The Eric Feng is a titled player who earned the National Master title from National. A nimble strategist with a playful streak, they excel in rapid games where sharp calculation and practical handling of the clock shine. The preferred time control appears to be Rapid.
For more, visit the profile: ericfeng. Peak performance in Rapid is highlighted by a 2510 (2024-03-17) and a visual trajectory at
Notable Rapid game insights can be explored through a sample PGN:
. A quick glance at the progression is available via .
Opening repertoire and style
In Rapid and Blitz, the repertoire blends solid defenses with dynamic, initiative-rich lines. The Caro-Kann figures prominently, complemented by aggressive ideas in certain flank systems. This mix reflects a pragmatic yet ambitious approach to convert pressure into tangible gains on the clock.
Rapid performance highlights the Caro-Kann Defense and its Classical Variation as strong weapons.
Blitz and Bullet show a broad, practical repertoire with a bias toward solid structures and timely counterplay.
Coach Chesswick
What stood out in your rapid games
Eric, your recent rapid games show a mix of sharp, tactical play and areas where you can tighten your planning. You have moments where your coordination and active piece play create clear chances for a win, especially when you can pressure the opponent’s king and control open lines. At the same time, there are positions where safety and structure were stretched, leading to material swings or time pressure later in the game. Here are some concrete observations to build on.
You often pursue active piece play and use open files well when your rooks and queen can work together.
You have the ability to convert attacking chances into decisive results, as seen in games where your attack culminates in a strong strategic finish.
There are moments of overextension or premature piece trades that leave you with imbalanced endings or weakened king safety.
Time management under rapid pressure is an area to tighten, as a few moves were chosen quickly and left you with difficult decisions later.
Key areas to sharpen
Time discipline: aim to allocate a consistent chunk of your early moves for standard development so you have mental capacity for critical decisions later.
Structural awareness: avoid overextending pawns or pieces in the middlegame. If the king’s safety is uncertain, seek solid developing moves that maintain a clear plan.
Endgame conversion: practice translating advantages into clean endgames, especially when the position becomes simplified and your opponent has counterplay.
Prophylaxis: scan opponent plans more actively to prevent tactical shots or counterplay before they arrive.
Tactical pattern recognition: build a mental catalog of common motifs in your frequent openings to speed up decision-making under time pressure.
Opening performance insights and goals
Your opening choices align well with your strengths. In particular:
Caro-Kann defenses (including Classical and Exchange variations) show strong results. Continue to deepen this repertoire so you can recognize standard middlegame plans quickly and stay flexible in the face of opponents’ deviations.
Knitting together solid development with a clear plan in the Classical Variation can yield comfortable middlegames and fewer risky decisions in rapid time controls.
Other openings you’ve tried (Catalan Open Defense, English setups, etc.) offer learning opportunities. Maintain a core set of responses for each to improve reliability, then branch out when you have extra time to study.
Two-week practice plan
Focus block 1 (week 1): Deepen the Caro-Kann Classical and Exchange variations. Study 4 representative model games, focusing on typical middlegame plans and common middlegame transitions.
Focus block 2 (week 2): Build a toolkit of tactical patterns that often appear in your openings (back-rank threats, overloaded pieces, and typical pawn breaks in these structures).
Daily routine:
15–20 minutes of tactical puzzles emphasizing pattern recognition (back-rank motifs, piece coordination, and forcing lines).
5–10 minutes of quick opening review (one page cheat sheet per opening you use often) to reinforce typical plans and move orders.
Play 1–2 focused rapid games per week where you deliberately apply a safe, principled plan from your repertoire and avoid speculative pawn pushes.
Post-game review: write a short note on a single improvement from each game (for example, “avoid exchanging on a square that reduces my king safety” or “keep pressure along the open file after a sequence of trades”).
Optional notes you can use in your next sessions
To support consistency, consider keeping a simple checklist for every game in rapid format: confirm king safety, ensure solid development by the 8th move, verify a plan for the middlegame, and run a quick endgame check. This helps reduce last-minute uncertainties and supports steadier performance even when time is tight.
