Danny Arias

Hi Danny, here is some focused feedback based on your latest blitz games.

Snapshot of your current form

Your recent games suggest you are hovering near 2190 (2019-12-12). You score well in short, tactical battles, especially in the late evening – see

What you are already doing well

• Tactical alertness: In several wins you converted small advantages into mating attacks (e.g. Salaminov – jsnagy, 15.Bxh7†, 21.Qf5#).
• King safety awareness when attacking: Castling early and pushing h-pawns in the London often gave you useful space (games vs bimbaq and jsnagy).
• Comfort with unbalanced positions: Your choice of the Wing Gambit against the French and 1…f5 vs 1.e4 shows you relish asymmetry and initiative.

Key areas to improve

1. Opening discipline & development speed
   • In your French Rubinstein loss to rookiesko you spent six moves on queenside pawn pushes while your queenside pieces stayed on their back ranks. • As White you blundered after 10.Qe4? dxe4 (vs Roquembole) because the queen moved too often and became a tactical target.
   Recommendation: Pick one solid main-line for each colour (e.g. French ~/ Classical, London + 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4) and rehearse the first 10 moves on a board without engine aid until they are automatic.
2. Board vision before committing a pawn storm
   In the loss to Manof1000Checks your g- and h-pawns raced while the centre collapsed behind them. Create a mental checklist: “Are all my back-rank pieces developed? Who controls the centre squares?” Only launch flank pawns when those boxes are ticked.
3. Exchange-calculation practice
   Several games turned on missed zwischenzugs (e.g. 19...Qc6? allowing 20.Nxc6!). Add 15–20 daily puzzle rush attempts or targeted tactics featuring intermediate moves and unguarded pieces.
4. Time-management in 3 | 0
   You often reached move 25 with <15 seconds. Try sprinkling in slower 5 | 5 or 10 | 0 games once or twice a week; the extra think-time will deepen your calculation habits and reduce one-move blunders.

Opening pointers just for you

• French as Black: After 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 you followed a sound plan, but 12...c5 prematurely opened lines. Study the model game Capablanca–Tartakower, New York 1924 for good French piece placement.
• London as White: Work the thematic idea Bf4–e5 when Black plays ...c5/...e6. The pattern 15.Bxh7† → Ne4 → Qf5 appears in many of your wins – keep it, but also rehearse quieter plans (Rc1, dxc5, c4 breaks) so you’re not only fishing for tactics.

Concrete exercise pack

1. Play through this blunder mini-lesson and note the warning signs:
   
2. Solve 50 tactics that end in an in-between move (zwischenzug) before the next playing session.
3. Analytically annotate one of your French-defense losses without an engine, then compare to engine suggestions.

Next steps & goals

If you can cut out one major tactical oversight per game and improve opening consistency, breaking the 2200 blitz barrier should be realistic within a month.

Good luck, and keep the pieces active!

— Coach Bot