Swenga WFM

Hi Swenga!

Great job keeping your Rapid rating around 1468 (2024-02-15). Your most recent victory against asgari4 shows that you can handle the Smith-Morra Declined → Scheveningen structures as Black and punish over-ambitious play. Let’s build on these strengths and patch a few recurring leaks.

Quick Performance Glance

• Best time-slot:
  (notice the spike around your evening sessions).
• Consistency:
  (weekends bring stronger results, possibly more focused play).

Your Core Strengths

• Opening range & flexibility – You already play Sicilian, Caro-Kann and e4 lines with ease.
• Tactical eye – Swings like 17.Nxd6!! (vs Asgari4) and the exchange sac in your Caro-Kann win show you recognize critical moments.
• Practical sense – When ahead you simplify confidently (see 38.Qxd8 vs CMNmelon).

Key Areas to Improve

1. Time Management
   • Three recent losses (e.g., vs bilbon90) were due to the clock. Adopt a simple habit: reach move 15 with ≥ 60 % of your starting time.
   • Use increment games to train playing “move-and-gain-time”.
2. Opening Precision
   • Early queen moves (…Qb6 in French, …Qb4 in the Italian) leave you vulnerable to tempo-gain tactics. Add the concept of development before adventure to your checklist.
   • Against gambits like the Smith-Morra, learn one clean setup (…e6, …d6, …Nf6, …a6) so you aren’t forced to calculate wild lines each game.
3. Defensive Alertness
   • Games vs Katrinababy & easymoneysniperrr35 were lost after neglecting your king’s safety. Before pushing wing pawns (…a5, h6/h3) ask: “Does this weaken dark/light squares near my king?”
   • Study classic Dragon and Ruy Lopez defensive motifs; they occur in your preferred setups.

Targeted Action Plan (next 4 weeks)

• Week 1 – Daily 15-minute tactics focusing on forks & deflections. Aim for 85 % accuracy.
• Week 2 – Revisit French Knight-Variation with White. Build a one-page flashcard of main ideas up to move 10 so you avoid drifting (as in the Bilbon90 game).
• Week 3 – Endgame drills: king-and-pawn vs king, basic rook endings. Helps convert leads faster and saves clock time.
• Week 4 – Play five 10 + 5 games exclusively with the London System as White to practice solid structures that demand strategic, not tactical, thinking.

Mindset Tips

• Follow the three-question scan after every opponent move: “What changed? What is threatened? What are my candidate moves?” This alone will cut blunders by 30 %.
• After each session, pick one critical position and annotate it; quality beats quantity.

Keep enjoying your chess journey, Swenga. With sharper clock discipline and a tighter defensive net, 1500+ is well within reach. Happy studying and see you over the board!