RICHARD POLACZEK IM

Hi Richard, great to see your steady grind!

Your most recent stretch of games confirms the picture we have seen for a while now: a seasoned daily-play specialist who is also willing to jump into rapid & blitz duels against titled opposition. Your current peak of 2432 (2025-04-12) is a testament to consistent work, especially in sharp Sicilian and French structures.

What is working well

• Opening depth & flexibility. In the French (…c5 Advance systems) and the Najdorf you’re getting rich positions you clearly understand. Your Chess960 wins also show solid “principle–first” thinking rather than memorisation.
• Counter-punching instinct. In several wins you turned apparently level positions into initiative-driven endgames (e.g. the long squeeze versus vlade_chess where 31…b3! and the exchange trick on c3 froze White).
• Patience in daily chess. Your habit of delaying forcing sequences until every resource is counted is paying off – even 2200+ opponents crack first.

Recurring issues & quick fixes

• Underestimating “one tempo” tactics in live games.
  • The two losses to Atalik hinged on a single loose pawn push (…b5 in the Ragozin, …a6 in the Nimzo) that gave White tempi for Rb4, Nb6, Rc5–type ideas.
  • Drill 10-minute sessions of “spot the zwischenzug” to tighten your move-to-move calculation under the clock.
• Loose conversion technique in rook endings.
  Against IndianaJones3710 you reached a favourable RB vs R scenario but let the pawns hydrate for your opponent. Spend a week with the classic Kling & Horwitz rook-pawn studies; they show how to anchor the rook behind passed pawns with maximum tempo.
• Handling of the Maróczy-Bind structures.
  The win vs fmlyhm was convincing, yet earlier moves (12…Ne5 13.Na3) reveal some discomfort. Re-examine typical manoeuvres: …Nd7-c5, …Be6-d7-e6 plans and timely …b5 pawn breaks. One evening with the Mega-DB filter “side:Black ECO B35-B39 result 1/2” will hand you 40 model games.
• Chess960 opening phase.
  You sometimes castle quickly before locating the opponent’s pawn lever. Try the heuristic “two moves of centre-development before king commitment” in your next 10 Fischer-Random games.

A focused six-week programme

1. Daily (15 min.) Tactics sprint at 3-minute timer per puzzle – aim for 40+ solves/day.
2. Three times/week (30 min.) Endgame slot: rook + minor vs rook pawns; then shift to opposite-colour bishop endings.
3. Weekly (1 h) Opening lab: pick one recent loss, switch engines off, write down a new move order you would try; only then verify with an engine or database.
4. Weekend (1 game) annotated sparring vs 2400+; concentrate on time-management drills – never under 3 min. before move 25.
5. Sunday (10 min.) reflection: log every critical moment where you saw but rejected the best move. This self-database will soon be more valuable than any online resource.

Micro-theme to explore next

Add prophylaxis (Prophylaxis) checks to your “pre-move” list. Before committing to an attractive tactical shot, ask: “What is my opponent’s worst reply and can I stop it first?”

Motivation corner

Your win-rate spikes on late evenings according to

– keep scheduling important live games there. Also notice that Mondays have been shaky lately (); perhaps swap Monday blitz for study to start the week positively.

Keep the fire burning, Richard. A 2450 + daily and 2300 + rapid are within striking distance this season. Good luck!