Coach Chesswick
Hi Iniyan, here’s a focused review of your recent Blitz games
🌟 What you’re already doing well
- Opening versatility. You comfortably steer the game from 1.e4, 1.d4 and 1.c4, and as Black you vary between the French, Indian and off-beat systems. This keeps opponents guessing and shows solid theoretical knowledge.
- Dynamic piece play. Your win against Krzysztof Jakubowski features the energetic 6.Bxb5!? followed by 9.exf6 and 10.Qxd5, showing a good feel for initiative even when material is imbalanced.
- Good practical speed. In several wins you maintained a 15–25 second clock edge, forcing opponents to flag or blunder in tense positions.
🔍 Growth edges
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Guard against one-move oversights in equal or better positions.
In the loss to Faustino Oro you were structurally fine until 34…Qxf3 (see mini-diagram below). A five-second “blunder check” would have revealed the hanging queen. Similar lapses occurred in the games vs Meri-Arabidze (move-31 …Nxc6 tactics) and Bryantman2014 (critical dark-square forks).
[[Pgn| 30.Nf3 Kh7 31.Kg1 Ng4 32.Bd2 f5 33.Qd1 Ngf6 34.Qe1 Qxf3 0-1 ]] -
Endgame conversion & defensive technique.
You sometimes let technically winning positions drift (e.g. rook + two pawns vs Julius Ohler, ultimately lost on move 77). Strengthen technique in:- Rook endings with h– and a–-pawns on opposite wings.
- Blocked minor-piece endgames where zugzwang and the concept of prophylaxis decide.
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Consistency in opening choice.
Frequent switching is fine in Blitz, but consider anchoring one main line each with White and Black so that more training time can go to middlegame themes instead of memorising move-orders every week. -
Clock management under pressure.
In several defeats you burned 20+ seconds calculating forcing lines only to miss a simpler continuation. Practise the “two-candidate-move” routine: if you don’t see a clear win in 5 seconds, make the safest good move and keep the initiative (<3 + 1 Blitz rewards this).
💡 Quick wins for your next training block
- Play 20 puzzles/day that emphasise single-move tactics (mate-in-1/2, forks, skewers). Your strategic sense is strong; sharpening “tactical eyesight” will cut those sudden collapses by half.
- Analyse one instructive rook ending every evening. Try the classics of Capablanca & Smyslov—only 10 minutes each but repeat the main line without the board afterward.
- Adopt a pre-move checklist: “What are all undefended pieces? What are opponent’s forcing checks?” This embeds zwischenzug awareness into your Blitz routine.
- Schedule at least two slow (15 | 10) games per week. They expose the same weaknesses but give you time to consciously apply the checklist.
📊 Progress trackers
2989 (2024-10-05)📝 Suggested study order (4-week micro-plan)
- Week 1: Tactics sprint + basic rook endings.
- Week 2: Deep dive into your main White opening; build one crisp repertoire file.
- Week 3: Defensive technique drills (opponent has passer / exchange down).
- Week 4: Thematic Blitz sets: play 20 games starting from critical middlegame positions you misplayed.
🚀 Final encouragement
Your ability to generate initiative against strong opposition (2700+) is a real asset. By tightening the “last 10 seconds” discipline and polishing endgame conversion you’re on track to push beyond your current peak. Keep the games coming — looking forward to seeing 2989 (2024-10-05) rise again soon!Good luck, and enjoy the grind!
—Coach