Ron Weasley

Quick summary

Good set of rapid games — your attacking instincts and active rook play are clear strengths. Small, repeatable errors (king safety, pawn-structure concessions, occasional loose pieces and time management) are costing practical points. Below are focused observations and a short plan to improve before your next session.

What you did well

• Active piece play: you routinely bring rooks and queen into the enemy camp and create concrete threats — that wins games in rapid time controls.
• Practical tactics: in messy middlegames you find forcing continuations and don’t hesitate to complicate when it favors you.
• Converting chances on the clock: you can press and finish opponents under time pressure when the attack is obvious.

Recurring leaks (what to fix)

• King safety / back-rank risk — several games show queens and rooks infiltrating because the back rank was weak. Check for luft or king escape squares. See Back rank mate.
• Pawn-structure concessions — passed pawns and isolated pawns appear after unnecessary pawn moves; prioritize blockading and timely exchanges.
• Loose pieces / hanging material — before each move, do a quick scan for undefended pieces. See LPDO.
• Time management — you both win and lose on the clock. Pick moments to spend time (critical positions) and play practical moves elsewhere. See Time trouble.

Concrete 4-step practice plan (45–60 minutes)

• 10–15 min tactics: focus on queen forks, forks vs. back-rank and discovered attacks (10 puzzles, increasing difficulty).
• 15 min endgames: rook + pawn endgames and defending/blockading passed pawns — practice the basic technique.
• 10 min opening checklist: write a 3-move plan for your common replies (e.g., for the French Advance: development, when to play c5, and trade plan). See French Defense.
• 10–15 min review: pick one win and one loss from today and note the turning point and one move you’d change next time.

Mini tactical example to study

Replay this short, clean sequence to practice spotting opened files and queen tactics (example moves):

Ask: if the f-pawn advances, do I create weaknesses around my king? Would a trade reduce opponent threats?

Opening-specific notes

• Three Knights / e4 e5 lines: avoid repeating the same minor piece moves; follow a simple develop-and-castle routine. See Three-Knights Opening.
• When playing the French Advance: don’t shuffle bishops too long — finish development, castle, and keep an eye on the c5 break and pawn chains.
• If you rely on active rook play, plan a rook lift early and make sure the back rank is secured before opening files.

Pre-game checklist (use each game)

• Where will I castle and why?
• Which pawn breaks am I prepared to play or prevent?
• Which pieces are undeveloped and where do they belong?
• Safety quick-scan: any hanging pieces, back-rank issues, or immediate checks?

Homework (weekly)

• 5 rapid games focusing on not weakening king shelter; after each game, write one line: “This move weakened my king” or “I fixed the weakness by…”
• Daily: 8 tactics targeting pins, forks and back-rank mates.
• Weekly: one 20-minute endgame session (rook + pawn basics).

Want a focused game review?

Send one PGN (or pick a game) and I’ll annotate the turning points and suggest two concrete alternate moves. Example choices: your win vs mojiadv or the loss vs engrahmedali.

Final encouragement

Your rating trend shows steady improvement — keep the attacking play but add a short safety routine each move. Small, consistent fixes (tactics, endgames, and one pre-move safety check) will convert many close games into wins.