Coach Chesswick
Quick summary of the session
Nice wins — you repeatedly steer positions into opposite-side castling battles and launch fast kingside storms. Your instincts for opening the g- and h-files and coordinating queen + rooks to attack the enemy king were decisive in these blitz games.
Replay the key attack from this game to see the patterns you used:
What you're doing well
- Active piece play: you get rooks and queen into the attack quickly and refuse to let the opponent consolidate — excellent timing when opening files toward the king.
- Pawn breaks for attack: pushing g- and h-pawns to pry open lines is working well for you when the sides castle opposite each other.
- Pattern recognition: you repeatedly execute the same tactical motif (sacrificial captures to open the h-file and follow up with checks and queen infiltration).
- Practical conversion: you take practical decisions (sacrifices, simplifying into winning endgames, pressing on the clock) that produce results in blitz.
- Consistent opening approach: you repeatedly steer games into structures you know well (the Queen’s-pawn / Bf4 setups), which reduces early mistakes.
Where you can improve
- Time management under pressure — several wins were finished on time or at low increment. In blitz, keep a reserve of a few seconds for critical moves (avoid spending big chunks on routine moves).
- Prophylaxis vs pawn storms — when you push pawns to attack, also ask what your opponent threatens in return (counterplay on the queenside, central breaks). A small defensive move early can stop a counter-thrust.
- Precision after the breakthrough — once you open a file, check for simple tactical continuations for both sides (checks, forks, possible perpetuals). That will reduce missed wins or allow smoother conversions.
- Endgame technique in opposite-side play — when the attack stalls and queens come off, be ready to switch plans (activate king, trade when beneficial, convert material advantage calmly).
Concrete next steps (short and doable)
- Daily 12–20 minute blitz routine: 10 minutes of tactics (mixed motifs: pins, sacrifices, deflection) + 5 minutes reviewing one recent blitz game (your loss or a close win).
- Drill opposite-side castling positions: practice a few typical plans — pawn storm, g/h-file opening, and how to react when the opponent counterattacks on the queenside.
- Play with a 3+2 or 5+3 control for practice: the small increment trains you to keep a time buffer and reduces wins/losses on time alone.
- After each session, pick one game and note a single recurring mistake (e.g., rushing a decision, missing a defensive resource). Fix that in the next three sessions.
Practical drills and targets for your next 3 sessions
- Session 1 — Tactics: 20 puzzles (focus: sacrifices that open files and remove defenders). Play three 5-minute games aiming to convert one clear attack without relying on time trouble.
- Session 2 — Structure: study three annotated examples of pawn storms vs opposite castling (20 minutes). Then play a few blitz games deliberately choosing the pawn-storm plan and compare outcomes.
- Session 3 — Endgames & conversion: 15 minutes on basic rook and minor-piece endgames; then 10 minutes reviewing a win that finished on time to spot where you could have converted faster if the clock was lower.
Small technical checklist to use in-game
- Before committing a pawn push: ask “What counters does my opponent get on the other wing?”
- When launching an attack: ensure at least one escape square or a forcing follow-up for your queen/rook.
- If you see a sacrifice, calculate two good continuations for the opponent — don’t rely on intuition alone in critical positions.
- Keep 10–15 seconds as a mental buffer in blitz — don’t play the last 30 seconds on instinct for multiple critical moves.
Notes & resources
- Replay the games vs JozefKneht, Aidan Odenthal, and Sunflower and mark the exact turning points — one or two critical moves per game is enough.
- Study the general plans in the Queen's Pawn Opening and pawn-storm games with opposite castling — learn when to simplify and when to keep pieces on the board.
- Short reading: a chapter on attacking opposite-castled kings (look for examples with rook lifts and queen infiltration).
Final encouragement
Your style — active, direct, willing to sacrifice for the initiative — suits blitz extremely well. Keep sharpening calculation and time management and you’ll turn more of these strong attacking positions into clean, fast wins.
When you have time, send one game you lost recently and I’ll give a quick, focused post‑mortem on the single turning moment to fix.