Crispus Kiobo

What went well in your recent bullet win

You started with solid development and kept your pieces active, which helped you create clear threats rather than getting bogged down in a passive setup. You finished with a tactical shot that gave you the decisive edge, showing good calculation and awareness of when to strike. In quick games like this, recognizing a moment to convert a small misstep in your opponent’s position into a winning tactic is a strong strength to build on.

• Active piece coordination and natural development lead to concrete opportunities in the middlegame.
• You identified a tactical chance and executed it accurately, ending the game efficiently.
• Your opening setup kept your king relatively safe while maximizing piece activity.

What to improve in your losses

In the loss, the position became sharp and the middlegame demanded precise handling under pressure. When you land in complex tactical battles, a few fixes can help you convert more of these games or at least reach safer simplifications.

• Time management in sharp lines: aim to stabilize the position with solid, forcing moves and avoid getting lost in long, speculative lines that increase time pressure.
• Endgame readiness: practice converting (or safely exchanging into) favorable endgames when you’re ahead in material or when threats are around the king. Look for safe simplifications to reduce tactical risk.
• Defensive vigilance: in positions with heavy opponent pressure, prioritize neutralizing the main threats (especially against queen and rook activity) and consider timely exchanges to reduce tactical complexity.

What to improve in your draws

Drawn games are good learning moments to test plans and avoid unnecessary concessions. After the early phase, have a clear middlegame plan and aim to keep the position flexible rather than rushing into exchanges that may simplify away any advantage.

• Maintain a flexible plan: keep pieces on the board when you have dynamic opportunities, and avoid premature queen trades if you might still press.
• Control key areas: aim for control of central squares and open files with rooks to create practical chances.
• Endgame technique: practice common rook and pawn endings so you can convert small advantages or secure a draw more reliably in less favorable positions.

Opening approach and study plan

You’ve been working with a mix of openings, including lines in the London System family and other setups. Strengthening a compact, reliable plan for your primary openings will help you navigate the middlegame more confidently.

Focus areas you can study next week:

• For the London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation, sharpen your understanding of typical middlegame ideas and how to respond when your opponent presses with dynamic pawn breaks.
• For other openings in your repertoire, study common middlegame plans and pawn structures so you can choose solid routes after the initial development phase.

Opening reference: London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation

Practice plan for the coming days

• Review each recent game and write down 2–3 concrete takeaways per game.
• Do short calculation drills (10–15 minutes) focusing on 2–3 candidate continuations for the next 2–3 moves.
• Schedule a weekly endgame tune-up focusing on rook endings, king and pawn endings, and common pawn structures you’ve encountered.
• Improve time management: practice with a fixed time per move in bullet games and use incremental time to avoid late-game pressure.

Move-by-move annotation option

If you’d like a deeper, move-by-move analysis for one or more games, I can provide an annotated review. You can request a PGN snippet and I’ll annotate it step by step.

Example snippet you can request: