Jan Seidl FM

Quick recap of the mini-sample

Nice work converting advantages into wins in your recent bullet run. A few concrete moments stand out: you created and pushed a passed pawn to promotion in your most recent win, you used active king and rook play to finish games, and you executed quick mating nets in multiple 30s games against vincentm83 and others.

• Example position and finish (key moves from your most recent win):

What you're doing well

• Creating and marching a passed pawn under time pressure — you convert tangible material/positional advantages quickly in bullet. This is a huge asset: keep it up. (See the pawn push and promotion in the win vs blackhorse986.)
• Active king and rook usage in endgames — you use the king aggressively and bring rooks to the 7th/8th to create decisive threats. Good feel for endgame technique in fast time controls (classic "Rook on the seventh" pressure).
• Finishing tactics and mating nets — two quick mates vs vincentm83 show you spot back-rank and mating ideas fast and exploit loose coordination from the opponent.
• Opening variety that leads to practical positions — you steer games into middlegame/endgame structures you clearly handle well (you turn small advantages into wins rather than letting them evaporate).

Main things to improve

• Counterplay management: in your loss to rohith-p the opponent generated counterplay on the kingside and created a passed pawn that promoted. Try to stop the opponent's counterplay earlier with prophylactic pawn moves or by simplifying when their activity is mounting.
• Tactical oversights in sharp moments — several games show a one-move tactic that decides the game (knight forks, pawn breaks). Slow down for half a second on forcing sequences: checks, captures and threats. That one extra mental tick prevents many sudden reversals.
• Transition decisions: when ahead, decide between simplifying to a won endgame or keeping pieces for mating chances. You sometimes trade into endgames where the opponent's activity becomes the counter-weapon (watch the exchange timing around move 30 in the loss).
• Time management nuance: in bullet you're winning often with time to spare, but avoid rushing in complex positions where a small pause to calculate saves you from tactical setbacks.

Practical, bullet-friendly tips

• Prioritize immediate plans: in bullet, pick one clear plan (push a passed pawn, activate king, or mate) and execute it instead of juggling two ideas.
• When opponent creates piece activity, look to either trade pieces or blockade the active piece — letting it live on without counterplay is risky. The principle: active opponent = trades or block.
• Checks, captures and threats first: make this a reflex on every opponent move. If you adopt this habit, you'll catch almost all direct tactical shots.
• Use pre-moves with care: pre-moves are great in quiet recaptures but deadly in tactical positions. Only pre-move when there’s no tactical ambiguity.
• Endgame templates to memorize: king + rook vs king + rook, rook + passed pawn, and basic pawn promotion races. You already convert well — a few more patterns will make you nearly automatic.

Concrete drills (10–20 minutes each)

• Tactics sprint: 2 minutes per puzzle, 25 puzzles. Focus on forks, skewers, and back-rank mates. Builds fast pattern recognition.
• Pawn-race practice: set up random pawn-race positions and play 3-minute races against a training partner or engine at low depth to practice timing promotions and opposition.
• Rook endgame practice: drill 10 basic rook vs rook + pawn positions — practice the defense and the winning techniques (cutting off the king, active rook checks).
• Mini-games: 5 blitz games where your goal is to create a passed pawn and promote it — force the theme so you repeat the same motif.

Action plan for your next 50 bullet games

• Games 1–10: focus on "checks, captures, threats" reflex. After each game, mark one missed tactic you could have seen.
• Games 11–30: practice converting passed pawns and simplify vs opponent activity — aim to convert at least 70% of clear passed-pawn advantages.
• Games 31–50: apply time-management rule — when the position is unclear, spend an extra 1–2 tenths of your remaining time doing a quick 2-move calculation (this small discipline reduces blunders).
• Review: every 10 games, pick one loss and one win and annotate the critical turning move — ask “what was my plan, what was opponent’s plan?”

Notes & useful reminders

• You're already strong at converting advantages — reinforce that strength with targeted endgame and pawn drills.
• Be mindful of opponent counterplay; when you see the opponent mobilize pawns or knights toward your king, immediate containment often beats hoping for a tactic.
• Keep using your intuition for finishing positions but back it with one quick concrete check in sharp spots.
• If you want, I can analyze a single game move-by-move (pick one) and produce a 5-point checklist of improvements — paste the game or point to the opponent and I’ll do it.

Extra links & placeholders

• Opponent profiles you faced recently: blackhorse986, vincentm83, rohith-p
• Study terms you might look up: Passed pawn, Rook on the seventh, Back rank mate