Roman Golubev IM

Constructive Feedback for Roman Golubev

Congratulations on your current progress – your games show energy, creativity and a willingness to fight for the initiative. Below is a structured review based on your most recent results and general patterns that appear in your play.

Your current profile

• Peak rating so far: 2520 (2021-04-20)
• Activity overview:

Key Strengths

• Attacking instinct. When you gain space or a lead in development you are quick to generate threats (e.g. the French-Advance win where g4–g5 and d5–d6 ripped open Black’s king).
• Tactical alertness. You spot tactics such as Bxf3, rook lifts and mating nets even in time pressure, as seen in the Alekhine’s Defence miniature ending with 41.Qf7#.
• Piece activity over material. Exchange sacrifices like Rxd8+ in the French game show healthy appreciation of dynamic compensation.

High-Impact Improvement Areas

1. Opening hygiene – cut out early self-pins & loose pawns.
   • In several losses you pushed f- & g-pawns before completing development, making your own king the target (e.g. French loss vs Tooth_Master).
   • Aim for the “four opening rules”: pieces out, king safe, centre controlled, only then pawn storms.
   • Suggested homework: build a compact repertoire – one main line with White (e.g. 1.e4 open games) and two defences with Black (a solid vs 1.e4 and 1.d4). Depth matters more than breadth at your stage.
2. Safety checks each move.
   Many tactical oversights stem from a skipped “\u2192 What can my opponent do next?” audit. Add a short blunder-check routine before every move to avoid one-move drops and back-rank issues.
3. End-game conversion.
   Games such as the Ruy Lopez Exchange (king and pawn ending vs Parasect) slipped from equal to lost due to imprecise king routes.
   • Drill the basic “four” endings: king+pawn vs king, opposition, outside passed pawn, Lucena/Philidor rook positions.
   • 15 minutes of end-game puzzles daily pays off fast.
4. Clock management.
   Repeated time scrambles force you into bullet-mode calculation and increase blunders.
   • Try “40 / 20 rule”: spend at most 40% of your base time on the first 15 moves, next 20% up to move 25, then preserve the rest for the finish.

Opening-specific Notes

• Dutch Defence (as Black): after …Ne4 and …c5 you captured on c3 twice and landed in a worse structure. Study the Stonewall and Leningrad mainlines to understand when taking on c3 is safe.
• French Classical, early …c5/…c4. Locking the centre with …c4 gave White a free b4-push. Instead, follow with …cxd4 and pressure d4 later.
• Alekhine’s Defence. Your win shows you know thematic breaks like …f6. Keep refining the Trifunovic setup – it suits your dynamic style.
• When in doubt, remember the concept of zwischenzug and playing for tempo advantages.

Tactical Pattern Bank

Keep a notebook of motifs you meet frequently – knight forks on c7/e6, rook lifts to h3/h6, back-rank mates. Solving 20 mixed puzzles per day will reinforce pattern speed.

Highlighted Game for Self-Review

Try stepping through the annotations yourself first, then compare with an engine. Focus on critical moments marked by doubled question-marks.

Action Plan for the Next Month

• Play three 15 + 10 games per week and annotate them without an engine first.
• Finish one chapter of Silman’s “Complete Endgame Course” on rook endings.
• Memorise eight key lines in your main opening choices, focussing on plans not moves.
• Daily: 20 tactics + 10 minutes of spaced-repetition flashcards for weak motifs.

Stay curious, keep analysing and remember that every loss is data. Good luck, Roman – looking forward to your next rating jump!