Coach Chesswick
Hi Sachi, here’s some tailored feedback based on your recent blitz games!
Your current personal best in blitz is 2604 (2024-07-02). The charts below will help you keep an eye on when you score best and spot any “bad-hour” patterns.
What you’re already doing well
- Opening variety ▶︎ With White you employ Najdorf-style positions, the Center Game, and even the tricky Qe3 line against 1…e5. This makes you hard to prepare for.
- Tactical alertness ▶︎ Nxf7, Bxe6, and exchange sacs (e.g. 22.Rxb7!) appear frequently in your wins. You calculate quickly and are not afraid of dynamic play.
- Practical mindset ▶︎ You win a lot of games on the clock once the position is simplified. That shows good nervous-system control in time trouble.
Biggest opportunities for rapid improvement
- Time management in the middle of the game
In both your last win and loss you slipped below 20 s with a playable position. Try the “30-20-10” rule: aim to keep ≥ 30 s after the opening, ≥ 20 s entering any queenless middlegame, and ≥ 10 s for rook endings. - End-game technique
Many lost or barely-won positions arise after you have traded into endings without a concrete plan. (Example below: after 24…Rb6? the a-rook became passive and White’s infiltration on the 7th decided the game.) - Pawn-storm selectivity
Early …g6/…h6 or g-pawn pushes (10.g4, 11.g5) often create holes that strong opponents exploit. Aim to ask “what squares am I weakening?” before every pawn move outside the c-, d- & e-files. - Prophylaxis prophylaxis
Games vs Gata Kamsky and Goltsev Dmitry show pieces getting crowded because you reacted one move late to opponent threats. Add a quick “opponent’s next move?” scan each turn.
Illustrative moment
The diagram starts at the critical position from your most recent loss. Note how one passive rook and an exposed king outweigh material equality.
Two-week action plan
- Bulletproof the a-pawn – play 20 blitz games where you deliberately avoid any pawn move on the a- or h-file before move 15 unless it wins material.
- “One-minute rook endgames” drill – set a timer to 60 s and convert the basic Lucena & Philidor positions against the engine. Repeat until you can do it with ≥ 20 s left.
- Mid-game pacing exercise – in 5 practice games, force yourself to spend at least 3 seconds / move between moves 10-20. This prevents the habitual “instant click” that lands you in time trouble later.
Opening maintenance notes
- Najdorf line with 6.f4 feels comfortable; consider adding the quieter 6.Be3/Be2 to vary risk level on a bad day.
- As Black vs Ruy Lopez you reached a Closed Yates set-up. Try the immediate …Re8 + …Bf8 plan to untangle the f8-bishop before launching …g6.
- If you keep playing the Center Game, memorize Black’s main counter: 5…d5 6.exd5 Bb4+ – it’s popular at 2600+ blitz.
Final encouragement
Your sharp style is your super-power. Streamline the clock handling and tighten the end-game screws and 2600+ will follow naturally. Good luck, and enjoy the grind!