Vasiliy Lyakh NM

What’s going well

You’ve shown good energy and practical decision making in blitz. Your opening choices indicate a readiness to fight for initiative, and you often keep the position dynamic rather than settling for quiet equality too early. Your ability to switch gears and press when you have activity is a real plus in fast time controls.

• Active piece placement and pressure on the enemy king when the position allows it.
• Versatile opening feel and readiness to explore aggressive lines that create practical chances.
• Resilience in the middlegame when the position stays tactical and imbalanced.

Key areas to improve

• Time management in blitz: aim to keep a steady pace and avoid getting too short on time in the middle game. A typical target is to have several minutes left by move 20, with reserve for critical decisions later in the game.
• King safety and back rank awareness: in sharp middlegames, ensure your king isn’t exposed to sudden checks or back-rank threats. A calmer king position early can reduce sudden losses of material or mating nets.
• Endgame technique: practice simple rook endings and basic pawn endings to convert advantages more reliably under time pressure.
• Defensive calculation: when you’re pursuing attacking chances, also check counterplay from your opponent. Train patterns that help you spot and neutralize threats quickly.
• Opening stability: while aggressive lines are valuable, mix in solid developing lines to reduce risky surprises and keep more consistent middlegame plans.

Practical improvement plan (2 weeks)

• Daily puzzles (15–20 minutes): focus on tactics that improve pattern recognition and calculation discipline under time pressure.
• Endgame clinic (2–3 sessions): practice rook endings and king activity in simple pawn endgames until you can convert an extra pawn or hold a draw in worse cases.
• Blitz review (3 sessions): after at least three blitz games, spend 10–15 minutes reviewing one loss to identify the first tactical turning point and a safer alternative plan.
• Opening tune-up (optional, 1–2 sessions): reinforce a couple of solid developing lines to complement your aggressive repertoires so you have dependable options when the clock gets tight.
• Time budgeting drill (weekly): in practice games, set a mental timer for each phase (opening, middlegame, endgame) and aim to allocate time proportionally to the complexity of the position.

Further ideas (optional)

If you want to annotate concrete ideas from your recent games, you can attach a short recap of a key moment after an important move. For example, noting a moment when you had a clear tactical shot but decided to simplify, or a back-rank risk you avoided, can help you internalize better choices in future games. You can also explore sample lines in your top-performing openings to understand where your risk tolerance paid off and where it didn’t.

As you continue, consider keeping a concise blitz journal: for each game, write one sentence about the critical decision, one alternative you considered, and one adjustment you’ll try next time. This small habit often yields steady improvements over time.

Progress cues to watch

• By two weeks, you should feel more comfortable with time management and avoid last-minute rushes.
• By four weeks, you should see fewer back-rank vulnerabilities and more reliable conversion of advantages in rook endings.
• Watch for consistent performance across a wider set of openings, not just a few favorite lines.