Hi rhjuio – personalised improvement report
What you already do well
- Dynamic openings that fight for the centre (e.g. 7.d5 vs the Pirc in your last win).
- Sharp tactical vision – the 20.Ng5 → 21.Ne6 combination versus sumit0102 forced serious concessions.
- Confident conversion of extra material once the position simplifies (see the rook ending beginning with 36.Rf1 in the same game).
Priority #1 – clock management
Four of your six most-recent losses were on time. Your win-rate when you have ≥30 s left on move 20 is above 70 %, but it plummets once you drop under 20 s.
- Adopt a “15-second rule”: if the position is not critical, make a safe move before your clock dips below 0:15.
- Use the increment: play instantly when the reply is forced; you will harvest a free second each move.
Priority #2 – tame the early queen excursions
In the loss to teachmee (D06, 18 Nov) 10.Qb3? allowed …Qb6, costing two tempi and leaving the c-file weak. A quieter 10.Be3 or 10.Bf4 completed development and kept the pawn structure intact.
Goal for your next 20 games: no queen move before move 10 unless you win material or give check.
Priority #3 – minor-piece coordination
Several endgames collapsed because knight and bishop were not co-operating. In the defeat versus septis (B23) 23…Bxd4! showed how scattered pieces invite tactics.
Training plan:
- Play knight-vs-bishop endgames against the computer (level 1500) to practise piece harmony.
- Solve ten “Outpost” themed puzzles daily.
Repertoire checkpoint
- White: English/Réti setups score 64 % – keep them.
- Black: Your best results come from the Sicilian structures (…c5) – 61 % win rate.
Consider formalising:
- Vs 1.e4: a Najdorf-style set-up with …e6 & …d6 or your comfortable Pirc.
- Vs 1.d4/1.c4: stick with the Nimzo-Indian family you used against brahburner.
End-game tip of the week
In the win over septis you reached a winning rook ending but missed a faster finish after 45.Rg2. Remember “rook behind passed pawn” – place the rook behind your passer before pushing it. (Lucena)
Next steps
- Play a 15-game set at 10 + 5 focusing on time usage.
- For every game, identify one moment where a calmer queen or better minor-piece coordination was possible.
- Post two of those positions in the analysis forum and explain the plans you considered – teaching reinforces learning.
Keep up the fighting spirit – let me know how these adjustments feel after a week!