Quick summary
Nice run — aggressive, tactically alert and converting advantages. You scored several clean tactical wins (knight jumps, open-file pressure) and a few wins on time — showing practical pressure in longer blitz (3+2). Your recent loss was a tactical oversight in the opening/middlegame that allowed the opponent to grab material and the a8 rook. Small, concrete fixes will turn these pluses into a steadier, higher win rate.
What you did well (patterns to keep)
- Active piece play — you repeatedly use knights and rooks aggressively (examples: Nxb6 and Nxb5 tactics in recent wins).
- Seizing open files — your rook/queen coordination and willingness to open files creates concrete targets (see your win vs green-panda where you opened the a-file and activated pieces).
- Endgame / practical conversion — when you get an advantage you tend to press it (you converted a messy middlegame into a time win vs hilz-pils).
- Opening repertoire clarity — you play many tried-and-true systems (Caro-Kann, Nimzo, King's Indian family) so you reach middlegames you know well.
Key mistakes and how to fix them
Below are the recurring weaknesses seen in the sample games and simple fixes you can apply immediately.
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Back-rank / hanging-rook tactical lapses: in the loss vs Bas van de Plassche you ended up losing material when the opponent exploited a tactic leading to Qxa8. Fix:
- Always check: "Is my a8 (or h8) rook defended or can it be attacked by a queen/rook/light piece after exchanges?"
- Before committing pawn moves around your king/queenside (b4, bxc3 style), calculate checks, captures and threats for one extra ply.
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Calculation depth during sharp opening lines: you sometimes play quickly into tactical complications (pawn breaks like bxc3) without checking tactical replies. Fix:
- In sharp positions take +5–10 seconds more on critical moves; verify captures on both sides and simple checks.
- When opponent sacrifices or opens files around your king, imagine both players' checks first.
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Overreliance on winning on time: several wins came from the opponent flagging. While practical, you should finish positions more directly. Fix:
- If you’re already winning, trade down into easier winning endgames or force simplifications rather than playing slow quiet moves.
Concrete next steps (practice plan)
- Daily 15–20 minutes tactics: prioritize back-rank motifs, forks and queen trapping patterns (15 puzzles/day, mixed difficulty).
- Twice weekly 10-game rapid sessions (10+5) focusing on avoiding tactical slips — in slower time control you learn to pause on critical moves.
- Pick one opening you struggle with tactically (e.g., positions from Trompowsky-like structures) and study 5 typical tactical themes and 5 typical plans for both sides.
- Post-game 3‑minute review: immediately after each blitz, scan the final 10 moves to spot tactical misses — mark recurring errors and fix them.
Training drills (10–30 minutes each)
- Tactical set: 20 puzzles with emphasis on back-rank mates, knight forks, and queen pick-ups.
- Endgame drill: rook vs. minor piece and basic rook endgames — convert with active king + rook technique.
- Opening tactic bank: for the lines you play most (Caro-Kann, Nimzo, KID exchange), collect the 10 most common tactical shots and rehearse them via short analysis games.
Mini post-mortem — two example positions
Review these with your engine or in an analysis room. Try to find the critical move before checking the engine.
Win vs green-panda — tactical finishing sequence (final moves shown):
[[Pgn|1.Nf3|1...c5|2.g3|2...Nc6|3.Bg2|3...g6|4.O-O|4...Bg7|5.c4|5...e6|6.Nc3|6...Nge7|7.b3|7...d5|8.Bb2|8...O-O|9.e3|9...d4|10.Na4|10...Qd6|11.d3|11...e5|12.Re1|12...b6|13.a3|13...Bd7|14.exd4|14...exd4|15.Bc1|15...Bg4|16.Bf4|16...Qd7|17.Qb1|17...Rae8|18.b4|18...cxb4|19.axb4|19...a5|20.Nxb6|20...Qb7|21.bxa5|fen|4rrk1/1q2npbp/1Nn3p1/P7/2Pp1Bb1/3P1NP1/5PBP/RQ2R1K1|orientation|white|autoplay|false]Loss vs Bas van de Plassche — the moment to double-check calculations (final part):
[[Pgn|1.d4|1...Nf6|2.Bg5|2...d5|3.Bxf6|3...exf6|4.e3|4...c6|5.c4|5...dxc4|6.Bxc4|6...Bd6|7.Nc3|7...Qe7|8.Qc2|8...f5|9.g3|9...Nd7|10.h4|10...Nf6|11.Nf3|11...h6|12.Bd3|12...g6|13.O-O-O|13...Be6|14.Kb1|14...b5|15.e4|15...b4|16.e5|16...bxc3|17.Qxc3|17...Nd5|18.Qxc6+|18...Qd7|19.Qxa8+|fen|Q3k2r/p2q1p2/3bb1pp/3nPp2/3P3P/3B1NP1/PP3P2/1K1R3R|orientation|black|autoplay|false]Short checklist for your next 5 blitz games
- Before any capture that opens lines to your king, spend +5 seconds to scan for enemy checks and queen forks.
- If you have a clear material or positional edge, simplify into a technical endgame instead of slow manoeuvres.
- Mark one recurring error after each game (example: "missed back‑rank threat") and fix it the next day with 10 targeted puzzles.
- Keep a short notes file of 3 tactical motifs you see often in your openings — review weekly.
Closing / motivation
Your statistical profile and recent form are strong — steady win rates in several openings and a positive long-term slope. Focus on tightening tactics and simple calculation habits and you'll convert more of those advantages into clean wins rather than on-the-clock finishes. If you want, I can generate a 2‑week training schedule tailored to your openings and a set of 50 puzzles picked from your recent tactical mistakes.