Coach Chesswick
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
- 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?” - 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. - 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. - 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. - 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
| Day | Activity | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Mon / Wed / Fri | 15 tactic puzzles + analyse one rapid game | 40 min |
| Tue / Thu | Play two 10 | 0 games using the new openings | 50 min |
| Weekend | Watch a 10-min end-game video, then play one game and try to reach an end-game on purpose | 60 min |
Visual snapshot
Reference games
Most recent win – play through key moments
Most recent loss – critical moment
Hint: after 15.axb3 you’re a full rook up – play 15…Qd7, finish development and the extra rook will win without risk.
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!