Coach Chesswick
Hi Nicoade! Here’s some constructive feedback based on your most recent games.
What you’re already doing well ✅
- Active, tactical play: In several wins you quickly opened lines (e.g. 11.Qxb7 in the win vs bmzlll) and punished loose positions. Spotting loose pieces is clearly a strength.
- Quick mating patterns: Your 15.Qxf7# finish in the French Advance game shows good awareness of basic mating nets around f7/f2.
- Confidence with the initiative: You’re not afraid to sacrifice pawns (or even pieces) to keep the attack. At this rating range that often pays off.
Key patterns to fix ⛔
- Over-committing the queen before you finish development.
• In several losses (e.g. vs astuk6969 and catelin64) an early queen excursion to b5/b4/bq allowed your opponent to gain tempi and centralise.
• Rule of thumb: if you’ve developed fewer than three minor pieces, think twice before bringing the queen past the third rank. - Leaving f7/f2 and the 7th rank under-protected.
• Example: the loss vs lilxaiyah where 5.Nxf7 forked your queen and rook because ...e5 weakened f7 and your king was still in the centre.
• Always look for knight hops to f7/f2 and tactics related to the Fork. - Pawn pushes that cramp your own pieces.
• Sequences like 1…d5 → …d4 with Black or early …c6/a6 often lock your dark-squared bishop and delay castling. - Calculation discipline. Many tactics go one move further than you calculate. Get in the habit of asking, “What will my opponent reply, and what do I reply to that?” before you move.
Illustrative blunder (from the LilXaiyah game)
Spend one minute replaying this miniature; ask yourself after each move “Was this necessary?”
Key takeaway: the f-pawn is poison unless you have castled or can recapture with a piece that keeps the king safe.
Action plan for the next two weeks 📅
- Daily blunder-check routine. Before hitting “move”, verify:
① Is anything hanging?
② Are there checks, captures, threats for both sides?
③ Is my king safe after the move? - 10 tactical puzzles per day focused on forks, pins, and discovered attacks. (You can filter for DiscoveredAttack on most puzzle trainers.)
- Opening discipline drill. For your next 20 games, force yourself to:
• Develop both knights and one bishop before moving the queen.
• Castle by move 8 whenever possible.
• Avoid pawn moves on the edge files (a/h) before move 10 unless forced. - End a session with a quick review. Win or lose, click through the game and mark one “good move” and one “regret move.” This keeps learning continuous.
Progress trackers
Use the built-in stats to watch your improvement:
- Peak Rapid rating so far:
- Your strongest hour of the day:
- Consistency over the week:
Final encouragement 🌟
You’re already dangerous tactically—polish the basics of king safety and piece development, and your rating will climb fast. Keep the attacking spirit, add a bit more discipline, and you’ll soon break 600+.