Coach Chesswick
Quick summary
Nice stretch of results — you're winning complicated middlegames and getting good returns from several Sicilian and London lines. Your Strength Adjusted Win Rate (~0.63) and the steep rating trend show you're improving fast. Below are targeted, practical tips to convert more advantages and avoid the slips that cost you the loss.
Highlights — what you're doing well
- Active piece play: you repeatedly bring pieces into the attack (example: the game vs sshlentsoff where you used f‑pawns and knights to open lines towards White's king).
- Opening preparation in chosen lines: excellent win rates in the London Poisoned Pawn and several Sicilian sub-variations — your repertoire is working for you.
- Sharp tactical awareness: you find forcing continuations and concrete tactics rather than playing aimless moves, which is why you score well in rapid time controls.
- Good momentum management: you're converting middlegame pressure into wins rather than letting opponents off the hook.
Common weaknesses to fix
- King safety after simplifications — in the loss vs mateinone19 the enemy rooks became active and your king got exposed. When you trade into a reduced-material position, check rook activity and pawn structure around the king first.
- Allowing enemy rook invasions and passed pawns on the flank. Watch moves that open files aimed at your king (for example, avoid pawn moves that leave the back rank or h-file vulnerable).
- Time management spikes: you have moments of very fast play followed by time pressure. In rapid, keep a small reserve (30–40 seconds) for critical decisions to avoid blunders in winning positions.
- Tactical oversights after exchanges: some winning positions drift because you miss a tactical resource for the opponent (double attacks, back-rank ideas). Pause and ask: “Does my opponent have any forks, pins, or checks?” after each exchange.
Concrete lessons from selected games
Study these positions and ideas — they appeared in recent games and reoccur in rapid play:
- Win vs sshlentsoff — strong use of f5–f4 and knight activity to rip open White's king. You followed up with precise piece exchanges and a decisive queen infiltration. Key idea: when you open lines against the king, prioritize bringing queens/rooks to the opened files quickly.
- Win vs luckykeyi — you used a tactical knight jump (Nd6+) that forced the opponent into passive defense. Tactical piece sacrifices or checks that damage the opponent's coordination are a recurring strength for you.
- Loss vs mateinone19 — after early material imbalances you let Black activate rooks and create a dangerous pawn storm (h‑ and g‑files). When ahead in material consider the opponent’s counterplay first: if their rooks get open files, defend or simplify on your terms.
Replay the win vs sshlentsoff below to review the tactical motifs you executed:
Opening advice (how to tighten your repertoire)
- Keep the lines that are working: your results in London System: Poisoned Pawn Variation and several Sicilian subs show good preparation — keep those as “go-to” weapons.
- Scandinavian (where you lost): study the typical counterplay for Black — especially early queen checks (Qa5/Qd8) and how to avoid letting Black seize open files. Practice plans that neutralize rook activity after trades.
- Before each game, pick one opening goal (e.g., “trade queens on move X if they play ...”) so your middlegame plans follow from a clear opening aim.
Practical training plan — 4 week cycle
- Daily (20–30 minutes): 20 tactics puzzles focused on forks, pins, discovered checks, and back-rank mates. Emphasize speed + accuracy.
- 3× per week (30–45 minutes): one rapid game (10+0 or 15+10). After each game: 10–15 minutes of self-review — mark 3 candidate mistakes and one recurring theme.
- Weekly (1 session): 30 minutes of endgame practice — rook endgames and king + pawns vs king (you gave up rook activity in the loss). Drill 3 theoretical positions until you can play them without help.
- Monthly: review 5 lost or drawn games with an engine or coach — focus on the decision moments, not move-by-move correction. Ask “what changed my plan?”
Checklist for in-game use (reduce the blunders)
- Before each pawn move around your king, ask: “Does this open a file or weaken a key square?”
- After every exchange, scan for opponent rook/queen entry squares and passed pawn creation.
- In winning positions, don't rush — spend a little extra time to convert: check for simple tactical tricks that ruin your plan.
- If you are low on time, simplify safely rather than press for a speculative tactic.
Next steps — short and actionable
- Play 10 rapid games this week with the opening choices that gave you wins; stick to your strengths but deliberately try one new sideline each session.
- Do focused tactics on positions similar to where you lost (rook invasions, back-rank resources).
- Review the three games above: annotate 3 critical moves per game and decide a single improvement you want to apply next game.
Useful quick links (for review)
- Review opponent pages: sshlentsoff, luckykeyi, mateinone19.
- Openings to study: London System, Scandinavian Defense, Sicilian Defense.
Final note
You're on a very positive slope — the large rating jump and a strong win rate in your main lines show clear progress. Focus on tightening king safety after trades and stabilizing time usage; those two fixes will convert many of your draws and close losses into wins. If you want, I can prepare a 10-position tactical pack and 3 endgame positions tailored to the mistakes in the loss vs MateinOne19.