Coach Chesswick
Hi Edward, here is your personalized post-match review!
What you are already doing well
- Opening variety & confidence – You handle both 1.e4 and 1.d4 structures comfortably, mixing Sicilian-French set-ups as Black and Queen’s-Pawn systems as White. This keeps opponents guessing and shows good theoretical range.
- Tactical alertness – Your most recent victory over Egor Baskakov featured the alert 6…Nxe2 and follow-up piece activity that netted material before move 15. Similar strikes (e.g. 20…Ba2!! in a loss that still showed creativity) prove your eye for tactics is a strength.
- Pressure management with the initiative – When you seize the centre (…c5 breaks, early …f5 in QGD lines) opponents are pushed onto the back foot. Keep nurturing that dynamic style.
Main improvement priorities
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Clock discipline
Two recent games were lost on time from drawable or even winning positions. Adopt a “speed burst” habit: once under 45 s, play moves that keep options open rather than hunting perfection. Try 3-minute no-increment drills to sharpen this reflex. -
Converting extra material
In the marathon versus Alfonso Llorente Zaro you reached a pawn-up rook ending yet let counter-play creep in until time expired. Focus on:- Cutting off the enemy king before pawn grabbing.
- Using pawn majorities together; in several games you advanced flank pawns while the centre remained static.
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Handling early …f5 / …f4 structures
Both sides of your QGD/Nimzo-style positions saw pawn storms on the f-file. Versus stronger opposition you occasionally over-pressed (see moves 21…Rf5–30…h6 against Egor Baskakov). Review the theme “weak dark squares after …f5” and train prophylactic moves (h6/h3, Kh1/Kg8) before pushing f-pawns. -
Pawn-break timing in Slav/Carlsbad structures
In several losses you played the thematic c4-c5 break a tempo too late. Use the ‘three-question’ test before pushing: 1) Are all pieces participating? 2) What is opponent’s best reply? 3) Do I have a follow-up if the centre opens?
Opening snapshots
| Line | Score / Feeling | Next focus |
|---|---|---|
| Sicilian French (1.e4 c5 2…e6) | Great results: quick piece activity, +3 last week | Deepen knowledge of 6.Bg5 systems (Najdorf move-orders) |
| QGD with early …f5 | 50 % but high variance | Study games by Carlsen/Caruana on the Lasker Defence for smoother pawn formation |
| Slav: …dxc4 & …b5 lines | Needs work (two recent losses) | Revisit move 10 plans (…a6 vs …e6) to keep queenside compact |
Highlighted sequence to review
From your latest win (Black vs. stollenmonster):
After 15…exd4 you are two pawns up with all pieces developed – excellent! Compare your piece coordination here with positions in the losses to understand the difference good development makes.
Training plan (next 2 weeks)
- Daily: 15 minutes on endgame fundamentals (R+P vs R, B+N vs K, Lucena). Use an interactive drill or Lichess/practice tool.
- Every other day: 10 blitz games but annotate only one critical moment each. Purpose: internalize “why did I choose this move under time pressure?”
- Weekend: Play one 15+10 rapid, analyse without engine for 20 minutes, then compare with engine. Focus on pawn breaks assessment.
Motivation corner
Your current peak is 2836 (2024-10-30) – let’s aim to beat it by +50 in the next month. Consistent clock management and cleaner conversions alone can net that gain.
Performance at a glance
Explore your activity patterns:
Keep the energy high, enjoy the grind, and message me after your next set of games so we can measure progress. Good luck!