Andrew W Whatley FM

Recent Game Positives

Andrew, your recent blitz games show excellent fighting spirit and understanding of dynamic positions. You handle open lines and piece activity well, particularly in your win where you capitalized on your opponent's mistakes in the opening and early middlegame to take control quickly.

• Good implementation of pressure along open files and diagonals.
• Strong middle-game tactics leading to decisive advantages.
• Quick and confident execution of attacking plans.

Areas for Improvement

Analyzing your losses and recent games, here are some areas where you can gain ratings points through focused improvement:

• Opening Consistency: You sometimes face challenges in the early opening resulting in cramped or passive positions. Studying your popular opening lines like the Ponziani Opening and Old Benoni Defense for both sides could help you get better, safer setups.
• Endgame Technique: Some losses in balanced positions suggest sharpening your endgame skills to convert small advantages or defend difficult positions more effectively.
• Time Management: Blitz requires good clock management — ensure you are not spending disproportionate time in early or unclear positions to keep enough time for critical moments.
• Calculations under Pressure: Trying to improve accuracy in tactical sequences will reduce losses from missed winning opportunities or tactical pitfalls.

Strategic Suggestions

Based on your overall play and stats, here are some strategic guidance points:

• Prioritize solidifying your opening repertoire focusing on lines with higher success rates like the Siberian Attack and Colle System where you have better win percentages.
• In positions where you're equal or slightly worse, focus more on prophylaxis — limiting your opponent's play rather than always searching for active counterplay.
• Work on recognizing key endgame patterns that commonly arise from your openings to improve resilience.
• Analyze your losses carefully with an engine or coach to see where you can avoid recurring errors.

Progress and Trends

You show an impressive long-term rating improvement, with a strong 6-month rating gain of +771 points, which is fantastic progress. The recent month-over-month rating increase of +31 indicates you are maintaining form, although the 3-month slight decrease reminds to watch for consistency.

• Your strength adjusted win rate (~49.5%) shows you are competitive at your level but with room to push above 50% which is key for rating growth.
• Keep focusing on consistency both in opening preparation and converting better positions.
• Balance your study with practice to address opening preparation and endgame techniques concurrently.

Next Steps

To continue your improvement journey, consider the following:

• Regularly review your recent games to identify recurring mistakes and missed opportunities.
• Deepen your understanding of your favorite openings, and add some surprise variations to keep opponents off balance.
• Incorporate endgame training exercises to boost technique when the game reaches that phase.
• Practice solving tactical puzzles daily to improve calculation speed and accuracy.

Your commitment and skill are evident — with continued focused effort, you can maintain your upward trend and achieve even higher levels of performance in blitz chess.