Coach Chesswick
Hi Susan Mammadova!
Congratulations on consistently playing opponents in the 1900–2100 range. Your dynamic style and willingness to fight for the initiative are evident in many of your victories. Below is a quick snapshot of your progress:
- Peak blitz rating: 2136 (2020-05-27)
- Typical activity:
What you already do well
- Active, principled openings. Whether the Scotch Gambit or your pet ...e6 Sicilian lines, you usually develop quickly and place pieces on sound squares.
- Tactical eye. The exchange-sac 25. Rxf6+ in your recent loss would have refuted an uncastled king had you been the attacker—your own wins show you can spot ideas like that when roles are reversed.
- Conversion technique when ahead. In wins such as Susan64 – Chesscrafted08 you shepherded a passed
b-pawn from middlegame to mate without letting counter-play arise.
Main themes to address next
| Theme | Symptoms | Training ideas |
|---|---|---|
| Time management | 5 of your last 10 decisive games were lost on the clock (e.g., vs archo50). | Adopt a chunk system: spend ≤60 s for the first 15 moves, ≤30 s for the next 10, keep ≥30 s plus increment for the endgame. Blitz out forced recaptures. |
| King safety after …e6 Sicilian | Both recent losses came from queenside rook lifts by White while your king sat on e7/e8. | Analyse the critical line 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.c3 d5 with an engine; decide if you prefer the safer …Nf6 & short castle plan.Play 20 training games starting from move 7 of the Alapin. |
| Endgame decision-making | In the archo50 game you accepted structural weaknesses (…a3) instead of targeting White’s weak b-pawn. |
Solve 20 pawn-ending studies; review 100 Endgames You Must Know chapters on rook + 4 v 4. |
| Handling + tactics (zwischenzug) | Missed 25.Rxf6+ idea earlier in the same loss; similar misses in 2023 vs ilmars. | Daily puzzle-rush (3 min) + annotate each missed motif; tag them by theme so patterns stick. |
Illustrative moment
Compare the critical fork you missed in the last loss with a similar fork you spotted in a win. Awareness of intermediate moves will save points:
Show both fragments (flip through → key idea)
[[Pgn| [FEN "8/5k2/R5p1/4pp2/5PP1/3K4/8/8 w - - 0 45"] 45.fxg5?! e4+ 46.Ke3 ... ]] vs. [[Pgn| [FEN "3r2k1/5ppp/pp6/3PpP2/3b3P/P4RP1/1Pr1B3/3N3K b - - 0 23"] 23...d5! 24.exd5 Bxd5 25.cxd5 Qxc2 ... ]]12-week action plan
- Week 1–2: Deep dive into the Alapin with a training partner; play sparring games starting from move 5.
- Week 3–5: Endgame boot-camp: rook-and-pawn endings on Lichess studies & Chess.com drills (no engines until after self-analysis).
- Week 6–8: Daily 25-minute tactics block; track accuracy. Aim for >80% in motifs you flagged.
- Week 9–10: Switch to a rapid tournament (15 + 10) to test new time routines.
- Week 11–12: Review 30 personal games (wins and losses); annotate three improvements each. Share with a coach or friend for feedback.
Keep the joy!
Your attacking flair is a real asset—just anchor it with rock-solid time control and endgame confidence. One disciplined season and 2100+ will feel comfortable. Good luck, and enjoy the journey!