speedofsound7 WFM

Hi speedofsound7!

You’ve been playing very dynamic chess recently and hovering around the 2100-2200 rapid range. Below is a focused review of your current strengths and some concrete action-items that should give you the quickest rating gains.

What you already do well

• Tactical alertness. In the win versus george_berkeley you uncorked 16.Bxf6! followed by 18.Bxf8, turning an uneasy position into a technical win. Your eye for intermediate moves is a real asset.
• Harmonious London setups. The d4-Bf4-e3-c3 structure you favour gives you sound piece play; you consistently complete development and centralise rooks.
• Fighting spirit. Several victories (e.g. against makr1) came after early inaccuracies. You keep the game complicated and pose practical problems.

Fastest places to improve

1. Black opening hygiene.
    In the loss to Hans Sanders you played 2…Bb4 and then 3…Bc5 in the English, losing a tempo and landing behind in development. Decide before the game whether you want the …Bb4 lines or the …Bc5 structures, not both. A clean alternative is 1…e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 or 3…Bb4.
2. Clock management.
    Both losses to huggyh and others came from flagging in playable positions. Try the 60-40 rule: keep ≥60 % of your time for the first 15 moves; spend the remaining 40 % thereafter, adding increment only for forced lines.
3. Add a surprise weapon to your London.
    Opponents around 2200 know the “Accelerated London” well. Two low-maintenance extras:
    • The Torre Attack (d4-Nf3-Bg5) vs …d5/…e6.
    • The Jobava-London (d4-Nc3-Bf4) vs …g6 setups.
    This will keep prep fresh and give you more attacking chances.
4. Proactive pawn breaks.
    Even in winning games you sometimes postpone thematic breaks (c4, e4, or f4). Every 3-4 moves ask, “Which pawn break improves my worst piece?” and you’ll convert advantages faster.

Illustrative examples

Recent win

16.Bxf6!! exploited Black’s queen overload. Great calculation!

Recent loss

Lesson: avoid spending two tempi with the same bishop; instead play 3…Nf6 or 3…Ba5 and aim for …d5 in one shot.

Your numbers

Peak rapid so far: — let’s raise it!

Action plan for the next two weeks

• Play three training games as Black in the Reversed Sicilian, committing to one bishop development plan and reviewing each game for wasted tempi.
• Daily: solve 15 tactics at ≤3 minutes each to simulate time pressure.
• Annotate one London win, specifically marking the moment you first considered each pawn break. Review with an engine or coach.

Good luck and keep the pieces humming!
— Your Chess Coach 🤖