Coach Chesswick
Hi Qi! Here’s a tailored review of your recent Blitz & Rapid play.
1. General Trends
- Your tactical alertness is excellent – many of your wins arise from spotting combinations even with < 10 seconds on the clock.
- The graph in shows you score best after 19:00 UTC, while early-morning sessions dip below 50%. Scheduling matters!
- You have reached 2695 (2025-06-20) – proof that your current approach already works, but a few recurring issues hold you back from the next tier.
2. Opening Choices
White:- You often begin with 1 d4 g3/Bg2 setups. Against the Dutch (e.g. vs knight-soul23) you pushed
c4-c5without sufficient support and fell into a cramped Stonewall. Consider meeting 5…Bd6 with the principled 6.c4 and 7.Nc3, postponing c5 until you can recapture with a piece. - In the English you allowed …Qa5-h5 pins (game vs joshuathepro17). Insert the prophylactic h3 earlier or meet …Qh5 with
e4ideas to avoid the thematic sacrifice on g4.
- Your French attempt 1.e4 e6 2.Bc4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 leaves you with an isolated pawn and no counterplay. Study the main lines (3…exd5 4.Bb3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bd6 is fine, but follow up with …Nc6–a5, not …Bf5) to keep structure intact.
- Against 1.b3 you chose a perfectly good
…Nc6 + …a6set-up, but later missed a strong central break. Prepare …e5-e4 earlier or switch to the immediate …d5 systems which score better in .
3. Middlegame Decisions
- Piece activity: You excel at seizing open files (see 14…Re6 !! in your win vs yhhshivaa). Keep rehearsing “every move improves a piece” as a mantra.
- Over-extension: Several losses stem from pawn storms without backup (b-pawn thrust vs Knight-soul23 and Maestro1986). Before advancing a wing pawn, ask yourself: “what happens if it gets traded – do my remaining pieces improve or worsen?”
- Critical moment conversion: In winning positions you sometimes repeat moves (22.Nf6+-Ne4+ loops) and let the clock sink. Pick one continuation and trust the calculation; even a small edge is better than burning 30 seconds.
4. Endgame Technique
The following miniature from your French win shows great king activation – mimic this in tougher endings:
- When up a pawn, you convert reliably (see vs slovakial). Keep practicing pawn endgames; they suit your style of active king play.
- Conversely, in the loss to the 888-rated opponent you allowed a passer to reach the 8th rank. Drill rook + pawn vs queen and basic mating nets to avoid similar slips.
5. Time Management
- You average 3–5 seconds per move early, but suddenly tank at move 20. Adopt a 30/15/15 rule: spend ≤30 % of your clock on the first 15 moves, ≤15 % on moves 16–25, and keep the final 15 % for conversion.
- Use premoves only for forced recaptures; avoid them in tactical positions (cost you vs ttfttggygg when 32…Rcb8?? arrived without checking Bxh7).
6. Action Plan (next 2 weeks)
- Analyse every loss with an engine for 10 minutes max, then try to explain the first critical error in your own words – write it down.
- Rehearse the following endings daily on a board:
K+P vs K,rook + 2 pawns vs rook + pawn, and basic zugzwang positions. - Choose one black defence against 1.e4 (continue with French, or sample Caro-Kann) and play 20 games focusing solely on reaching its main structures.
- Plug your “quiet-time” gap: schedule sessions only during your strongest slot from . One good hour beats three tired ones.
Keep it up!
Your fighting spirit and tactical eye are already at expert level. Shore up the openings and time usage, and you’ll push well past your current peak. Looking forward to your next milestone!