Sepehr Sakhawaty

Quick summary

Nice recent run — your rating trend is positive and your strength-adjusted win rate is ~51.5%. You show a strong feel for sharp blitz themes (opposite-side castling attacks, fast mates) and you get practical results from aggressive openings like the Nimzo-Larsen Attack and Scandinavian Defense. Below are concrete things to keep and things to improve, plus a short weekly practice plan.

What you're doing well

• Calculating forcing sequences quickly — you convert tactical opportunities decisively (example: the tiny game where White Qh5-Qxf7# — you take advantage of opponents' early mistakes).
• Choosing sharp, practical openings that create chances in blitz (good win rates with Nimzo-Larsen Attack and Scandinavian Defense).
• Attacking instinct in opposite-side castling games — you push pawns and bring rooks/queens to the enemy king swiftly (see the h-pawn storm and final Rh1# sequence in your latest win).
• Resilience — many wins come from practical pressure and playing for the win rather than passive draws.

Key areas to improve (and how)

• Time management / flag risk
  • Problem: a recent loss / some wins were decided by clock — you sometimes get into long endgames with too little time.
  • Fix: practice with increment (5+3 or 3+2) and force yourself to keep 10–15s buffer in complex positions. Train the habit: spend longer on critical decisions early, and switch to “one-look” moves for routine recaptures or simple developing moves.
• Tactical consistency
  • Problem: you find tactics but occasional missed tactics cost games (especially when under time pressure).
  • Fix: 15–25 minutes daily of mixed-tactic puzzles; focus on pattern repetition (pins, forks, double attacks, back-rank). Do sets of 20 puzzles with an accuracy target (e.g., 90%).
• Endgame technique
  • Problem: long technical endgames and pawn races surface in your play — converting and defending under time pressure needs polish.
  • Fix: drills: king & pawn vs king basics, Lucena and basic rook endgames, and simple queen vs rook checkmate knowledge. Spend 3–4 sessions a week (10–15 min) on these.
• Opening refinement (targeted)
  • Keep and deepen the lines that work (Nimzo-Larsen, Scandinavian). You have good stats there — add 1–2 key theoretical moves and common tactical motifs to memory.
  • Avoid or rework low-performing lines (e.g., Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation shows a low win rate). Either cut them from blitz repertoire or learn the critical reply ideas so you don't get surprised.

Short notes on the most recent games

• Win (vs sojojoafg — Scandinavian-style game)

  Good exploitation of opposite-side castling: you castled opposite, launched the h‑pawn and used piece activity to open lines. The finishing sequence (rook to h1 mate) is a classic blitz theme: advance pawns, open a file, and coordinate heavy pieces. Repeat this theme in training: practice attacking a castled king when files open on the flank.

  Replay (key moves):

• Quick win (as White — scholar-style)

  You converted an opponent's early mistake (queen-side negligence) with precise tactics — good eye for fast wins. Be cautious: quick mates are great, but check for opponent traps when you grab material early.

• Loss on time in a long game

  Takeaway: you handled a complicated middlegame but the clock ran out. When the position becomes a long technical grind, simplify or start playing faster practical moves to avoid flagging.

Practical weekly blitz training plan (2–4 hours/week)

• Daily 15–25 min tactics (mixed motifs). Use timed sets and track accuracy.
• 2× per week: 30–40 min focused opening study — pick one main line (e.g., a specific Scandinavian reply or a Nimzo-Larsen plan) and learn 5 typical middlegame plans.
• 2× per week: 15 min endgame drills (rook + pawn, king + pawn races, basic mate patterns).
• 2× per week: 30–60 min rapid games (10+0 or 15+10), then 10–15 min review of mistakes — slower games improve calculation depth.
• After each blitz session: 10 minutes review — at least one critical mistake and one critical success to learn from.

Quick pre-move checklist (use in blitz)

• Any immediate captures or checks for both sides?
• Does my move leave a piece hanging or allow a tactic?
• Am I walking into a fork/pin/skewer?
• If the position is complex and my time is low, can I simplify safely?

Small adjustments that give big returns

• When you see opposite-side castling, prioritize pawn storms and piece activity over material grabs.
• Before each move under 10s, do a 3-second tactical scan (checks, captures, threats).
• Keep a short, well-practiced repertoire for blitz — less theory, more typical plans.
• Learn two clean endgame wins (rook+king vs king and king+pawn ladders) — these save many flagged or time-trouble games.

Follow up

If you'd like, I can:

• Make a 4-week personalized training schedule.
• Annotate one of the recent games move-by-move with a focus on decision points (pick which one: the Scandinavian win, the long loss on time, or the quick mate).
• Create a short tactics set tailored to the motifs you miss most.

Tell me which option you'd prefer or paste a game link and I’ll annotate it.

References / quick links

• Opponent pages: sojojoafg, kakashi16432, qaderi7
• Openings to review: Nimzo-Larsen Attack, Scandinavian Defense, consider avoiding Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation in blitz until you study it more.