Nicholas Rosenthal NM

Hi Nicholas, here’s some constructive feedback based on your recent blitz/bullet games.

What you’re already doing well

• Opening depth. Your French Defense repertoire (Classical & Steinitz lines) and the Caro-Kann Panov show confident handling of typical pawn‐structures. Opponents rated 2700+ were out of book first in several wins.
• Tactical alertness. Motifs such as …Bc5 (pin on the f2–king diagonal) or exchange sacs on c3/f3 appear frequently in your victories. You spot hanging pieces quickly, even with ≤10 seconds.
• Practical clock management. In the win vs navape you converted a complex rook + minor-piece ending with only 0.4 sec remaining. Your instinct to simplify when ahead on the board but down on the clock is excellent.

Recurring trouble spots

1. King safety after early pawn storms.
   • Loss vs Lorenzo Perea Fruet (Bird’s Opening) – the …b5–…a6 queenside expansion left g7–g6 holes; once Qxf7+ landed the position was busted.
   • Loss vs ClydeHillKid (French, you were White) – premature h4–h5 gave Black counter-play on the dark squares.
   Action: Add a “safety checklist” before pushing flank pawns: (i) Are my pieces developed? (ii) Is my king secure? (iii) What is my opponent’s quickest counter-strike?
2. Overlooking zwischenzugs in forcing sequences.
   Example: vs mddelwar6542 you played 32. f3? (“simple recapture”) and missed Black’s intermezzo …Qc3+, letting the attack continue.
   Action: During every tactical calculation, deliberately search for an opponent check, capture, or threat on each ply before finalizing your move.
3. Conversion in won endings.
   Two recent time-forfeit losses occurred in technically winning endgames (vs AcceleratingWreckingBall & DaRk_KiNg_30). You played ~90 moves but flagged.
   Action: a) Drill basic K+P, R+P, and opposite-bishop endings in bullet mode until your technique becomes automatic. b) When up material with little time, trade queens early to cut calculation.

Opening micro-tune-ups

Targeted training plan

• Daily 15-min puzzle rush aiming ≥45 solves to sharpen spot-the-zwischenzug skills.
• Two annotated classical games per week focusing on king safety vs pawn storms. Start with Petrosian’s exchange sacs & Carlsen’s French wins.
• Bullet endgame ladder: win K+P vs K in ≤10 sec; R+P vs R in ≤20 sec; then add an outside passer. Repeat until 90 % success.
• Track performance with
  and
  to identify tilt hours.

Quick reference

Your current peak bullet rating: 2976 (2024-08-26). Keep an eye on the danger of sliding during long sessions—your losses cluster after 10+ consecutive games.

Motivational snapshot

Here is the critical finishing sequence from your nicest win this week:

Final thought

Small improvements in defensive awareness and endgame speed will convert several of those near-misses into wins and push you beyond the 2900 line. Keep the tactics sharp, balance aggression with safety, and enjoy the climb!