Coach Chesswick
Hi Nicola!
Your recent games confirm why you are already a strong 2600-blitz player (current peak: 2815 (2024-12-21)). You score most of your wins by seizing the initiative early and then keeping the opponent under constant tactical pressure. Below is a personalised roadmap to push you toward the next level.
What you already do very well
- Dynamic pawn play – Advances such as f4 & g4 in the Pirc (see move 13 g4 vs Masha Klinova) and d5 & e4 structures in the Slav show excellent feel for space-gaining thrusts.
- Tactical alertness – The combination …e6 16.e6! fxe6 17.Ng5 in your Austrian Attack win illustrates a keen eye for forcing continuations:
- Converting material – In several wins you calmly exchanged into won endings rather than “going for mate at all costs”—a good sign of maturity.
- Confidence with both colours – Your Accelerated Dragon victories as Black keep opponents guessing and prove you can handle sharp theory from either side.
Recurring issues & concrete fixes
-
Over-extension against accurate defence
• Loss vs MilkThroat: after 15.b4?! you gave Black an outside passed a-pawn while your own king stayed in the centre.
• Fix: Before launching pawn storms ask yourself, “What happens if my opponent refuses to panic and just grabs a pawn?” – a simple "BLC" check (Balance-Lines-King-Safety) will often reveal the downside. -
Transition-to-endgame judgement
• In the Grünfeld loss to AmericanPatzer3 you traded queens on 17…Qxc3 only to enter a rook ending where your loose c- and a-pawns collapsed.
• Fix: If you are up material and have the safer king, keep pieces to maximise winning chances. Practice with “won” end-game drills where you must choose whether to simplify. -
Prophylaxis against flank counter-play
• Game vs jumpman1998 (QGD Exchange): …h6 …Nh5 looked active but forgot about White’s rook swing Rd4–h4 restricting your king.
• Daily warm-up: Spend 5 minutes solving “find the opponent’s plan” positions; it will train the habit of asking “What is he/she threatening?” -
Time-management spikes
• Most of your games end with >1:00 on the clock, yet critical blunders still occur. This hints at moving too quickly when the position first leaves your prep.
• Adopt a 10-second speed bump: whenever you realise “Theory ended”, spend a mandatory 10 s calculating forcing moves & candidate checks, especially Zwischenzug opportunities.
Opening tweaks worth testing this week
| White vs Grünfeld | Swap 5.Bd2 for the more critical 5.Nf3. It sidesteps …Bg7 …Nc6 lines that have caused trouble. |
| White vs Pirc | Keep Austrian Attack, but prepare the calm fallback 6.Be3 against …c5 ideas so you can choose between all-in and positional. |
| Black vs QGD Exchange | Add the Cambridge-Springs (…Qa5) to avoid early simplifications and force White to show theory. |
Training menu (next 30 days)
- 30 minutes/day of defensive tactics (especially vs. opposite-wing attacks).
- 2 model end-games per session – start with Karpov-style rook endings; annotate them yourself.
- Play one slow (15 | 10) game every weekend; annotate immediately after, focusing on moments where you moved under 10 s.
When you’re curious…
“Calculate deeply, restrain recklessness, and the rating points will follow.”