Coach Chesswick
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
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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. -
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. -
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!