Hi Maritza!
You have an energetic, initiative-oriented style that often drives opponents off-balance early. Let’s build on those strengths while fixing a few recurring issues that cost you points and—more importantly—rating gains such as 2341 (2019-02-02).
What you’re doing well
- Opening versatility. Your Closed Sicilian with 3.g3 and the Elephant-style counter-gambit (1…d5!?) both create dynamic, imbalanced positions that suit your tactical eye.
- Direct kingside pressure. In your win against noobiethe13 you uncorked 19.f5! 20.f6! 21.g5!, a model pawn storm that forced …Kh8 and left Black’s pieces gasping.
- Confidence in complications. Positions such as 17…Nxc2?! in your victory over clickhynn show you are not afraid to calculate sharp lines.
Recurring problems & fixes
-
Time-pressure collapses.
Half of the listed losses ended with the clock hitting zero while you were still fighting or even better.
Fix:- Add a simple “10-second rule.” If your clock dips below 0:20, make a safe move that maintains tension rather than searching for the absolute best.
- Play a few 5-minute games with an extra 5-second increment; this trains the “play, then think during your opponent’s turn” habit.
-
Over-extending the h- and g-pawns.
In the loss to lion_da the early …h5/…g5 plan left dark-square holes that White exploited with Ne3–d5 and Bf5. When you push flank pawns, be sure the center is closed or that you can occupy it afterward.
Drill: set up the position after 15…Nge7 (game vs Lion_da) and practice defending it against the engine until you can hold comfortably. -
Premature material grabs.
17…Nxd3 in the same loss snatched a pawn but allowed Qxe1 and coordination issues. Ask the “What is my opponent’s next move?” question before capturing.
Exercise: Solve 10 tactics per day that focus on zwischenzugs and over-loaded pieces. -
End-game conversion.
Several wins became frantic scrambles (e.g., the BoxCup 60-sec game where you were winning but needed 20 extra moves).
Plan:- Study basic rook end-games—especially the “Lucena” and “Vancura” motifs.
- Play two 15|10 games weekly where you intentionally trade into an endgame, even if you’re better middlegame.
Opening snapshots
Closed Sicilian – upgrade idea (…b4 break)
Study the typical Black plan 9…d5! to challenge your setup; be ready with 10.exd5 Nxd5 11.Ne4 b6 12.0-0 and control the d6-square.
Elephant Gambit refinement
After 4.d4 dxe4 5.Nc3 Bf5! is more accurate than 5…Bb4+, saving a tempo and keeping pieces fluid.
Illustrative moments
Power play: 24.Rf4–31.Rxe8+ in your win over noobiethe13.
Missed resource: In the Lion_da loss you could have tried 20…Rhg8! keeping the g-file tension instead of 20…Nxe1.
Stats & rhythm
Use these charts to spot when you are freshest and schedule your rated sessions accordingly:
Next-week training menu
- 5 rapid (10|5 or 15|10) games with full post-mortem review.
- 70 puzzles (10 per day) focused on defensive tactics.
- Revisit the five end-games you lost on time and annotate only the final 15 moves to find faster technical wins.
- Watch one video or read one article on prophylaxis (thinking in your opponent’s shoes).
Keep the fighting spirit, balance it with a touch of restraint, and I’m confident your rating curve will point up soon!
Good luck, and see you on the board!