Coach Chesswick
Hi SoyLatte17! 👋
You are a dynamic 1700–2000-level player whose games are rarely boring. You show a clear willingness to seize the initiative and steer the position into sharp, tactical waters. Below is a balanced review of your recent play, followed by an actionable study plan. (Numbers are drawn from your last 15 rapid/blitz games.)
1. What you already do well
- Piece activity & tactical alertness. In wins against j-tobler and BetweenBlunders you out-calculated your opponents, using …Bb4+, …f6, …h5 motifs to open lines and pile up on f- and g-files.
- Handling open Sicilian structures as Black. The victories in the Modern-Defence and Indian-Game demonstrate that you know when to strike in the centre with …d5 and how to relocate knights to c4/e4 for pressure.
- Finishing ability. When you’re ahead you convert efficiently—four of your last six wins ended in checkmate or resignation before move 32.
- Healthy game volume & consistency. Your activity chart shows few big gaps: . Consistent play accelerates improvement.
2. Main improvement themes
- Over-ambitious pawn storms as White. In two recent losses (vs ezxcvsm & Teminatorm) early g4/h4 pushes weakened f3/e4 squares and invited decisive counter-tactics (10…Nxg4!). Try delaying flank pawns until your centre is secure.
- Blunder filtering. Both losses above hinged on overlooking one-move tactics. Your puzzle-rating trend (if similar to game trend) suggests calculation depth can improve. Adopt a “scan for checks, captures, threats” routine before every move.
- Endgame & rook-handling. Versus northw00d you reached an equal rook ending but failed to activate the king and resigned a few moves later. More endgame study will convert these half-points.
- Clock management. The time-forfeit vs samiromerbegovic and multiple sub-20-second scrambles hint that you spend too long in the opening. Aim to keep >50% of your initial time until move 15.
3. Targeted training plan (4-week block)
- Daily tactics (15 min). Two sets: one “untimed accuracy” (calculate until 100% sure) and one “speed” set (Puzzle Rush / Storm) to simulate practical pressure.
- Endgame essentials (2 hrs per week).
- King + rook vs king + rook: active king rule, cutting-off technique, Lucena & Philidor.
- Pawn endings: opposition & “square” concept.
- Opening hygiene.
- Add a solid Italian branch (e.g. d3/0-0-0 plans or the Giuoco Pianissimo) to complement your sharp lines.
- With Black, pick one anti-Sicilian you struggle against and analyse 5 master games; update your notes.
- Post-mortem routine. After every session, pick one win & one loss; spend 10 min identifying the first moment Stockfish shows ±1.5 and write why the evaluation changed.
- Blitz discipline drill (3 games, 5 + 2). Force yourself to move within 20 seconds for the first 12 moves; focus on safe development & 0 blunders rather than fancy lines.
4. Milestones to track
- Reduce average centipawn loss by 4 points over the next 30 games.
- Reach 2052 (2023-07-18) + 50 by month-end.
- No time losses in the next 20 games.
5. Stay motivated!
Improvement isn’t linear—celebrate small gains and use losses as data. You’ve already built a versatile repertoire and a fighting style; refine the calculation discipline and endgame technique to unlock the next rating band.
Good luck, and see you on the leaderboard!
Optional stats for later review: