Isak Storme IM

Hi Isak (Stormeman100100)!

You’re doing a lot of things right to keep a ~2550 blitz rating, yet there are still clear, practical areas where a few targeted tweaks will give you extra half-points. Below is a summary of what I see in your recent games, followed by concrete training ideas.

1. Opening trends

• White vs …dxc4 lines of the Queen’s Gambit Accepted
  Your win against bispodaavareza (31 May) was model: fast development, central space, and a direct kingside expansion. 18.Qd3! held everything together and the e6 pawn became a permanent thorn.
  Critical sequence:
  
  
• French Wing Gambit & Misc. Gambits
  You like early pawn sacrifices (b4 in the French, f-pawns in many Pirc/King’s Indian set-ups). They give you initiative, but in blitz your opponents sometimes ride out the storm and you’re left with structural holes. Have a “go / no-go” checklist before pushing wing pawns:
  1. Can I actually recover the pawn if the attack dies?
  2. Does my king have at least two defenders behind the advanced pawn?
  3. Is the minor-piece count equal? (Down a pawn and a piece trade usually means long-term pain.)
• Early queen trades (Pirc loss vs. salimskyi)
  After 4.Qxd8+ you voluntarily entered a long queenless struggle. Without queens you lost the dynamic chances you normally rely on, then drifted into an inferior bishop-vs-knight ending. Tip: If you do exchange queens early, immediately switch mind-set to structure & king activity instead of searching for tactics.

2. Middlegame themes

• Over-extension of king-side pawns
  In several wins you used g4/h4 to kick knights, but in losses (e.g. 7 Jan vs. yarranolu1) those same pawns were frozen and became targets. Solution: when you push a wing pawn, pair it with a piece lift (Qg4, Rh3, or a knight hop) so the pawn is supported by something tactical, not just hope.
• Conversion technique when up material
  You sometimes keep searching for flashy mates instead of consolidating. The 6 Jan win vs. Masterr_Yi shows excellent technique—doubling rooks, probing, and only then cashing. Aim to repeat that “rope-a-dope” patience in every winning position.
• Recognising critical moments
  Use the “Stop-Think-Calculate” trigger whenever:
    • All the heavy pieces point at the same file
    • An obvious recapture exists (maybe there’s a zwischenzug instead)
    • You’re about to push a pawn in front of your own king

3. Endgame pointers

• King activity – In the Salimskyi game you entered the rook-and-minor-piece ending with your king stuck on e3 while your opponent’s king ate pawns on d3/f3. Make “king to the centre by move 30” a default rule when queens are off.
• Technical drill – Two of your recent losses (Yarranolu1, Ionutdd123) came from rook-and-pawn endings that were objectively drawable. Spend 15 min/day on Chess.com’s “Blitz Endgame Simulator” for rook vs. rook + pawns.

4. Time management

You often enter moves 25-35 with <15 s while opponents have 30-40 s. Even if you calculate more accurately, the flag risk is real. Strategy:

• Use your opening repertoire to gain time. Memorise 8-10 moves in your main lines so you can blitz them out and build a cushion.
• Adopt a “no deep think” rule before move 15 unless the position is completely off-book.

5. Quick metrics

Peak Blitz: 2658 (2019-12-24)
Momentum charts:

6. Action plan for the next two weeks

1. Analyse 10 of your own queenless games; write one sentence on the optimal king path in each.
2. Play 20 unrated blitz games where you forbid yourself from pushing a wing pawn (a-, h-, or b-file) before move 15. Feel the difference.
3. Solve 50 endgame studies focused on rook-vs-rook within 3 minutes each.
4. Update your QGA notebook with concrete variations vs. 6…Be7 (your most common reply).

Keep combining your tactical flair with a touch more restraint and you’ll break the 2600 blitz barrier soon. Happy hunting!