sameer mirza

Quick summary

Sameer — you’re on an upward rating trend (steady gains over the last 1–6 months) and you play active, fighting chess. Recent games show good piece activity and bold rook play, but a few recurring practical issues cost you games: king safety (back‑rank and mating nets), giving opponents open files, and late‑game technique in rook/pawn endings.

Example game to review

Here’s the decisive game I looked at — load it to replay the critical positions and moves.

• Opponent: shaikh amin
• Opening: Philidor Defense
• Replay the game:

What you’re doing well

• You create active pieces and look for counterplay — strong rook lifts and pressure on files show good attacking instincts.
• You play sharp openings and aren’t afraid to simplify into imbalanced positions — this produces practical chances and wins (your opening win rates around 50% are solid).
• Your long-term rating trend is positive — small, consistent improvements are happening.

Key mistakes to fix (with concrete corrective actions)

• Back‑rank and king safety.

  Problem: In the decisive loss you ended up with no escape square and got mated after an enemy rook invasion. Fix: whenever you trade pieces and the rooks start operating on the back‑rank, make a small luft (move a pawn in front of your king or a one‑move king move) before launching big operations. A quick checklist before each move: "Is my king safe? Any back‑rank threats?"

• Avoid grabbing pawns that open dangerous files near your king.

  Problem: Several games show pawn captures that gave opponents open lines to your king (g and h files). Fix: before capturing, ask whether the capture opens a file toward your king or creates squares for enemy pieces. If it does, calculate the immediate tactics or prepare luft first.

• Rook + pawn endgame technique and passivity.

  Problem: When rooks are active your opponent often gains entry squares and you lose coordination in the endgame. Fix: study basic rook endings (Lucena and Philidor ideas), practise keeping rooks behind passed pawns and cutting the enemy king off. When ahead, exchange into a winning king+rook endgame only if you are sure of the technique.

• Tactical oversights in mating nets and forks.

  Problem: Opponents create decisive mating nets or forks that you miss. Fix: daily tactical training focused on mates, pins, skewers, forks; after each move glance for enemy checks, captures, and threats (the "three checks" rule).

Practical training plan (4 weeks)

• Daily (15–25 minutes): 10–20 tacticals emphasizing back‑rank mates, forks, pins, and discovered attacks.
• Weekly (2 sessions × 30 minutes): Rook endgame study — learn Lucena and Philidor positions and practise the basic mating patterns and building a bridge.
• Weekly (1 session × 30 minutes): Rapid review of 3 lost games — find the turning point, write one improvement action for future games (e.g., "make luft on move 30").
• Play plan: 10 rapid games (10+5) focusing on king safety — force yourself to ask the safety checklist before every move for the whole game.

One‑game checklist (use during games)

• Before moving: Did I leave a square for my king (luft)? Any back‑rank tactics for my opponent?
• Before capturing: Does this open a file to my king or give opponent an entry square?
• Whenever rooks trade: who gets behind pawns; who has the active rook?
• Spend one extra second to scan for opponent checks, captures, and threats every time the position changes materially.

Short-term goals (next 2 weeks)

• Reduce losses to mating nets — make 5 games where you consciously create luft early and avoid back‑rank issues.
• Complete a mini‑module on rook endgames (watch/read one short lesson + 6 practice positions).
• Keep your current positive rating momentum — small steady gains are better than risky play that causes swings.

Extra resources & follow up

• Openings: play the Philidor Defense more carefully — focus on safe king placement and timely pawn breaks.
• If you want, send me one loss you want a full move‑by‑move post‑mortem of and I’ll annotate critical moments and alternative plans.

Closing encouragement

Your stats show persistence and improvement — keep the training focused on king safety and endgame technique and the rating gains will follow. Small process changes (a safety checklist and targeted endgame drills) will remove many of the “one‑move” losses and convert some of those swings into wins.