Coach Chesswick
Great work recently, Richi-15! 337 (2025-06-11)
What you already do well
- Tactical alertness. Your last win featured the neat 8…Nc2+ 9…Nxa1 idea – you spot loose pieces fast.
- Practical speed. You keep a healthy clock edge in many games and convert when opponents panic.
- A reliable white repertoire. The London/Zukertort set-up (d4-Nf3-Bf4) gives you structures you understand and score with.
Recurring problems that cost points
- King stuck in the centre. In the three latest losses your king did not castle at all. Central kings invite forks, pins and mating nets.
- Piece-shuffling in the opening. 11.Qh5 (vs ParmonKing) and repeated knight jumps let opponents gain free tempi.
- Greedy queen raids. Examples: 5…Qxd4?! (loss vs istillbefuddlethebest) and 3…Qxe5+ (loss vs Sneaky2010). A pawn isn’t worth falling behind in development.
- Sidelines against the London. The Mikenas Defence (…Nc6 & …e5) hurt you twice. Knowing one model game will plug this leak immediately.
10-session action plan
- Play 20 blitz games where you castle by move 10 no matter what. Build the habit.
- Daily: 15 min of tactics focused on forks, double-attacks and zwischenzug.
- Create a compact opening file:
- White: London System – add coverage vs 1…Nc6 and 1…e5.
- Black vs 1.d4: pick one main line (QGD or Slav) and stick to it; shelve early …Nc6 experiments for now.
- Black vs 1.e4: keep 1…e5, but memorise one safe line vs 2.Qh5 (…Nc6, …Nf6).
- After each session, annotate one lost game without an engine, searching for the missed tactic or strategic switch.
Illustrative recent win
Every move was a check, capture or threat – that’s the calculation discipline to replicate in tougher games.
Track your momentum
Hourly performance:
| Weekly activity:Keep the king safe, coordinate your pieces, and enjoy the climb!