Nicolas

Quick summary

Nice momentum — you’re playing sharp, aggressive blitz and getting results. Your last session had crisp attacking wins (a fast Qf7 mate and a strong Ruy Lopez win) and a loss where king safety / coordination cost you. Your recent rating trend shows clear upward movement — keep the plan simple and repeatable.

What you did well (repeatable habits)

• Aggressive piece play: you spot infiltration squares (Qh5 / Qf7 sequence) and punish weak kings quickly — excellent tactical vision in the attack.
• Creating and converting advantages: in your Ruy Lopez win you turned activity into real material / passed‑pawn advantages and closed the game cleanly.
• Practical instincts in blitz: you trust forcing moves and checks, which often forces opponents into mistakes under time pressure.
• Opening choices that score: you have solid win rates in sharp lines (Scotch, Blackburne Shilling, Scandinavian) — use those strengths to steer opponents into messy positions you like.

Recurring problems to fix

• King safety / back‑rank awareness — several games show the opponent exploiting weak back ranks or mating nets. Simple remedy: give your king an escape (create a luft) or trade a rook off an attacking file when necessary.
• Piece coordination after tactical skirmishes — avoid leaving pieces unprotected when you go hunting for checks. After tactical exchanges double‑check that remaining pieces defend key squares (especially around your king).
• Occasional over‑extension in the center / pawn storms — when you push pawns on the kingside, check your own back squares and piece coverage before committing.
• Time usage in critical moments — in blitz you sometimes rush moves on move 15–25. Use your 5‑second increment to pause for checks and capture sanity checks (look for opponent threats before you move).

Short game takeaways (concrete)

• King's Gambit win vs berig93 — great use of queen checks and open lines. You exploited a weak e‑file and the opponent's undeveloped pieces; finishing with Qf7# is textbook queen infiltration. Study: queen+minor piece mating patterns and one‑move tactical motifs around enemy king.
• Ruy Lopez win vs everybodycallsmegeorgio — good transition from tactics into a clean rook/pawn endgame. You used rooks actively on the 7th/8th ranks and converted a passed pawn. Continue practicing rook activity and simple endgames.
• Loss vs arthurlancebishop — tactical melee ended with mate on b6. Key lesson: when the opponent sacrifices / opens files near your king, your priority is king safety before grabbing material. Practise “how to create luft” and simple defensive patterns (covering squares like b7/b6/a7 when your king sits on b8/a8).

Concrete 4‑week training plan (blitz‑friendly)

• Daily (10–15 min): Tactics puzzles — focus on mating patterns, forks, pins, and deflections. Aim for 10 quality puzzles, review each mistake immediately.
• 3× per week (15–20 min): Endgame micro‑drills — basic rook vs rook + pawn, Lucena position, and back‑rank escapes. These save points when games simplify.
• 2× per week (20 min): Opening + 1 game review — pick 2 openings you score well with (for example Scotch Game and Scandinavian Defense), review typical tactical motifs and one 5–10 move plan for the middle game.
• After each session: Quick post‑mortem — for your losses, note the single decisive mistake (blunder, hanging piece, king safety) and write one sentence how you’ll avoid it next time.

Drills and specific exercises

• Back‑rank drill: set up positions where your king is castled with no pawn in front; practice creating luft and trading a rook when under attack.
• Tactical pattern set: 3×10 puzzles each day focused on discovered checks, pins, and queen sacrifices that lead to mate.
• Rook endgame routine: 15 positions of Lucena / Philidor; learn the build‑up to the winning plan and the drawing resources.
• Blitz routine: before moving, do a 3‑second checklist — (1) Are any of my pieces hanging? (2) Any checks/captures for opponent? (3) Does this move worsen my king safety?

Next session checklist (before you play)

• Pick one opening to use for the session and stick to it for 4–6 games.
• Start with 10 quick tactics to wake up pattern recognition.
• Play with the goal: “no avoidable mate / no hanging pieces” (not just +1 material).
• After every loss, save the game and mark the decisive move — review with engine or a stronger friend once per week.

Small wins to encourage — keep doing these

• You’re forcing mates and exploiting opponents who neglect development — keep hunting those dirty kings.
• Your opening choices let you reach messy middlegames where you thrive — double down on the lines you enjoy (and that have high WinRate for you).
• Your recent rating slope and monthly gains show the training is working — consistency will compound these gains.

Useful links / references (placeholders)

• King's Gambit motifs: King's Gambit
• Ruy Lopez ideas: Ruy Lopez
• Study the Scandinavian / Scotch (you have solid records there): Scandinavian Defense — pick one main line and learn a single 6‑move plan.

Final note

You're improving — your tactical sharpness and conversion ability are strengths. Tighten king safety and watch coordination after trades, and the rating gains will continue. If you want, I can produce a 7‑day daily drill schedule or annotate one of your recent losses move‑by‑move.