Coach Chesswick
Hi Tom, here is some tailored feedback based on your most-recent streak of Bullet games.
What you already do very well
- Consistent Opening Menu. As White you almost always reach a King’s-Indian-Attack set-up (Nf3, g3, d3, e4, Re1, e5). That keeps prep time low and produces the pawn-storm positions you like.
- Sharp Tactical Vision. In three of the last five wins you finished with mating nets in under 30 moves – a clear sign that you spot forcing continuations quickly.
- Clock Handling. You rarely dip below fifteen seconds and you are comfortable flagging opponents when the position is equal. Your confirms that most of your wins come late at night when others are tired – good practical choice.
Biggest improvement themes
1. Dark-square discipline as Black.In the loss to double_debiased (A01 Larsen attack) you played …b5 & …c4 without your dark-squared bishop, leaving squares like e6 & g6 undefended.
• After 19…b5 the engine already prefers
19…dxe4 or even the calm 19…c4.
• Try delaying pawn storms until the c8-bishop is on b7 or a6. 2. Premature central pawn breaks.
In several French structures (both colours) you pushed …d4 or …e5 early, fixing pawns on the colour of your un-developed bishop. Before locking the centre, ask “Which minor piece is still sleeping?” If it’s your light-squared bishop, keep the centre fluid. 3. Kingside safety when you are ahead on the board but behind on the clock.
Your opponents often panic against your initiative; in the game you lost to masterpeter1970 you were up material but allowed …g5-g4 and a rook lift to g8. A single luft move (h3/Kf1) would have forced them to spend extra tempi and probably flagged.
Concrete study plan for the next week
- 10 minutes/day – “Single-bishop” puzzles
Filter tactics where one side is missing the dark-squared bishop and the critical theme is weak dark squares. This directly targets point (1). - Load & analyse this critical fragment:
Stop after each Black move, ask, “What’s my next threat as White?” This teaches you to sense danger on your own move. - Replace one Bullet session by a 5|0 blitz set.
Your tactical strength will still score, but the extra time forces you to calculate whether a pawn thrust really works.
Quick repertoire suggestion vs 1.b3
Instead of the double-edged …e6/…d5/…c5 triangle, test the easy set-up…g6 …Bg7 …c5 …Nc6 …e6 …Nge7.
• Your king stays safe on g8.
• The fianchettoed bishop covers the critical dark squares that caused trouble in the last loss.
Motivational stat
Your peak rating in Bullet so far: 2404 (2025-06-21).Let’s make the next peak arrive after you iron out these two small structural issues!
Good luck, and feel free to send over any games you are unsure about.
– Your Chess Coach