Souhardo Basak IM

Quick summary

Nice string of wins — your games show good tactical awareness, clean conversion and strong practical play in short time-controls. Below I highlight what you did well, where you can improve, and a short practice plan so you keep the momentum.

What you did well

• Active piece play — you consistently bring rooks and queens into the game quickly and force weaknesses (example: you traded into a winning rook ending and picked off material decisively).
• Tactical alertness — you spotted/executed clean tactical shots that won material (exchange wins and captures that finished the game).
• Practical pressure in bullet — you push opponents into time trouble and convert under clock pressure, which is a valuable bullet skill.
• Opening variety — you handle a range of openings (Reti-style systems, English, Caro–Kann, QGD) and turn middlegame chances into wins instead of letting them fizzle.

Where to improve (highest ROI)

• Watch for “hanging” and loose pieces before moves. In bullet it's easy to play fast and leave a piece vulnerable — a quick scan for undefended pieces saves games. (Think: two-second safety check.)
• Back-rank and king safety — several wins came from infiltration; making sure your own back rank is safe will prevent counter-swindles in faster time controls.
• Calculation depth on forcing lines — when a sequence involves multiple captures or exchanges, try to visualize one move deeper so you don’t miss intermezzos or defensive resources.
• Endgame technique drills — you convert well but polishing basic rook and king+pawn endgames will increase your conversion rate in long technical wins.

Concrete examples from your recent win

Here’s the game where you converted a tactical advantage into an immediate win. Review the sequence where you traded into the c8-file and finished the win — look for the moment you created the decisive exchange opportunity.

Opponent: Jackson Mendoza • Opening: Reti Opening

Replay the key moves:

[[Pgn|Nf3|e6|e3|d5|Be2|Nf6|O-O|c5|b3|Nc6|Bb2|Bd6|d4|Qe7|dxc5|Bxc5|Nbd2|Ba3|Bxa3|Qxa3|Qc1|Qd6|c4|O-O|Rd1|Qe7|cxd5|Nxd5|Ne4|Bd7|Qb2|Rac8|Rac1|a6|Nc5|Be8|Nd3|b5|e4|Ndb4|Nxb4|Nxb4|Rxc8|fen|2R1brk1/4qppp/p3p3/1p6/1n2P3/1P3N2/PQ2BPPP/3R2K1|orientation|white|autoplay|false]

Short training plan (one week)

• Daily (15–20 min): Tactics puzzles focused on forks, skewers, pins and exchange-winning combinations. Prioritize speed and pattern recognition.
• 3 sessions: 10 short rook endgame drills (basic Lucena/Lasker ideas). Practice winning with an extra pawn and saving a drawn rook vs pawn setup.
• 2 sessions: Play 10 bullet games but force yourself to take one two-second safety scan before each move — reduces LPDO / hanging pieces.
• 1 analysis session: Pick one lost/drawn game (or a close win) and annotate 5 critical positions asking “what else did I miss?” — this builds calculation depth.

Pre-game checklist (use in bullet)

• Are any of my pieces undefended? (2-second scan)
• Is my back-rank secure? If not, create luft or trade a rook to avoid back-rank tactics.
• If I see a material shot, is there an immediate refutation (between the lines)? Check forcing replies.
• If down on the clock, prioritize safe, solid moves — avoid speculative sacrifices unless you see concrete proof.

Next steps — drills & resources

• Tactics: Focus on 3–5 puzzle motifs daily (forks, pins, skewers). Increase speed weekly.
• Endgames: Short Lucena study + 10 practical rook endgames against a training partner or engine trainer.
• Openings: Polish your go-to Reti/English lines — make one safe, reliable setup you can play quickly in bullet. (See: Reti Opening)
• Practical play: Try a session where you never premove unless a capture is obviously safe. This will reduce mouse slips and LPDO losses.

Motivation & closing

Your practical skills and tactical eye are paying off — keep sharpening the small habits (quick safety scan, back-rank awareness, endgame drills) and you’ll turn more winning positions into clean wins. If you want, I can make a customized tactics set or a 2-week training schedule next.

Want a short drill pack now? Reply “Drill pack” and I’ll send 10 tactical puzzles + 5 rook endgame tasks tailored for bullet practice.