QTCinderella

Hey QTCinderella – here’s your personalized feedback!

What you’re already doing well

• Resilience on the clock. Several games were won because you kept playing fast practical moves while your opponent flagged.
• Willingness to experiment. You’ve tried Caro-Kann, Englund, Queen’s-Pawn setups and more – that curiosity is great at this stage.
• Spotting tactical shots. In the win vs SqueexTV you found 22…Re2+! and later converted material; the pattern recognition is there.

Key improvement themes

1. Develop pieces before pawn storms.
   Early pushes of the f-pawn (4.f4, …f5/…f6) repeatedly weakened your king and left pieces undeveloped.
   • Aim to have both knights, both bishops and your king castled by move 8-10.
   • Ask each turn: “Can I develop, castle, or fight for the centre instead of another pawn move?”
2. King safety & loose pieces.
   Many losses feature queens roving early or hanging rooks (e.g. 15…Qxd3?? in your latest defeat). Spend 5 minutes daily on “Find the undefended piece” puzzles to build the habit.
3. Time-management routine.
   40 % of recent decisive games ended on time. New habit: glance at the clock every three moves and keep ≥ 6 minutes until move 15; if you drop lower, simplify and speed up.
4. Consistent openings.
   Patterns stick when you repeat them.
   • With White: try the London System (d4 – Nf3 – Bf4).
   • With Black: keep the Caro-Kann vs 1.e4 and a Queen’s-Gambit-Declined setup vs 1.d4.
   Play 20 games with each before switching.
5. Converting winning positions.
   When you’re up material, pause for two seconds: (1) stop opponent counter-play, (2) then push your advantage. In the January loss you were a rook ahead after 15.axb3 – one quiet consolidating move (15…Qd7) would have sealed the game.

Two-week training menu

Visual snapshot

Reference games

Your milestones

Peak rapid rating so far: 1194 (2020-06-11).
Let’s aim for 900 by summer – that’s roughly one well-analysed game per day.

Final encouragement

Improvement is a series of micro-victories: a safe king, a discovered fork, a timely trade into a won end-game. Keep the game fun, stay curious, and the rating points will follow. You’ve got this, QT!