaving you behind in development.
When you skip castling (e.g. the loss to skidaffy) the king becomes a target once the position opens.
Action plan:
1. Try a “no early queen” challenge for 20 games. Do not move the queen before move 6 unless you are recapturing a piece.
2. Add one solid line with Black (e.g. French or Scandinavian with …Qa5 instead of …Qd5/Qf6) and one with White (Italian or Queen’s Gambit) so you always know the first 8-10 moves.
3. After each game, ask: “Was my king safe and were all minor pieces developed by move 10?” Keep a simple log.

Mini-example of the danger you face:

White has lost castling rights and material — a common pattern in your quick-queen lines.

2. Tactical Strengths & Blind Spots

Your wins feature nice tactical awareness (…dxc4 & …Nxe5 vs LWDzz was precise).
But in losses you sometimes miss opponent counter-tactics:
- Against skidaffy the flashy 8.Nb5!? followed by 10.Nxa8 let Black take over the centre and your king never found shelter.
- Versus Tayan29 you launched queenside pawns but overlooked …Nd5/…Nc3 and the lethal …e3/…e2 break.
Action plan:
1. Add a “10-second blunder check” before every move: “What changed? What are the forcing replies (checks, captures, threats)?”
2. Solve 15-20 mixed tactical puzzles daily. Prefer defensive exercises as well as attacking ones.

3. Time Management

Two recent games were lost on time in won or equal positions. You spend a lot of clock in the opening (searching for creative moves?) and again in complex endgames.
Action plan:
1. Split each 5-minute game into phases: Opening ≤ 1:45, Middlegame ≤ 2:30, Endgame ≥ 0:45. Glance at the clock after every 5 moves.
2. Play 10|0 rapid sessions each week to practise deeper thinking without severe time pressure.

4. Endgame Technique

Good conversion against Alepessanha (queen vs rook & pawns) – you kept the king cut and advanced your own pawns.
In the marathon with BlackLaki you were a pawn up but drifted and eventually flagged. Look for the simplest winning plan, not the prettiest.
Action plan: Solve 3 basic rook endgames daily (Lucena, Philidor, & “cut-off king” techniques) until they feel automatic.

5. Psychological & Practical Tips

Use your tactical flair as insurance, not as a substitute for sound development.
Keep a short post-game routine: save the PGN, add one phrase per critical moment (“should have castled”, “missed fork on e4”). It will build pattern recognition quickly.
Study the games of attacking players who still respect opening rules (e.g. Tal’s early 1960s games, or modern Nepomniachtchi).

6. Quick Reference Dashboard

Best blitz rating so far: 268 (2025-05-29)
When do you win most?

Consistency check:

7. Next Week’s Training Checklist

Play 10 rapid games with your updated opening lines; upload and annotate two of them.
120 tactical puzzles (≈ 17 per day).
Review three GM games where the queen did not move before move 10.
Message me one position where you felt uncomfortable – we will analyse it together.

Keep up the fighting spirit, tighten the fundamentals, and you’ll soon push past 250 blitz. Good luck!