Sampaguita08 WFM

Hi Sampaguita08!

Congratulations on maintaining a strong 2200–2300 blitz level (2621 (2025-05-27)). Your recent games show both creative play and resourcefulness under time pressure. Below is some focused feedback so you can push toward the next milestone.

1. What you are already doing well

• Piece activity & middlegame plans. In your London-System win against come_back_time you created long-term pressure with 15.Ne4 and 18.Qh4, then smoothly transferred the queen to g5/f4 to probe weaknesses.
• End-game grind. Several opponents flagged or resigned in technically lost endings. Your rook-and-pawn technique (e.g. 57.Kd4–73.Ke8 in the same game) is reliable once you reach a safe position.
• Clock handling. You keep a small but consistent lead on the clock; this forces mistakes in critical moments (see move 69…Kg5?? when Black had seconds left).

2. Biggest improvement opportunities

• Tactical alertness in sharp sidelines.
  • In your Closed-Sicilian loss to A-P-Ero, the sequence 13.Nd5! O-O? 14.Nb6 left you tied in knots. The knight fork on d5 was foreseeable; consider inserting …exd5 or …Rc8 to meet Nb6.
  • Two other recent defeats stemmed from missed defensive resources (e.g. 32…Ng4! in the Catalan would have held).
• Early king safety when you attack.
  With White you like throwing pawns (g- and h-pawns) up the board. It works, but in rapid games you have been mated twice after over-extension (see 34.Qd7? in the Catalan where …Re5! swung the initiative). Use the “pawn-storm on one wing, king safety on the other” rule: advance only if the centre is closed or well-guarded.
• Black repertoire vs. 1.e4.
  You alternate between Najdorf ideas and …Nc6/…Nd4 systems, but positions like the one after 12…Be7 (in the loss above) look passive. Consider adding a solid line you know deeply (e.g. Pelikan-Lasker/Sveshnikov or classical e5 systems) so you have an anchor when sharp sidelines go wrong.

3. Practical next steps

1. Post-mortem a single critical moment each game. After every session, pick one move you’d change with engine help. This keeps study light but consistent.
2. Weekly pattern workout: 50 “king-hunt” puzzles to sharpen your sense for counter-sacrifices and zwischenzugs.
3. Model games: Review 3–5 blitz games by Nakamura starting from your favourite London or English structures; notice how he switches plans when the opponent resists.
4. Mini repertoire patch: Pick one anti-Closed-Sicilian line (for example 2…g6 3…Bg7 4…e6 5…Nge7) and play it exclusively for a week—depth beats breadth.

4. Progress tracking

To visualise when you play your best, keep an eye on:

Good luck at the board—every small adjustment adds up quickly at your level. Keep the tension, trust your calculation, and see you in the 2300+ bracket soon!