NLSalty

Hi NLSalty!

Congratulations on the recent tactical wins – your eye for mating patterns (e.g. 4.Qxf7#, 15.Qxg7#) is impressive and shows confident calculation under time pressure.

What’s already working

• Killer instinct. You convert loose positions into quick mates with queen-bishop batteries.
• Piece activity. When you have the initiative you keep pieces pointing at the enemy king and finish efficiently.
• Time management. Most of your games finish with time to spare – a sign of decisive play.

Patterns that need attention

1. Early queen adventures. In every recent loss the queen came out before minor pieces were developed (2.Qf3, 4…Qh4, 3…Qf6, etc.). Stronger opponents simply gain tempi and hit back with forks like 7…Nc2⁺. Key term: tempo.
2. Unsafe king. Because of those queen moves you often delay castling. In the loss against Alejo55545 the king walked Kd8–Ke8–Kd8 and never found shelter.
3. Blind spots to counter-threats. While attacking you sometimes ignore obvious replies (e.g. the fork on d6, mate after 24…Nc6?). Add the question “What is my opponent threatening?” to every move.
4. Opening fundamentals. Moves like Qf3/Qa4 in the first three moves rely on traps. Against sound play you start the middlegame with an under-developed army.

4-Week Improvement Plan

1. Adopt principled openings.
   
   • White: Italian Game or Scotch (no queen moves until minors are out).
   • Black vs 1.e4: Scandinavian with …Qd6 or Caro-Kann.
     Black vs 1.d4: Queen’s Gambit Declined.
   Stick with each line for at least 20 games. Your current personal best: .
2. Castle by move 10 in at least 90 % of your games. Track this in a simple spreadsheet.
3. Daily tactics drill. 15 puzzles focused on forks, double attacks, and discovered checks.
4. Post-game review routine.
   1. Write your own notes immediately after the game.
   2. Only then turn on the engine and compare.
   3. Save critical positions as flashcards.
   Here is one worth analysing:
   .

Mindset reminders

• Attack is fun, but defence wins tournaments. Respect the opponent’s ideas every move.
• When you spot a tactical shot, calculate until the position is quiet again – don’t stop after the flashy first move.
• Keep polishing endgames; your grind against Mikesmith622 shows you can convert long games.

Next check-in

Play 30 rapid games with the new repertoire and share the PGNs. We’ll track progress with .

Good luck, keep the salt on the board, and enjoy your chess journey!