Coach Chesswick
Hi tim_tim2345789!
You are doing many things right: you fight for the initiative, you are not afraid to sacrifice material, and you already know how to drive the opponent’s king into mating nets. Your victories against higher-rated players show good tactical instincts and resourcefulness.
What is working well
- Tactical alertness. In several games you spotted quick mating ideas (e.g. 18.Re8# against baaaapp and 28.Qg8# versus lowavyy).
- Open-file awareness. You often place rooks on open files (Rd1, Rxf1, etc.) and convert them into attacks.
- Confidence with pawn storms. Pushing g- and h-pawns to harass the enemy king plays to your attacking style.
Immediate improvement targets
-
King safety first!
In every one of your recent losses your own king remained in the centre or lost castling rights before move 10.
• Game vs igor_911_9 ended with 5.Qxf7# because you played 2…g6 without securing e7–g7 squares.
• Against schyhigh you allowed the queen to camp on h4/h1 because your king walked to d2.
Rule of thumb: develop two minor pieces and castle before starting flank pawn pushes or queen sorties. -
Stop chasing the queen in the opening.
When opponents play cheap tricks (2.Qh5, 2.Qh4, etc.) play calm, centre-building moves instead of attacking the queen repeatedly. Ask yourself, “Am I improving my worst-placed piece?” before each move. -
Reduce unnecessary pawn moves.
Early b-, g- and h-pawn thrusts often leave holes (e.g. vs duckme1464 your 8…Bf5/…Be6 allowed b5-Nb4-Na4 ideas). Try to limit pawn moves to one per pawn in the first ten moves unless there is a concrete tactic. -
Time management.
One loss (vs Williamfilsinger) was on time in a completely playable position. Spend less time in the opening by following a fixed move order you know, and save thinking time for critical middlegame moments. -
Learn a compact opening kit.
White: continue with 1.d4, but pick one system (London/Colle) and study ideas, not just moves.
Black: against 1.e4 choose a simple defence such as the Scandinavian Defense or Pirc Defense and against 1.d4 start with the Queen’s Gambit Declined setup (…d5, …e6, …Nf6, …Be7, …O-O).
Typical tactical theme to drill
Most positions that hurt you involve an unguarded back rank or double attack on f7/f2. Add 10 puzzles a day that feature those patterns and you will feel the difference quickly.
Annotated snapshot from your best game
Notice how early development and piece activity translated into a winning attack:
Stats & tendencies
- Peak Blitz rating:
- Peak Rapid rating:
- Performance during the day:
- Performance by hour (watch out for late-night tilt!):
Next steps for the coming week
- Play 10 rapid games (10|0 or 15|10) where you promise yourself to castle before move 10.
- After each game, write down one move you would change and why. This builds self-analysis habits.
- Finish the “New to Chess” lessons on Pins and Back-rank mates (they are short but will save you rating points).
Stick with it—you are already showing fast progress. A solid foundation in opening principles and king safety will let your natural tactical talent shine. Good luck, and happy hunting on the 64 squares!