Coach Chesswick
Quick overview
Nice run — you're converting advantages and your rating trend is moving up. Recent results show several clean wins by resignation and a long technical conversion where you neutralized counterplay and pushed a passed pawn home. Your 1‑month change of +86 and 6‑month +234 show clear progress; keep that momentum.
Key win (reviewable)
Game: you (white) vs ricardoggggg. This was a textbook grind from middlegame into a won endgame — good handling of knight jumps, active rooks, and the passed pawn race.
- Open this game to replay the conversion move by move:
What you're doing well
- Endgame technique — you convert small advantages and handle pawn races confidently (see the Ricardoggggg game where you traded into a winning pawn endgame).
- Active piece play — you prioritize piece activity and infiltration (rook lifts, knight jumps to strong squares) rather than passive defense.
- Opening variety and strengths — your records show strong results with the French Defense and several gambit lines. You get practical, unbalanced positions where you can outplay opponents.
- Consistency and resilience — long-term rating slope and Strength Adjusted Win Rate (~49.5%) indicate you win often against similarly skilled opposition and recover from setbacks.
Most important areas to improve
- Handle the Sicilian Defense more reliably — you play it a lot, but win rate is under 47%. Pick one reliable sub‑line and study typical plans (pawn breaks, knight outposts, typical pawn structures) so you don't drift into passive positions.
- Time management — several games show long think on critical middle moves and later faster play. Try to keep a steady clock balance (avoid big swings) so you have time for endgame technique.
- Tactical cleanliness — keep sharpening simple tactics (forks, pins, skewers). A small tactical miss can erase a long buildup of advantage — practice 5–10 tactics a day focused on motif recognition.
- Opening follow‑up and plans — when you reach a comfortable middlegame, make a clear plan (where will pawns advance, which piece to trade). Avoid aimless moves that let opponents seize the initiative.
Concrete drills — next 4 weeks
- Daily: 10 tactical puzzles (pattern repeat: forks, pins, skewers, discovered checks) — track accuracy, increase speed slowly.
- Twice weekly: 30 minutes of endgame practice — rook and pawn endgames, king+pawn vs king, basic queen vs rook scenarios.
- Weekly: Pick one Sicilian sub‑line and study 3 model games — focus on typical pawn breaks and a standard plan for both sides.
- After every rated session: annotate your two hardest losses — write one sentence what you missed and one concrete improvement for next time.
Pre‑game checklist (use before every game)
- Clock check: set a target reserve (e.g., keep 2 minutes for the last 10 moves).
- Opening plan: know your first 6–8 moves and the typical middlegame plan.
- Tactical warmup: 3 quick puzzles to get your pattern recognition ready.
- When ahead: simplify into a won endgame only after ensuring no counterplay or passed pawns will decide the game.
Small technical tips from recent games
- When trading rooks in a pawn race, compare passed‑pawn distances and king activity before simplifying (you handled this well in the long win).
- Watch for opponent counterplay on the opposite wing — if you push pawns aggressively, keep a defender or escape square for your king.
- Improve move ordering in the opening: one or two waiting moves can allow an opponent to execute central breaks — aim to learn the typical intermezzo (zwischenzug) motifs in your chosen lines.
Want a deeper follow up?
If you want, paste one loss or a position that felt unclear and I’ll do a quick targeted analysis (plan suggestion, one defensive idea, one tactical motif to watch). I can also focus practice plans specifically on Sicilian Defense or your favorite attacking lines.