Coach Chesswick
Hi Dominique (papydd) – here’s a focused review of your recent play
1. What you are already doing well
- Quick tactical vision: you regularly spot short-term mating ideas such as the “Scholar’s Mate” patterns with Qf3/Qf6 and Bc4/Bc5. This gives you many miniature wins when opponents drift.
- Confidence to calculate forcing lines: the wins against miku99999999 and anthony-the-great show that once you see a mating net you commit without hesitation.
- Time usage: you finish most 10-minute games with >60 % of your clock left, so you are rarely under time pressure.
2. Main improvement priorities
-
Early queen moves
• In 11 of the 12 PGNs your queen is developed before move 4.
• When opponents defend accurately you lose tempo, fall behind in development and the king remains in the centre.
• Example: 6…Qxe4+ in the loss to Djada10 fixed your queen on e4 while White’s minor pieces flooded the board.
Action: delay Qf3/Qf6 until you have at least two minor pieces developed and your king is ready to castle. -
King safety & castling
• In every defeat your king was still in the centre after move 15.
• Central kings invite knight forks (e.g. Nc7+, Nd5+), checks on the open e-file and mating nets on the back rank.
• You were mated by Rc4-c7, Rh1#, Qe1#, Ra6# – all back-rank motifs.
Action: make castling an automatic goal by move 10 unless you have a concrete reason not to. -
Board awareness: knight forks & loose pieces
• Forks on c7/c2 & e6/e3 cost material in four games.
• Loose bishops on b4/f4/h3 fell to tempo-gaining attacks.
• Before playing any move, run a quick “checks, captures, threats” scan for both sides – especially look for knight jumps fork. -
Opening repertoire depth
• Relying on surprise lines works below 600, but stronger opponents punish them.
Suggested upgrade:- With White: play the Italian Game – 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. It keeps your favourite Bc4 but adds sound development.
- With Black: answer 1.e4 with 1…e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 (Giuoco Piano) or 3…Nf6 (Two Knights). Save …Qf6 for later.
3. Concrete training plan (4 weeks)
| Task | Frequency | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Tactics trainer | 15 mins/day | Reach 1200 puzzle rating – emphasise forks & back-rank mates. |
| Opening drill | Every session | Play the first 10 moves of the Italian & Giuoco Piano vs the computer until you can do it blindfold. |
| Game analysis | 3 games/week | After each game, note one move where you moved the queen before developing a minor piece – record an alternative. |
| Endgame basics | Once a week | Study king-and-pawn vs king endings to build “endgame confidence”. |
4. Motivation corner
Your attacking flair is a real asset. By adding solid development and king safety, you’ll convert far more of your promising positions into wins while avoiding sudden collapses.
Current personal best: 1148 (2020-04-27). Let’s aim to push that above 800 within the next month – you have all the tools to do it!
Good luck at the board, and feel free to send your next annotated game for feedback.