Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice steady progress — your rating trend is positive and your strength‑adjusted win rate (~0.69) is healthy. The recent rapid loss (Pirc/Modern structure) ended in a rook+pawn/king endgame where an outside passed pawn decided things. I reviewed the game below so you can replay and follow the key moments.
Replay the full game:
What you did well (repeatable strengths)
- You keep an active king in the endgame — that often wins games and you used it well trying to stop advancing pawns.
- Good opening repertoire variety. Your Najdorf and Moscow lines are particularly strong — stick with what works. (Sicilian Defense: Najdorf Variation)
- When the position got tactical you looked for trades and simplifications — simplifying into endgames is a solid practical choice when ahead or equal.
- Time management looks stable; you weren’t bullet‑rushed and kept enough time to think in critical moments.
Recurring issues and concrete fixes
Across the recent losses the same themes show up: letting an opponent create a fast outside passed pawn, and simplifying into a rook+pawn ending without a clear plan to stop promotion.
- Issue: Outside passed pawn promotion (h‑pawn in the recent game).
- Fix: If your opponent creates an outside passer, prioritize stopping the pawn or creating counterplay on the other side immediately (active rook on the 7th/8th, king blockade, or a passed pawn of your own).
- Practical drill: practice king vs pawn races and rook vs pawn endgames (Lucena / Philidor positions).
- Issue: Trade choices that favour the opponent's pawn structure.
- Fix: Before exchanging, ask: “After trades, who gets the better king activity and who gets the passed pawn?” If opponent’s passed pawn will decide the game, avoid trades that eliminate your best defensive piece.
- Issue: Passive rook placement after simplification.
- Fix: In rook endgames aim to place rooks behind passed pawns or on open files and keep them active. If you simplify, have an endgame plan (blockade, cut off the king, or create passed pawn).
Tactical and calculation advice
- Double‑check pawn pushes that will open files near your king. In the loss you allowed a pawn chain advance (…f‑pawn and then h‑pawn) to become decisive — calculate one extra move on pawn storms.
- When you see the opponent’s king marching to central/square control, calculate king routes and pawn promotions first — they are often decisive in endgames.
- Work on 2–4 move concrete calculation: practice puzzles with mate nets and pawn races; aim for accuracy rather than speed.
Opening & middlegame plan suggestions
- Against the Pirc/Modern (Pirc Defense), prepare a plan for when Black plays …f5 early — often you should aim for a pawn break in the center (c2–c3 then d4 or e4–e5 at the right time) and avoid premature simplifications.
- If you choose Bxh6 type trades, make sure you have concrete follow‑up to neutralize the active g‑pawn — otherwise you give the opponent half a file or targets.
- Keep practicing your favorite openings (you have very good results with several Sicilian lines). Focus on the typical pawn structures and plans rather than memorizing long move orders.
Endgame training plan (next 2–4 weeks)
- Daily: 15 minutes tactics (puzzles focusing on pawn races and rook tactics).
- 3× per week: 20–30 minutes of targeted endgame study — Lucena, Philidor, king and pawn vs king, and simple rook endgames.
- Weekly: Review one lost game fully — annotate your thought process move by move (what you planned, what you missed).
- Goal: Stop 1 outside‑passed pawn promotion out of 3 practice endgame drills within 2 weeks.
Practical tips for your next rapid games
- Before trading into a pure pawn/rook ending, pause and imagine the pawn structure 6 moves ahead — if opponent will have a running pawn, avoid the trade or create counterplay first.
- Use rooks actively: behind passed pawns or cutting the king off. Passive rooks lose races.
- When opponent offers simplification, ask if you can stop their outside passer — if not, decline or complicate tactically.
- Keep building your opening strengths (Najdorf / Moscow are working) and add one reliable endgame concept every week.
Next steps & resources (placeholders)
- Review this opponent's profile and tendencies: jcrispal0854
- Study the Pirc pawn structures: Pirc Defense
- Endgame reading/video: search for tutorials on Rook Endgame and Lucena/Philidor positions.
- When you finish a game, save the critical position and replay it with a slower clock to find practical defensive resources.
If you want, I can: (a) annotate the critical 10–15 move sequence from the loss with ideas to try instead, or (b) generate a 2‑week training schedule tailored to the openings you play. Which do you prefer?