Ava Suleimanova WGM

Coach’s Notes for Ava Suleimanova

What you are already doing well

• Active, initiative-oriented play. In many of your wins (e.g. the Caro-Kann game against Hcar400) you create constant threats and keep your opponent on the defensive from move 6–7 onward.
• Opening knowledge in mainlines. Your Sicilian Kalashnikov/Löwenthal and Caro-Kann Classical choices show sound preparation and give you positions you clearly understand.
• Tactical alertness when attacking. In several victories you converted material advantages cleanly once the opponent’s king was exposed (see 23.Bxf8! against Hcar400).

Recurring issues that cost you points

1. Premature pawn storms without enough pieces behind them.
   • In the loss to Sabmegabri351 you pushed …b5 and …c4 before finishing development; the dark squares collapsed after 20.Nxf5.
   • Versus attm (Benko declined) the early …b5/c5 left your queenside weak and you never regained the pawn.
   Guideline: try to have two more pieces developed than pawns advanced on the flank you attack.
2. Over-reliance on tactical swindles in inferior positions.
   Several resignations came after “hope chess” moves such as 26…Rc2!? (vs Sabmegabri351) or 24…Qa5?! (vs Wynnminnhtun). When the swindle fails the position is simply lost.
   Upgrade: practice calm defensive techniques—exchange pieces, reinforce weak squares, and accept that consolidation is sometimes the best chance.
3. End-game technique with rook & pawn endings.
   The game against Vndrps reached a drawable R+P vs R+minor piece ending, yet inaccurate king activity allowed a resignation on move 57. Focus on the “active king & rook behind passed pawn” rule.
4. Time allocation.
   Although 180 + 2 gives a buffer, many critical decisions were played in <10 seconds (e.g. 27…Nd7? vs attm). Quick tactics are fine when forced, but strategic choices deserve a little reserve time.

Targeted improvement plan

Illustrative moment

The critical sequence 19…exf5?–26.Nh6+ from your loss to Sabmegabri351 shows how neglected development and loose squares combine:

Positive trend & motivation

Your peak rapid rating so far: 2384 (2021-02-17). Use the small setbacks above as springboards—the quality of your wins already matches 2200 strength, so eliminating the specific leaks will raise your floor.

Progress tracker

Keep an eye on when you play best:

Hourly win rate:

Next steps

• Send me two annotated games (one win, one loss) focusing on moments where a quieter move would have held the position.
• Revisit the concept of the principle of two weaknesses—several opponents exploited a single weak square because there was no second target to distract them.
• Book recommendation: “Strategic Chess Exercises” for balanced decision-making.

Stay curious and keep the pieces coordinated—looking forward to your next milestone!