Robert Fontaine GM

What you’re doing well

• Your opening choices show variety and solid foundation. You handle structured defenses like the Carо-Kann and the French with resilience, and you also explore aggressive lines such as Nimzo-Larsen Attack and Amar Gambit. This variety helps you fight different styles and keeps opponents guessing. You can see strong performance in several openings, especially those that lead to dynamic middlegames.
• You manage the clock effectively in several blitz games, often staying ahead on the clock or turning your time pressure into practical advantages. This is a valuable strength in fast time controls and can help you convert small advantages into wins.
• Your ability to press and maintain activity in middlegame phases is clear in multiple recent games. You look for ways to activate pieces and create practical chances, which is key in blitz where exact lines may be less important than movement and initiative.
• Endgame awareness is a real strength in some games; you know when to simplify and keep things practical, which helps you convert advantages and reduce risk in time pressure.

What to improve

• Endgame conversion: In several long blitz endings, there were missed chances to convert small advantages. Practice common endgame patterns (rook endings with pawns, opposite-colored bishops, and king activity) so you can push to a clean win rather than relying on opponent mistakes.
• Time management under pressure: While you often handle the clock well, blitz games can slip into rough time pressure in the later stages. Develop a simple time budget for each phase (opening, middlegame, endgame) and practice sticking to it in training games.
• Decision discipline in the middlegame: In some games, aggressive lines lead to complex positions where a solid, simpler plan could yield a clearer path to advantage. When you sense the position becoming too tactical, consider reverting to a straightforward plan (open files, piece activity, control of the center) to avoid overcomplication.
• Opening preparation alignment: Your openings perform well, but a few lines can become speculative in blitz. Solidify 1–2 reliable repertoires for fast games and add 1 or 2 flexible options to adapt to opponents’ responses.

Actionable plan for the next weeks

• Endgame drills: Practice practical rook endings and simple king-and-pawn endings. Use a few focused drills (e.g., king activity in pawn endings, rook behind passed pawns) to build confidence under time pressure.
• Time budgeting routine: In every training blitz game, assign a soft time limit for the first 20 moves (e.g., a few seconds per move in the opening, then a steady pace in the middlegame). Review where you spent too long and adjust in the next game.
• Opening refinement: Choose 2–3 openings that currently give you the best results and study concise plans for each. Add 1 flexible option to keep opponents guessing. Consider bookmarking a quick reference for typical middlegame ideas in each opening.
• Post-game review habit: After each blitz session, spend 10–15 minutes annotating 2–3 critical moments per game. Note where you felt pressure, where you found a good plan, and where a simpler path would have worked better.

Openings performance snapshot

Your opening results show strength in several dynamic lines. Notably, Czech Defense and Nimzo-Larsen Attack have particularly solid win rates, and aggressive setups like Amar Gambit and London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation also perform well for you. If you want to lean into the strongest zones, consider continuing to deepen those lines while keeping a compact, reliable fallback option for tougher opponents. For quick reference, you can explore specific openings such as Czech Defense and Nimzo-Larsen Attack in your study plan, and you can review your profile for a quick overview of your preferences and progress Robert Fontaine.

Quick drills you can start with

• Endgame practice: do three 5-minute rook endings per session to build conversion confidence.
• Time management: run 5 blitz practice games with a strict 1-second increment per move to train fast, accurate decision-making.
• Opening repetition: pick 1 line from the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and 1 line from the Czech Defense to drill key middlegame plans and typical piece placements.

Profile reference

For a quick look at your overall progress and to review game notes, check your profile: Robert Fontaine.