Coach Chesswick
Hi Rosa, here’s a tailored review of your recent play
Quick snapshot
- Current mood: energetic attacker with a flair for initiative.
- Best recorded peak so far: 2346 (2021-04-03).
- Activity trend: .
Your core strengths
- Initiative-driven opening choices
• Rossolimo/Sicilian sidelines and Ruy Lopez Exchange give you early pressure.
• You consistently castle early and place rooks on active files (e.g. 10.Rd1! in your win vs Austen48). - Rook-lifts & attacking imagination
Example tactic: – converting a positional edge into a decisive tactic. - Piece activity over material
You’re happy to sacrifice pawns (17.Nxe6 in the English and 18.Nf6+! vs Berlin) to keep the initiative. This works well against sub-2200 opposition.
Recurring issues to address
- Clock management
Four of your last six losses were on time, often in positions that were still defendable or even better for you. Aim to reach move 20 with ≥50 % of your original time. A simple habit: spend at most one “long think” (≥30 s) in the first ten moves. - Over-extended pawn storms
In the French Exchange loss to Maaikee you pushed 6.g4/12.g5 before development was complete and the centre was fixed. Use the three-question filter before advancing a wing pawn:- Is my king completely safe?
- Is the centre locked or firmly under my control?
- Can I bring at least three pieces to the target area within three moves?
- Handling of equal endgames
Games vs julinha97 and Irochka83 show difficulties converting or holding rook-and-pawn endings. Your technique is solid when you have a clear material edge, but less so in equal or slightly worse endings. - French & Sicilian structures as White
You know plans, but sometimes mis-place pieces (e.g. 18.Bh1?! allowing ...d3). Spend a session on model games that feature the Nd2–f3–e5 plan in the French and the f4-f5 break in the Rauzer.
Action plan for the next 30 days
| Focus area | Practical drill | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Clock handling | Play 10 + 5 games limiting yourself to 60 s total for moves 1-10. | Finish opening with ≥80 % time left in 80 % of games. |
| Defensive technique | Weekly study of 5 master games where the defender holds a worse position; annotate passive vs active defence choices. | Improve save-rate when worse to at least 35 %. |
| Endgame fundamentals | Solve 20 rook-and-pawn endgame studies (≤10 moves) on Sunday mornings. | Reach 80 % accuracy. |
| Opening refinement | For each of your main lines, pick one critical branch and play it in sparring; review with engine after each session. | Add one new idea per line to your personal repertoire sheet. |
Mindset tip
Treat each game as two separate battles: the position and the clock. Winning only one of them is rarely enough.Keep up the momentum!
Your attacking instincts are your hallmark; polishing the defensive and time-management side will make you a more complete player and push you beyond the 2300 rapid mark.– Your Chess Coach