Jeremías Dacosta

Rapid games review — Jeremías Dacosta

Nice work grinding rapid games — you have a big sample size and clear patterns to improve from. Below I summarize what you’re doing well, the recurring problems in your recent games, and a short, practical plan you can start today.

Quick replay — most recent loss (interactive)

Review this position and the critical sequence to see the tactical ideas that decided the game. Try to find the opponent’s last move and the tactical shots you missed before looking at the notes below.

Game viewer:

Opponent profile (for review): yass_chess_elite

What you’re doing well

• You play a very large volume of games — that gives you excellent practical experience and fuels faster improvement.
• Your Amar Gambit & Barnes Defense numbers are strong — you understand sharp, unbalanced positions and know how to generate chances there.
• Your overall Strength Adjusted Win Rate (~49%) shows you can compete with similarly rated opponents; you’re not losing to random mistakes every game.
• When you get active piece play (rooks and bishops on open files/diagonals), you convert chances — good sense for piece activity.

Recurring problems to fix (based on recent games & stats)

• Development and king safety — several games show early queen/rook sorties or moving the same piece repeatedly while the king stays in the center (example: delayed castling, Ke1/Ke2-style moves). Prioritize completing development before material grabs.
• Loose pieces and tactical awareness — your opponents scored with forks, checks and mating nets. Add a quick habit: before each move ask “Does my opponent have a check, capture or threat?” (this prevents a lot of tactical losses). Use the Loose Piece concept when scanning the board.
• Opening choice overload — you play many offbeat lines. Strengths with Amar Gambit and Barnes Defense are clear, but weaker records in Scandinavian/Amazon Attack indicate lines where you get uncomfortable positions. Consolidate to 2–3 dependable openings for rapid games.
• Time and practical decisions — you have many games in time controls where quick practical mistakes cost you (flagging and blunders). In rapid, simplify your decision-making rules: if a move avoids immediate tactics and follows opening principles, play it and save time for critical moments.
• Endgame technique / conversion — some games show you reach winning material but fail to convert or allow counterplay (back-rank or perpetual threats). Learn a few basic conversion patterns (rook + pawn endgames, king activity, preventing perpetuals).

Opening-specific advice (quick, actionable)

• Amar Gambit (good results): formalize the key ideas — typical pawn breaks, where your knights belong, and common tactical motifs. Study 5–10 model games and the main tactical refutations.
• Barnes Defense (decent): stick to the plans where you get dynamic play. Memorize typical replies to standard White set-ups so you don’t spend too much time in move 5–10.
• Scandinavian & Amazon Attack (weaker): either patch holes (learn the mainline ideas and common traps) or avoid them in rapid until you’re comfortable. Pick a stable alternative to practice instead.
• Rule of thumb: if an opening repeatedly puts you in passive/unsafe king positions, drop it from your rapid repertoire for a while.

Short training plan (doable, focused — start this week)

• Daily (15–20 minutes): tactics puzzles focused on forks, pins, discovered checks and back-rank motifs. Do mixed-tactic sets and track accuracy.
• 3× per week (20 minutes): review one lost rapid game — annotate where you missed checks/captures and one turning point per game. Don’t just replay; write the candidate moves you considered.
• Weekly (30–45 minutes): opening drill — choose 2 main openings (one as White, one as Black). Learn typical piece setups and 5 critical lines. Practice them in 10 training games.
• Every month: play a focused 50–100 game block with those openings only. Track improvements — if a line keeps losing, adapt.

Practical checklist to use during games

• Before you move: 1) Are there checks? 2) Can I win material? 3) Is a piece hanging? (three questions rule)
• When ahead in material: trade pieces, keep rooks active, activate your king in the endgame; avoid knight forks and back-rank threats.
• If pressed for time: go for safe, simplifying moves that reduce tactical complications rather than speculative grabs.
• If you’re tempted to “win a free pawn”: double-check for immediate tactical refutation (pins, forks, discovered attacks).

Small milestones (next 30 days)

• Win-rate target: reduce blunders by 15% — measure blunders per 100 games using your analysis tool.
• Play 50 rapid games using your two chosen openings and review the 10 losses.
• Complete a 30-day tactics streak (15 minutes/day) — your tactical sharpness should jump noticeably.

Why this will work (short)

Your volume of games plus targeted practice is the perfect combo: keep playing (experience) and impose structure (tactics + openings + postgame review). Your 3– and 12‑month slopes show you can improve — tighten the tactical net and stabilize your openings and the rating will follow.

Next steps I recommend now

• Pick 2 openings and commit for 50 rapid games.
• Start a tactics streak today (15 minutes) — focus on forks and back‑rank mates first.
• For the loss shown above: replay the last 5 moves slowly and ask “did I miss a defensive resource?” — that one habit alone catches many blunders.

If you want, I can:

• Annotate one of your recent losses move-by-move and highlight the concrete tactics you missed.
• Create a 4-week training schedule tailored to your openings and free time.