Raana Hakimifard WFM

Hi Raana (Raana75)! 🎉

You are a resilient tactical player who is not afraid to enter sharp positions. Your recent victory against masik5 in the Sicilian (see diagram below) is an excellent illustration of your strengths:

• Opening preparation & flexibility: In the Open Sicilian you comfortably switched from the main line (6.Be3) to a rare but poisonous 8.Bb5 e5!? sideline and understood the resulting structures better than your opponent.
• Tactical awareness: 11.Nc7+! followed by 12.Nxa8 exploited an overloaded king and netted a rook for a knight. You spot loose pieces quickly—keep nurturing this instinct!
• Pressure & piece activity: You immediately activated rooks on the b- and d-files (17.Rxd4, 18.Rb4) instead of hoarding extra material. This made Black’s position collapse.

Key areas to keep polishing

1. Time management
   You often let the clock tick under one minute in winning positions (e.g., move 26 of the game above). Try these habits:
   • Avoid “courtesy thinking” after the opponent’s obvious recapture—play your prepared reply instantly.
   • When clearly winning, shift to a “safe-moves-fast” mindset: eliminate counterplay, pre-move checks, and force trades.
2. Converting material advantages
   In the Kings Gambit loss to leondi1986 you won material (…exf4) yet drifted after the queen trade and allowed White’s knights to dominate. Work on:
   • Recognising conversion patterns: centralise king → trade pieces → create passed pawns.
   • Using your least active piece each move until all pieces are playing.
3. Endgame technique
   Several losses in slower games stem from endgame inaccuracies (e.g., mis-handling minor-piece endings vs tantaan). A weekly habit of solving 5-10 rook- and pawn-endgame studies will pay huge dividends.
4. Structured opening repertoire
   Your 1.e4 lines are strong, but as Black you sometimes mix systems (…d6/…e6 vs 1.e4; …c6/…e6 vs 1.d4). Consider building one main defence in each pawn structure family:
   • Against 1.e4: Choose between the Sicilian or a classical e5 system and learn the plans, typical pawn breaks, and key moves.
   • Against 1.d4: Your Semi-Slav attempt was fine, but learn typical ideas like …dxc4 → …b5 or …e5 breaks to avoid getting steam-rolled on the queenside.
   This reduces “over-the-board improvisation” time and energy.
5. Practical defensive skills
   When under pressure you rarely look for resource moves such as zwischenzugs or counter-attacking sacrifices (see move 24 in the Kings Gambit game where 24…Nxe5! could have simplified). Train by analysing lost positions with a strong engine and asking, “What was the last chance to resist?”.

Quick training menu (per week)

• 60 min tactic puzzles (rating 2400-2600)  →  sharpen calculation.
• 30 min endgame drill (rook and pawn + minor-piece endings).
• One 15-minute “model game” review of a top GM in your chosen opening.
• Play 10-12 blitz games focusing on the conversion phase; annotate two of them.

Your progress at a glance

Peak Blitz rating:
Activity trends:

Keep up the fighting spirit, and don’t hesitate to reach out with specific positions you’d like to discuss. Every game—win or loss—adds a brick to your chess foundation.

Good luck with your training!
—Your Chess Coach 🤝