Coach Chesswick
Hi RPeter, here is your personalised feedback!
1. Quick snapshot
• Current form: trending around the 800-1100 corridor.• 1402 (2023-08-25) • 1406 (2010-02-11)
• Activity patterns:
2. What you already do well
- Fighting spirit. You rarely give up material easily and often play on until the very end. Your win vs mihastar (25-Aug-23) shows good resilience in an equal end-game that you eventually converted.
- Piece activity. In several wins you quickly mobilise minor pieces and seize open files for your rooks (18…Bg4 and 24…c5! against mihastar was exemplary).
- End-game awareness. Promoting the a-pawn and choosing the quicker a1=Q in the same game demonstrates that you already visualise long forcing lines.
3. Main improvement areas
- Opening hygiene.
‑ Too many early king walks (e.g. 4…Ke7 after 4.Bxf7+ ↑ Italian). Aim to castle by move 10 in 80 % of your games.
‑ Avoid dubious pawn grabs such as 3…b5 in the QGA; they cost time and weaken squares.
Action: Memorise the first five moves of one solid opening each:- As White: Italian (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3)
- As Black vs 1.e4: Scandinavian or Caro-Kann
- As Black vs 1.d4: Queen’s Gambit Accepted—but follow the …c5 & …Nc6 main line, not …b5.
- King safety & tactics.
Many losses arise from loose kings (see 2024-02-29, 30.Bd4#) or missed forks & pins. Systematically check for:
• Loose back rank
• Knight fork threats on e6 / d6 / f7 etc.
• Long-diagonal bishop batteries ( …Bb7 vs your king on g2 was decisive on 02-Oct-24).
Action: 20 tactical puzzles per day, especially motifs of pin, discovered check and double attack. - Time management.
Four of the last eight losses were on time. You often fall below 60 s well before move 25.
Action: During your opponent’s turn, decide candidate move + reply plan. In the final minute, shift to simpler positions: trade queens or enter an end-game you know. - Move-to-move discipline.
Before releasing the mouse, run through a 5-point checklist:- Does it blunder mate or material?
- Does it leave a piece en-prise?
- Does it allow a forcing reply (check, capture, threat)?
- Does it improve piece activity or king safety?
- Does it follow the plan?
4. Example study position
You chose the wild piece-sac line 4.Bxf7+ Ke7?! Here is a safer alternative you can test against the engine:5. Suggested weekly routine
| Mon | 30 puzzle rush + review mistakes |
| Tue | Play 3 rapid games (15|10). Annotate the first without an engine. |
| Wed | Re-watch the annotated game with engine; note first tactical miss. |
| Thu | Opening rehearsal (10 mins each repertoire line on board) |
| Fri | End-game drills: KP vs K, R+P vs R, basic rook mates. |
| Weekend | Play for fun; experiment with a new idea only in casual games. |
6. Keep an eye on progress
Re-export your games every fortnight and check:- Average blunders per game (goal < 3).
- Opening book deviation before move 7 (goal > 60 % adherence).
- Time left on clock at move 20 (goal > 90 s).
Stay consistent, review your own games, and the rating gains will follow. Good luck and enjoy the journey!