Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice run of blitz — you converted a complicated middlegame into a passed-pawn avalanche in your most recent win and showed good endgame technique. At the same time a few recurring habits (material grabs into tactics, time pressure decisions) cost you in losses. Below are concrete, prioritized steps to tighten your blitz play.
Game highlight (recent win)
Key idea: you castled long, pushed pawns on the kingside to open lines, created a connected passed pawn and converted it with calm promotion play. Good rook activity and king centralization in the final phase.
- Opponent: ordi-dianda4
- Opening: Nimzowitsch\u0027s Defense (ECO B00)
- Review the early middlegame with this replay (first 20 half-moves):
What you did well
- Creating and pushing connected passed pawns — you converted them patiently rather than rushing and blundering the passer.
- Active piece play: rooks and queen got onto useful files and ranks quickly in the endgame.
- King activity in the endgame — you used your king effectively to support pawn races.
- Using long castling to generate a pawn-storm plan and open lines against the enemy king.
Main mistakes & recurring leaks
- Material grabs into tactical shots: in one loss you won material but then allowed a decisive tactical response. Before grabbing material check for immediate counterplay (checks, captures, threats).
- Time pressure decisions: several games ended on time or with poor moves when the clock ran low. Your 1-month trend shows a small dip — keep the increment in mind.
- Back-rank / mating net awareness — a fast mate cost you one game after getting greedy in the attack. Always glance for your king’s safety when capturing in the opponent camp.
- Trading into passive endgames: when down on time or space you sometimes simplify into positions where your opponent’s play is easier. Don’t exchange if it makes your pieces passive or hands opponent easy targets.
Opening & middlegame recommendations
Use your opening results to guide what to study:
- Lean into openings with higher win rate for you (Philidor, Barnes variants, French Exchange, Barnes Opening: Walkerling). Drill typical plans and 3–4 move orders so you reach middlegames you know well.
- Avoid speculative captures in the opponent’s camp unless you’ve checked defensive resources. Run a quick “CCT” checklist for captures in blitz: Checks, Captures, Threats — in that order.
- For lower-performing lines (Sicilian Alapin, Scandinavian), either study a specific improvement or sidestep them in blitz. Know one reliable reply and the typical pawn breaks/responses.
- Practice one pawn-storm plan and one slow positional plan for both colours so you can choose depending on the opponent/position.
Sample opponent to review: ogopogon
Endgame & technique
- You convert pawn races well — keep practicing king + pawn vs king and basic rook endgames. Those fundamentals win or save many blitz games.
- Work on converting with the distant passed pawn while the opponent has counterplay — practice the timing of queening vs capturing counterplay.
- Drill opposition, key squares and basic rook-vs-pawn patterns (Lucena / Philidor ideas). Even 10 minutes a day helps a lot.
Blitz-specific time management tips
- Use the increment: in critical positions spend a few extra seconds to avoid tactical oversights. With 2-second increment don’t pre-move unless completely safe.
- If under 30 seconds and ahead materially, simplify carefully — exchange queens/major pieces if it reduces immediate tactical threats and you can convert.
- Keep a 3-move thinking rule: in each position ask the 3 most forcing opponent replies and one safe capture check before you move.
- When you're low on time, switch to low-variance moves: improve piece, create luft, or centralize the king — avoid long sacrificial combinations unless forced.
Concrete 4-week training plan
- Daily (15–25 minutes): 10–20 tactical puzzles focusing on forks, pins and back-rank mates.
- 3× per week (20–30 minutes): endgame practice — king and pawn, rook and pawn endgames; run 5 set positions and play them out vs engine at low depth.
- 2× per week (15–20 minutes): opening drill — pick 2 main lines you play and review model games + 5 typical tactical ideas.
- Weekly (45–60 minutes): one game review — pick one win and one loss and annotate key turning points (what was missed, why the plan worked/didn't). Focus on “why” not just “what”.
- Every session: finish with 10-minute blitz focusing on applying the day’s theme (tactics, endgames, or opening).
Short in-game checklist (use during blitz)
- Before any capture: CCT — Checks, Captures, Threats.
- Before moving the king or castling: count your opponent’s mating motifs and loose pieces.
- If ahead on the clock: avoid complex sacrificial lines unless you calculated them; steer to simplification.
- When behind on time: switch to safe, active moves — improve piece, centralize king, create a passed pawn.
Next steps — actionable now
- Today: Solve 15 tactics (pin/fork/back-rank) and review one loss — mark the one tactical oversight you missed.
- This week: Practice 5 rook-and-pawn endgames (10–15 minutes each session).
- Repertoire: Keep the openings you score well with, and prepare one anti-Sicilian line (or sidestep) for quick blitz comfort.
- Track progress: measure mistakes flagged by engine after each session and aim to reduce tactical blunders by 20% in 4 weeks.
Motivation & long-term view
Your recent 6-month change (+217) and overall strength-adjusted win rate (~50%) show you have a solid foundation. Short-term dips are normal in blitz; focus on reducing tactical blunders and improving time management and your rating will stabilize and climb again.
Optional follow-up
If you want, send one of these and I’ll prepare a targeted micro-report:
- A specific loss you want annotated (PGN or link) — I’ll mark 3 turning points.
- A 10-move window from any game where you felt unsure — I’ll show alternatives and a short plan.
- I can also create a 2-week blitz drill schedule tailored to your openings.
Opponents to review (quick links): alynebarrera1, vinhngwe