Robin Lefort

Hi Robin – keep up the good work!

Your account shows steady effort and lots of fighting spirit. Below is a snapshot of your current progress, followed by practical advice to help you level-up quickly.

Quick stats

• Peak rapid rating: 1194 (2025-02-11)
• Typical play times:
• Day-to-day consistency:

What you’re already doing well

• Active openings. You usually claim the centre with 1.e4 and push d4 early (Smith-Morra, Scotch, Italian), putting immediate questions to the opponent.
• Tactical alertness. Several wins end with neat tactics, e.g. the Bh6+ finish against mangiapiane.
• Fighting till the end. Even from worse positions you hunt for resources, which is great training for calculation.

Three improvement priorities

1. Time management.
   Four of your last six losses were on the clock. Build a habit of glancing at the timer every three moves and aim to keep at least 30 % of your starting time until move 20. When ahead on material, simplify instead of chasing more pawns – it saves clock and nerves.
2. Piece safety – especially the queen.
   Early queen forays (e.g. 7.Qxb7 in the Smith-Morra) work at this level but also cost tempi and sometimes run into …Qa5+ or …Bb4+. Try the guideline “Don’t bring the queen out before move 10 unless it wins something forced”. Instead, develop minor pieces and castle first.
3. End-game conversion.
   In the loss on time vs Octavio1992 you were up a rook but still searching for a plan. Learn two basic endings each week (king & pawn vs king, rook vs pawn, etc.). Knowing the winning method lets you play fast and confidently.

Model example – converting a lead smoothly

Compare your sharp win below to the previous time-outs. Notice how simplifying with exchanges keeps the king safe and the clock healthy.

Suggested weekly routine

• 15 min: Review each finished game quickly, mark one move you’re proud of and one you’d replay differently.
• 30 min: Solve five tactical puzzles focused on forks and pins.
• 1 rapid game (10 + 5) applying the day’s lesson. No blitz until you’ve analysed that game.
• 10 min: Drill one basic endgame on an engine-free board.

Final encouragement

Your rating graph is already trending upward and your wins show you can spot tactics. Polish the fundamentals above and the next milestone (800+) will come naturally. Enjoy the journey and let me know when you hit your next personal best!