Coach Chesswick
Ekaterina Smirnova – Personalized Blitz Feedback
Quick Stats
Peak blitz rating: 2520 (2025-04-01)
Activity snapshots:
What You’re Doing Well
- Opening Fundamentals: You consistently reach sound positions with 1.d4 as White (QGD/Ragozin, Queen’s Indian) and French / QGD structures as Black. Your piece development and early king safety are reliable.
- End-game Technique: In your latest win against Pournami S you converted a queen-side passer smoothly despite low time. Your king activation (41.Kf1–46.Bxh5) shows mature end-game instincts.
- Resourcefulness Under Pressure: Several saves with perpetual checks or counter-play (e.g., …Rc2+ vs. Volodya Torosyan) demonstrate good tactical vision when the position gets messy.
Main Growth Areas
- Time Management
Five of the last seven losses were decided by flagging or last-second blunders (vs GrotBchess, sergeikim, AlfilesCruzados). Aim to keep at least 25-30 seconds for move 25, then play on increment. Practise bullet drills with a “move in 2 seconds” rule to build rhythm. - Pawn Storm Discipline
Games where you advanced flank pawns prematurely (13…h5 & …g5 vs. Martha Mateus, 37.a4 bxa4 vs. vladgoncharov) left weaknesses that opponents exploited. Before pushing a pawn past its starting square, ask the “three-square rule”:- Does it create a target three squares behind it?
- Can I occupy that square with a minor piece?
- If not, postpone the pawn move.
- Transition to Rook End-games
You often simplify into rook endings with equal pawns but inferior activity (see final position vs. sergeikim). Adopt the mantra “rook behind the passer” and keep your rook active before trading.
Opening-room Tweaks
| Line | Suggestion |
|---|---|
| French Tarrasch as Black (…Qxd5 early) | Replace …Qxd5 with …exd5 and delayed queen sortie; reduces early tempi loss seen vs. Amaya Agarwal. |
| Ragozin with 6.Qa4+ | After 7.Bg5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Bg3 9…c5! is critical; your 9…Ne4 let White consolidate. |
| Benoni Modern 7.f4 | Add the prophylactic line 9…Re8!? and 11…Nbd7 → …b5 only after …a6 has been met by a4. |
Sample Game Reviews
Recent Victory
(highlights: pawn structure, rook activity, time scramble composure)
Recent Set-back
(focus: over-extension kingside pawns, missed central counter)
Action Plan for the Next 2 Weeks
- Play three 10-minute rapid games daily focusing on clock discipline (no move over 30 seconds).
- Re-watch 30 minutes of rook-endgame videos; drill “rook vs. pawn” studies on Chess.com’s Endgame Trainer.
- Create a “pawn push checklist” and write it on a sticky near your screen; consult it before any pawn storm.
- Analyse each blitz session with a 15-minute self-review; tag every move labelled “?!” or worse and note the recurring theme.
Encouragement
You’re performing at IM strength in many phases of the game. Tightening the time-management screws and adding a dash of prophylaxis will push you toward that 2500+ blitz milestone. Keep the energy high and enjoy the grind!