Coach Chesswick
Overview of your recent rapid results
You’ve been on a strong run in rapid games, with a clean record in the latest set. Your rating trend shows steady upward momentum over the past year and across the last several months, reflecting consistent improvement. Your openings are varied and the results are encouraging, but the small sample size means it’s still important to build depth in a few core lines.
What you're doing well
- You seize opportunities in dynamic positions and convert advantages into wins through precise calculation.
- You stay calm in sharp, changing positions and use your activity to press against solid defenses.
- Your opening repertoire is flexible, allowing you to adapt to different opponents and styles.
- You finish games cleanly when ahead, minimizing chances for counterplay.
Key areas to improve
- Time management in rapid games: aim for a steady early plan and reserve mental energy for the middlegame and endgame.
- Post-move evaluation: after key exchanges or captures, pause to check for hidden threats and long-term plans.
- Endgame technique: strengthen rook endings and simple king-and-pawn endings to convert advantages reliably.
- Deepen understanding of top openings: although results are strong, study the typical middlegame ideas and common plans for your favored lines to stay prepared under pressure.
Opening strategy and planning
Your openings show strong results across a diverse set of lines, which is a great sign of flexibility. To turn this into consistent performance, consider the following approach:
- Choose 2–3 openings to master more deeply and build concise notes on typical middlegame ideas, pawn structures, and plans for each.
- For each opening, create a short reference of 4–6 key middlegame themes and common pitfalls to avoid.
- In Chess960, map quick development plans from different starting positions and practice them in focused drills or short practice games.
Training plan for the next 4 weeks
- Weekly structure: 3 focused study sessions (25–40 minutes each) plus 2 practice games with post-game review.
- Session focus rotation: one week on endgames (rooks and king activity), one week on tactical patterns (forks, pins, discovered attacks), one week on positional play (pawn structures, piece coordination).
- Post-game practice: after each rapid game, write three takeaways and one improvement; compare with model games or coaching notes if possible.
- Opening reinforcement: solidify your top 2–3 openings with a short cheat sheet and 10 practice problems covering typical middlegame ideas.
- Time-management drill: use a countdown timer in practice games and set a rule to reassess the plan after roughly 15 moves.
Would you like a personalized drill plan?
If you want, I can tailor a focused 2-week plan using your most recent games to extract concrete positions and target practice areas.