Sasan Alibabaie

Quick summary

Nice run in recent blitz — you convert active piece play and king hunts into wins, and you use time pressure effectively. A few recurring patterns (forced checks, queen activity, simplifying into winning endgames) are powering most wins. Below I highlight concrete things to keep doing and specific improvements to make your blitz stronger.

Example game (review)

Here's your most recent win vs thatsallshewrote. Play through it to see how you turned piece activity into a decisive queen chase and then finished by winning material and the clock.

• Quick replay:
• Fen position above shows the moment before your final capture — good transition from attack to material gain.

What you're doing well

• Active queens and perpetual checking ideas: you consistently use queen checks to chase the enemy king and create tactical opportunities.
• Creating practical threats in blitz — you force simplifications when ahead and often convert opponents' mistakes under time pressure.
• Good piece coordination in middlegames: knights and bishops are often well placed for forks and tactical shots.
• You pick sharp, asymmetrical positions (e.g., offbeat Sicilian / Caro‑Kann play) which pay off in faster games — this suits blitz where practical chances matter.

Recurring weaknesses to fix

• Clock management: several games drift into severe time trouble. Winning on time is fine, but avoid consistently arriving at under-10-second decisions — those are riskier. Add a quick system to save a few seconds per move.
• Opening stability in specific lines: your results show a lower win rate with mainstream solid replies (for example the Caro-Kann Defense and some Closed Sicilian lines). Work a short safe repertoire for blitz so you don't start with a passive or cramped position.
• Tactical backlashes after aggressive captures — sometimes the capture that looks winning allows counterplay (blocked rooks, passed pawns). Before grabbing material, scan for immediate tactics or checks by the opponent.
• Endgame precision: when positions simplify, make a short list of key plans (activate king, create passed pawn, trade down to favorable minor piece) so you convert without slipping in time trouble.

Concrete drills & practice plan (weekly)

• Tactics: 15–20 minutes daily of mixed-motif puzzles (forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, mating nets). Focus on accuracy, not speed — then do 5 blitz puzzles to transfer to rapid recognition.
• 5-blitz mini-session: play 6×3+2 increment games, forcing yourself to spend at least the first 3–5 seconds on each move for a basic safety check (tactics, checks, opponent threats).
• Opening hygiene: pick 2 reliable blitz lines to keep as “go-to” — one as White and one as Black (for example keep practicing the Caro-Kann Defense main ideas and a simple anti-Sicilian setup). Drill the 6–8 typical middlegame plans for each line.
• Endgame toolkit: 15 minutes every 2–3 days on practical king & pawn and rook endings — these convert many blitz games. Key motifs: active king, cutting squares, Lucena basics, and checking/stopping passed pawns.
• Time-management exercise: play 10 games with decreasing increment (from 5+2 to 3+0) and force yourself to swap to “fast mode” only when ahead or completely forced.

Game-specific notes (quick takeaways)

• Win vs thatsallshewrote: Excellent queen activity and forcing sequence. Keep training queen checks and discovered checks — they paid off. The final phase shows good conversion: after chasing the king you traded into a queen-and-pawn winning net.
• Loss vs thatsallshewrote (the game that ended by resignation): you allowed a strong pawn advance/king invasion in the late middlegame. When facing central pawn storms, prioritize king safety and trade active pieces to reduce attack potential.
• Frequent pattern: you win many games by creating immediate practical problems for the opponent (tactical shots, time pressure). Don't abandon prophylaxis — a quick "would my opponent have a check/fork here?" scan saves many games.

Checklist for your next blitz session

• Warm up: 8–10 tactics (focus motifs you missed in recent games).
• Play a 10‑game block with increment (3+2 or 5+2). Force yourself to make 2 “safety checks” per move when the position is unclear.
• After each loss, make one short note: “why did I lose the game?” (tactics, time, opening, endgame) — keep this log and review weekly.
• Keep two go-to openings and know the typical pawn structures and piece plans — saves time in the opening and makes midgame decisions easier.

Small habit changes that give big results

• Before you capture: 3-second tactical check (checks, captures, threats) — prevents simple tactical surprises.
• If you’re low on time: simplify (trade pieces if you're ahead), keep the position closed if you’re worse but safe, or complicate only if you see a concrete refutation.
• Use the increment: in 1–3 second moments, avoid long calculations — pick the reasonably best-looking move and use remaining time to re-evaluate after opponent moves.

Next steps / study plan (30 days)

• Week 1: Tactics daily + pick and polish two blitz openings (10–15 minutes each).
• Week 2: Add endgame drills (Lucena, king & pawn basics) + continue tactics.
• Week 3–4: Play targeted blitz sessions with the new habits and log mistakes. Review two lost games per week — annotate just the critical moments.

Final encouragement

You have strong instincts in sharp positions and are very effective at creating practical problems for your opponents. Tighten the opening choices for blitz, improve a couple of small clock habits, and keep drilling tactics — you’ll see your conversion improve and the number of avoidable losses drop. Happy blitzing — keep the momentum!