SteamrollerGambit

Hi SteamrollerGambit!

Great job playing so many games and experimenting with bold ideas. Below is personalised feedback based on your latest wins and losses.

What you already do well

• Tactical Eye: You spot forks and mating nets quickly, e.g. your decisive sequence in the Owens Defence win:
  
  
• King-hunting mentality: Even at low material you look for counter-play, as shown by your rook swing in the Petroff miniature.
• Opening variety: Owens (1…b6), Sicilian, Caro-Kann, Alekhine… this curiosity will pay off once the fundamentals are solid.

Quick wins that will lift your rating

1. Castle before you attack. In the loss vs oteweee you pushed g4 on move 10 while still uncastled and were mated on move 13.
   
   
2. Develop pieces, not the queen. Early queen trips (e.g. Qh5/Qf4/Qg3 within the first 5 moves) cost time and invite …g6 or …Nc6 with gain of tempo. Try a 10-move “no-queen” challenge during practice games.
3. Respect your g-pawn. Both recent losses (C55 & B12) started with premature g- and h-pawn pushes. If you feel the urge, ask “What happens if my opponent plays the most forcing reply?”
4. Watch the clock. Three of your last six losses were on time despite equal or winning positions. Aim to have ≥30 s left by move 20. If not, simplify or repeat moves for a quick draw.

Opening recommendations

Pick one main system each side so you can focus on middlegame plans instead of memorising many sidelines.

• As White: Italian Game with 4.c3 & 5.d3 keeps the centre solid and avoids the sharp Two-Knights lines that gave you trouble.
• As Black vs 1.e4: Stick with Scandinavian (1…d5) or Caro-Kann. Both lead to structures where careless pawn storms by either player are punished—great for learning strategy.

Middlegame focus

• Identify the worst-placed piece each move. In the Caro-Kann loss you left your a8-rook undeveloped until move 18; bringing it to c8 or d8 earlier would have prevented the passed a-pawn.
• Good vs Bad bishop. In the Petroff win your light-squared bishop dominated because all your pawns were on dark squares. Try to recreate that imbalance intentionally.

Endgame & technique

Your rook endgame vs murlikrish was winning but you flagged. Practise basic rook endgames (Lucena & Philidor) 10 minutes daily on a trainer to convert faster.

Progress tracking

Keep an eye on your performance trends:

Suggested weekly plan

• Mon-Wed: 15 minutes tactics + 1 slow (10|5) game focusing on castle-first rule.
• Thu: Review that game; annotate one critical position with “What were three candidate moves?”.
• Fri: Opening drill—play 5 blitz games using only Italian (White) and Scandinavian (Black).
• Weekend: Endgame study & play for fun.

Motivation corner

Your current peak is 640 (2020-11-15). Aim to beat it by 50 points in the next month—totally achievable if you implement just the first two quick wins above.

Feel free to message me about any position you find puzzling, or challenge Fernando Delgado again to test your improved Two-Knights defence!

Good luck and enjoy the grind!
—Your Chess Coach