Coach Chesswick
Hi Namig Guliyev!
This report is based on your last batch of rapid games. Use it as a roadmap rather than a verdict—progress in chess is rarely linear.
At-a-glance
Peak ratings: 2572 (2023-02-03), 2996 (2019-08-02)
Activity curves:
What you already do well
- Dynamic piece play. Your win against GM_Levan_Pantsulaia shows confident use of the initiative (initiative) and accurate calculation in messy Sicilian positions.
- Resourcefulness in complications. In several victories you converted material imbalances smoothly (e.g. the Queen-vs-pieces endgame on 02-12).
- Opening variety. You alternate 1.e4, 1.c4 and even 1.Nf3, which keeps opponents guessing and broadens your understanding of pawn structures.
Recurring problems
- Early king exposure & over-extension.
• Loss vs DarkAlekhine (Alekhine’s Defence) shows queenside pawn grabs (15.Qb5) left your king unsafe.
• The Philidor loss featured an ambitious 5.g4 without completing development.
Fix: Before pawn lunges ask “How many pieces defend my king?” - Time management.
Four of the last six losses were on time in roughly equal or better positions.
Fix: Adopt a move-pair rhythm (e.g. “spend max 20 sec every 3 moves until move 20”) and add 1-min end-of-game buffer. - Handling symmetrical centre positions.
In the Petroff vs DanielNaroditsky you drifted into a passive structure after 11…Nc6 12.Nc3 d4.
Fix: Review model games where Black solves the Petroff centre via …c5/…c6 breaks. - Converting technical endgames.
The K+R+P vs K+R ending against GeorgMeier slipped in time trouble.
Fix: Daily 10-minute drill on Rook endings (Philidor, Lucena). Use “Stop-the-clock” mode so speed becomes automatic.
Critical moment example
After 15.Qb5 Nd4?! in the Alekhine game:
Black’s pieces flooded in while your queen chased pawns. Calculating two moves deeper would reveal that 15…Nxe5! equalises safely.
Four-week action plan
- Week 1 & 2: 30 min/day on Alekhine & Petroff model games; build a one-page “trigger list” of typical pawn breaks.
- Week 3: 20 min tactics (theme: zwischenzug zwischenzug) + 20 min endgames + sparring 15|10 vs engine set to 2300.
- Week 4: Time-control drills: play 5 rapid games focusing solely on clock discipline. Annotate them, marking every move where you spent >45 sec.
Mindset cues for every game
- “Can I improve the worst-placed minor piece before pushing a pawn?”
- “If the queens come off now, whose endgame favours me?”
- “Is this decision worth more than 30 seconds?” (If not, move.)
Keep the curiosity high and the moves purposeful—rating gains will follow. Good luck!