Hi Ryuk605! 🎯 Overall impressions
You are already a strong 3 000+ blitz player (current peak: 3075 (2025-06-11)), with a clear personal style: flexible double-fianchetto systems as White and solid Slav / Caro-Kann shells as Black. Your wins show excellent tactical alertness and the ability to convert small advantages, yet the recent batch of games also reveals a few recurrent blind spots that, once fixed, should push you even higher.
✔️ What you’re doing well
- Tactical awareness: combinations such as 35…Rf6!! and 40.Rxa7 in the win vs Christopher Woojin Yoo highlight sharp calculation.
- End-game technique under time pressure: rook + minor-piece endgames are usually handled confidently (see 60-70th moves of multiple wins).
- Consistent opening repertoire: playing similar pawn structures (Reti/English as White, Slav setups as Black) keeps prep workload reasonable and positions familiar.
⛔ Top three improvement priorities
- Time management mid-game (moves 15-25).
Five out of the last six losses were resignations or collapses while below 20 seconds despite playable positions. ⮕ Practical goal: reach move 25 with >35 seconds in the bank in 80 % of games. Drill: play 3-min games where you must spend ≤60 seconds on the first 15 moves; self-penalise if exceeded. - Over-extension of flank pawns.
In the loss vs Michael Brown (D11) 18.b5?!-19.b6?! fixed your queenside pawns and ceded the dark squares; in the Alapin Sicilian as Black you pushed …c2 too soon. ⮕ When you advance a pawn past the 4th rank, pause and ask, “Can it become a target?” (prophylaxis checklist). - Handling IQP / hanging-pawn structures.
Several defeats (English & Catalan games) stem from accepting isolated pawns without a clear plan. ⮕ Review model games by Kramnik & Aronian on IQP positions; practise converting both sides in sparring.
Opening snapshots & tailored tweaks
| Line | Observation | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Reti – …b5/b4 systems | You win plenty by delaying d2-d4 and striking with e2-e4 (excellent!). | Add the Nb1-d2-f1-e3-g4 reroute plan to punish …h6/…g5 setups. |
| English vs …c6/…d5 | After early Qb3/Qc2 you sometimes allow …e5 breaks unprepared. | Study the Krasenkow Variation (g3 + Nf3 + e3 lines) to keep the centre stable. |
| Black – Alapin (B22) | The quick …cxd4 & …c2 idea is risky; recent loss in 31 moves. | Switch to the main-line 3…d5 or adopt …d6 with …dxe5 plans; safer & sound. |
Concrete training menu for the next 2 weeks
- 🕒 Clock discipline: 30 mins daily of “increment only” blitz (e.g. 1 + 2) to ingrain quick intuitive moves.
- 🎲 Structure lab: Set up an IQP with rook+minor piece each side; play 10 starting from both colours vs engine set to 2900-3000.
- 📚 Game review routine: Pick one win and one loss per day; pinpoint first move where Eval swings by >1.0. Store positions in a spaced-repetition deck.
- 🗂 Opening file update: create a mini-repertoire note for the anti-…e5 English line, including 3 model games and key tactical motifs.
Visual trackers
Use the charts below to monitor how the new habits affect your performance:
Motivational end-note
Your ceiling is clearly not reached; ironing out these couple of structural and time-usage leaks could realistically add +75 elo in the next quarter. Keep the creative spark, add a pinch of restraint, and we’ll soon need a new peak-rating placeholder!
Good luck and good games! ♟️