Collin Colbow IM

Overview

Nice run — you’ve been finishing games decisively and converting advantages quickly. Your recent wins show an eye for attacking patterns and good piece coordination that punishes loose kings and weak back ranks. Below I highlight concrete things to keep doing and a few focused improvements that will raise your rapid play further.

What you’re doing well

• Active piece play and simple plans — you mobilize quickly and bring pieces to useful squares instead of stalling in the opening.
• King-side attacking instincts — forcing pawn advances and queen lifts (for example the quick mate you scored) show good tactical awareness and willingness to go for the kill.
• Opening variety — you’re comfortable in a range of systems (fianchetto setups, Nimzo structures and sharp Sicilian lines), which makes you harder to prepare for.
• Strong conversion — once you get an edge you keep the pressure instead of trading down into passive positions.

Key mistakes and what to fix

• Occasional passive squares: in some games a piece ended up on the rim or idle while the opponent created counterplay. Ask each move: “Is this piece active?”
• Tactical oversights vs precise defense — you won by opponents missing tactics, but against stronger defenders the same aggressive plans can backfire. Slow down before forcing lines to verify there are no enemy forks, pins or back-rank tricks.
• Opening move-order clarity — with several different openings in your pool you sometimes transpose into slightly awkward versions of the same system. Decide the setups you want and learn 2–3 common opponent replies so you don’t lose time recalculating in the middlegame.

Concrete training plan (2 weeks)

• Daily tactics: 20–30 minutes of puzzles focused on mating patterns, forks and pins (back-rank motifs were decisive in your wins).
• One opening per 2–3 days: pick an opening you like and drill the main responses — learn one typical plan and one typical tactical idea. Start with the systems you used most recently: King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Nimzo-Indian Defense and the Accelerated Dragon.
• Review 2 recent wins: do a slow post-mortem and look for alternatives for both sides. Replay key forcing lines and ask “what if?” for opponent replies.
• Play 4–6 rapid games under the same time control and practice the new opening lines. After each game, annotate the critical 5–10 moves (why you chose each one).

Practical middlegame checks (quick checklist)

• Are my pieces coordinating towards the same target (king, weak square, passed pawn)?
• Does my opponent have a tactical trick if I open the position (fork, pin, skewer, back rank)?
• Which pawn breaks open lines for my heavy pieces — is it safe to execute now?
• If I trade a piece, who benefits more — do I improve my worst-placed piece?

Opening notes — keep & sharpen

You’ve had success with a few recurring structures. Keep the lines that fit your attacking style but learn the opponent replies that cause trouble.

• King's Indian/Fianchetto systems — study typical pawn breaks and where to post your knights. See more on the line you used: King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation, Yugoslav Variation.
• Nimzo structures — practice exchanging on c3 and typical plans for the bishop pair or the minority attack: Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation.
• Sicilian/Accelerated Dragon ideas — focus on when to trade queens and when to keep attacking tension: Sicilian Defense: Accelerated Dragon, Modern Bc4 Variation.

Tactics & endgame focus

• Mating nets and back-rank patterns — repeat these until they’re automatic (queen/rook + minor piece mates, stair-step attacks).
• Simple endgames — you convert well from active positions; polish basic rook endgames and king activity so you don’t miss technical wins.
• Visualization drills — set up positions and calculate two moves deeper than comfortable to reduce “hope chess” in sharp lines.

Example finish (study this short win)

Replay the final sequence that led to a quick mating net and pause after opponent replies to ask “what would I play?”.

Next steps — 7 point checklist

• Start a daily 20–30 minute tactics block (mating patterns + pins/forks).
• Pick two opening systems to deepen this month and make a simple one-page repertoire for each.
• Annotate 3 of your wins and identify one moment where you could have improved the plan.
• Play a 5-game rapid mini-match using only those two openings to build familiarity.
• Before each move in the critical phase, do the 10-second tactical scan for opponent forks/pins/back-rank checks.
• Once a week, work a short endgame workbook — focus on king activity and rook endgames.
• Keep the confidence — your aggressive, precise play is working. Pair it with a touch more prophylaxis and you’ll outgrow the current level fast.

Bonus — opponents & reference games

• Games to review: b4y0net and Collin Colbow.
• Revisit the rare lines you played to convert (they’re strengths — make them part of your core repertoire).