Coach Chesswick
Hi Savitha!
You have a dynamic, forward–looking style that already brings in many wins against strong opposition. Below is a concise review of what is working well and where you can pick up extra points.
1. What you are doing well
- Initiative-first mindset. In several recent wins you willingly sacrificed pawns or structure to seize the centre or create threats. Example: 12.e5–13.e6! in your Modern-Defence game — a model of space-grabbing.
- Piece activity in the middlegame. Your pieces rarely stay passive for long. In the Kan win as Black you delivered …Rc4 and …Rd2 when the moment was ripe, highlighting good sense for counter-play.
- Conversion technique once material up. In slower games (30 + increment) you generally convert cleanly; your rook-endgame vs Temirlan98 is a good example.
- Healthy opening range. As White you alternate 1.e4 and 1.d4; as Black you handle both Sicilian and Slav structures. This flexibility will pay dividends as you climb toward 2406 (2019-09-15) territory.
2. Priority fixes
- Time-pressure losses. Four of your last six defeats were caused or hastened by time trouble (two flag-outs, two blunders after your clock dipped below 10 s). Try adding a brief “speed-up phase” between moves 10-20, when the position is still theoretical and your decisions are easier.
- King safety with opposite-side castling. Two recent Modern-Defence losses show that when you castle long and push g-/h-pawns you sometimes forget Black’s counter-play on the b-file. Practical tip: after 22…Ra4 (game vs chito89) stopping to play a3 or b3 would have reduced tactical shots against your king.
- Pawn-up endgames. In the 60-second loss to IsraeliViper you converted a pleasant middlegame into a lost queen ending. Re-visit basic king-and-pawn vs queen studies so that under bullet pressure you can rely on pattern memory.
3. Opening tune-ups
| Line | Current approach | Quick suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Modern / Pirc as White | Early storm with f3–e5–e6 | Add a calmer option (e.g. 4.Nf3 & 5.Be2) for rapid time-controls so you can play faster. |
| Sicilian Kan as Black | …e6/…a6/…Nc6 set-up | Memorise one anti-Kan tabiya (6.Be3 & 7.f4) so you don’t burn time finding plans OTB. |
| Queen’s Gambit Declined | Classical …c5 break | In blitz consider the simpler “Triangle” with …c6 & …dxc4 to cut calculations. |
4. Training plan (next 4 weeks)
- Tactics. 20 puzzles/day focusing on zwischenzugs and back-rank motifs (your last two defeats featured both). Zwischenzug
- Endgame refresh. Two sessions/week on rook vs pawns and queen vs pawns (Karsten Müller’s material or any trusted source).
- Clock discipline. Play three 5 | 3 games every day with the rule “move in <12 s until move 15”. Review the game only after it finishes.
- Performance tracking. Check your progress every Sunday.
5. Motivational snapshot
Your tactical sharpness and fighting spirit already place you among the very strongest players of your age group. By smoothing out the few rough edges above you’ll find yourself pushing toward the next rating bracket and deeper tournament runs.
Keep attacking & enjoy the journey!