Coach Chesswick
Quick summary — recent games & pattern
Nice progress overall: your rating has climbed strongly in the last 6 months (+111) and your long‑term slope is positive. You're converting advantages and creating passed pawns well. That said, a few recurring themes cost you games: tactical oversights around the king, occasional unsafe queen excursions, and time pressure in the middlegame/endgame.
What you’re doing well
- Turning small advantages into wins — you convert passed pawns and active pieces (see your win where you pressured the kingside and later won on time vs ayushdubey7).
- Good endgame instincts — many wins come from precise endgame play and promotion threats (your game vs hrkian shows excellent passed‑pawn technique).
- Opening variety that scores — you have clear strengths in lines like the Amazon Attack and French Defense (high win rates there).
- Tactical vision in calm positions — you find forks, captures and king hunts when the position is open and you have time to calculate.
Main weaknesses to fix (concrete)
- King safety & queen excursions: in your most recent loss you grabbed material on the kingside but overlooked a mate threat that arrived after ...f5 and Qd2. Before grabbing pawns near the enemy king, scan for checks and interferences (king flight squares, opponent queen checks, and discovered attacks).
- Tactical checks and mating motifs: back‑rank and queen checks are recurring dangers. Habit: before each queen move, ask “Does opponent have forcing checks or forks next move?”
- Time management: multiple games show very low increment time later in the game. You won one game on time — don’t rely on flagging. Try to keep at least 1–2 minutes heading into complex middlegames.
- Opening focus vs surprise lines: the early queen moves from opponents (for example Qf6/Qb6 patterns) created immediate tactical shots. If you face early queen sorties, follow basic rules — don’t chase the queen unnecessarily and prioritize development.
Concrete, short training plan (next 2 weeks)
- Daily (15–25 min): 10 tactical puzzles with emphasis on mating nets, pins and forks. Quality over speed — solve and check the motive.
- 3× per week (20 min): Endgame drills — king + pawn vs king basics, Lucena / Philidor ideas, basic rook endgames (these convert many of your advantages).
- Opening work (3× per week, 15 min): pick 2 openings you play most and learn the typical plans (not only moves). For example, reinforce ideas in the French Defense and the lines where you play early center pawns. Focus on typical pawn breaks and where the queenside/ kingside pieces belong.
- 1 slow game per week (15|10 or 30|10 if possible): Play slower so you can practice not flagging and calculating tactics. Review it without engine first, then with engine for concrete blunders.
- Post‑mortem routine: after each loss, write down why you lost in 3 bullets (tactical miss / opening problem / time trouble) before checking engine. That trains self‑awareness.
Game‑specific notes & example
Here’s the win vs ayushdubey7 — replay the final phase to see how you pressured the kingside, created a passed pawn and forced the resignation/flagging. Use this to practice converting advantages without rushing.
Opening adjustments (practical)
- Stop memorizing long lines only — learn the typical pawn breaks, common piece squares, and the opponent’s tactical shots. For example, if you play against early queen moves like Qf6/Qb6, practice the thematic reply moves and how to neutralize queen checks.
- Work on lines where your win rate is low: Elephant Gambit and Petrov's Defense — look for the critical tactical traps and typical equalizing ideas so you aren’t surprised.
- Keep using the openings where you’re strong (your Amazon Attack and French Defense results are excellent). Expand those ideas and add one new variation per month.
Practical checklist for your next 10 games
- Before each move: 1) check for checks 2) check for captures 3) check for threats — especially before moving the queen near the enemy king.
- If you have under 3 minutes, simplify: exchange pieces and avoid forcing complications unless winning by force.
- After each game: write 3 lessons (one tactical, one positional, one time/opening note).
- Once per week: review one loss in depth (self‑analysis first then engine) — include the loss to huy31110 as priority, since it shows a mating tactic you missed.
Encouragement & next milestone
Your strength‑adjusted win rate (~0.518) and steady rating growth show you’re improving the right way. Short term goal: keep the same study cadence and reduce tactical oversights — target +30 rating in the next month by focusing on tactics + one slow game per week. You’ve done big jumps before; keep that focus and the gains will continue.
If you want, I can…
- Analyze a specific loss move‑by‑move (pick one game) and give line suggestions.
- Build a 4‑week training plan customized to the openings you want to keep playing.
- Give a short tactics set tailored to the kinds of mates/checks you miss most.