Norman Weinstein IM

Hi Norman – overall impression

You are playing energetic, initiative-driven chess around the 2400 blitz level (). Your recent games show a wide opening repertoire and a readiness to sacrifice material to open lines against the enemy king. When the clocks cooperate, this style yields convincing victories.

Your main strengths

• Tactical feel & calculation. The Sicilian miniature vs murafa1 (9.Nxg6!) is a textbook example of punishing looseness. You consistently spot intermezzos (zwischenzug) and mating motifs.
• Initiative in open positions. In the Old Benoni win you seized space with ...a5/…g6 and later dominated the h-file; in the QGD game you converted a pawn storm into a winning pawn ending.
• Practical resourcefulness. Several wins were achieved from objectively equal or even slightly worse endgames because you kept posing problems until the opponent’s flag fell.

Recurring issues that are holding you back

1. Time management (critical).
   Five of your last seven losses were on time in positions that were at least defensible, and even a few wins came with <1 s on your clock.
   • Adopt a move-budget: aim to keep >2 min after move 15 and >1 min after move 25 in 3-minute games.
   • Force yourself to make zero-calculation moves (castle, recapture, simple redeploy) instantly.
   • Play a few sessions with a 3 + 2 increment to train decision speed without constant flag risk.
2. End-game conversion.
   The flagged losses vs crbenjaminblanco (Q+P vs N+P) and roka7 (equal minor-piece endgame) show that technical endings still cost time and points.
   • Add daily table-base drills (e.g. queen vs minor, rook & pawn vs rook).
   • Play a dozen 5 + 5 end-games from preset positions each week to automate winning methods.
3. Structure awareness vs the English & fianchetto systems.
   In the loss to juantonamera you allowed 13.b4! and later d6–d5–d6 to fix your queenside. Similar queenside clamp appeared in the English (A15) time-loss.
   • Review model games where Black meets b4/b5 with ...a6/...axb5 plans or switches to central counterplay with ...e5 sooner.
   • Consider adding one solid line (e.g. the Hedgehog set-up) so you are not forced to improvise early.

Opening snapshot

Illustrative clip

The finish of your Sicilian win neatly combines motif recognition with clock pressure:

Action plan for the next 30 days

• Week 1–2: 15 Puzzle Rush sessions (score target: personal best +3) + 10 blitz games with 3 + 2.
• Week 3: End-game boot camp – rook vs pawn endings & Q vs minor piece (30 minutes/day).
• Week 4: Annotate every English/Fianchetto game you play and store key positions in your notebook.
• Track progress with the dashboards below:
  
   

Quick reminders to glance at during play

1. If your move doesn’t change the evaluation, move fast.
2. When up material, trade pieces – not pawns – and keep the clock lead.
3. In end-games ask: “What is my only losing plan?” and avoid it.

Keep embracing your attacking style, Norman, but pair it with quicker decisions and sharper end-game technique. Expect a rating jump once these two areas stabilise – good luck!