Coach Chesswick
🎯 Rapid-Game Review for phoebewitte
Congratulations on a +277 Elo gain over the last six months (≈51 pts/month). Your strength-adjusted win-rate of 53 % confirms that the climb is not just grinding weaker opponents.
What’s working well
- End-game technique – The win vs sundaramgm (Scandinavian) shows good conversion of connected passed pawns (52.a8=Q! 59.d8=Q!).
- Space-gaining plans – In many French-Advance positions you routinely seize ♙e5/♙f4/♙g4, keeping Black cramped.
- Opening discipline as Black vs 1.e4 – You alternate the French and Scandinavian Defense smoothly; opponents rarely leave the opening with a clear edge.
Recurring problems
- King safety after pawn pushes – In the loss to drsmashurfacein you played 24.h4?? and were mated one move later.
 ➜ General rule: if your king is on g1/g2 and enemy bishops/rooks line the a7–g1 diagonal or g-file, do not advance the h-pawn unless you can close the file. - Handling wing pawns in the Slav/Triangle – vs bob1235588 a pawn reached b7 and tied your pieces in knots.  ➜ When White pushes a-/b-pawn in these structures, meet it early with …a5/…b5 or pile on the b-file before it is irrecoverable.
- Loose tactical play in equal positions – Several losses (e.g. vs MostafaMekia03, kinsglow) stem from one-move piece drops. A 5-minute daily tactic set will pay dividends.
Opening snapshots
| As White | Performance | Next step |
| Alapin vs Sicilian (2.c3) | Good score but some middlegame drifts. | Study plans after …d6 …Nf6 when Black avoids …d5 early. |
| Ruy Lopez (d3 systems) | 50 % | Add the thematic c3-d4 break; delay h3/h4 until king is secure. |
| As Black | Performance | Focus |
| French Advance | Above 60 % win rate. | Review sidelines with 6.Be3 Qb6 7.b3 and 6.a3. |
| Scandinavian (…Nf6 lines) | Solid | Avoid slow …h6/…a6; quick development is key. |
| Slav/Triangle | Needs work | Prepare vs minority attack b4-b5 and the a-pawn advance. |
Time-management
You usually finish games with 3-5 min on the clock. When ahead, that is fine; when positions are sharp, invest 30-40 s to blunder-check before committing.
Action plan for the next 4 weeks
- Daily tactics: 20 positions or 10 min, whichever comes first.
- Analyse two of your own losses per week with an engine, but write your thoughts first – focus on the critical decision, not on the last blunder.
- Play one 15 + 10 rapid per session with the sole goal of no unnecessary pawn moves around your king.
- Add a mini-repertoire note: vs the Triangle, memorise the classical plan 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 c6 5.Bg5!? to avoid the b-pawn rush you struggled with.
Encouragement
Your rating trend (+112 in the last month alone) shows you are on the right track. Tighten the tactical screws and your next plateau (1800+) is within reach.
Good luck and have fun at the board!