Coach Chesswick
Quick snapshot
Nice run lately — your rating trend is strongly upward over 3–6 months and your Strength‑Adjusted Win Rate (~57%) shows you consistently outplay similarly strong opponents. You win by practical pressure (active rooks, open files, pawn breaks) and you finish well when opponents crack in time trouble or collapse tactically.
- Recent notable wins vs Dylan Tang and FarewellToKings2112.
- Games show good rook activity and textbook use of open files and the seventh rank.
- Problems to fix: some recurring tactical slips and a weaker record in sharp Najdorf/closed Sicilian lines.
What you're doing well
- Active piece play: You consistently activate rooks to open files and the seventh rank — that converts small advantages into wins (see your win vs FarewellToKings2112).
- Transition to the endgame: Many wins come after simplifying into favourable king/rook endgames; you handle technique well.
- Practical play under pressure: You create real problems for opponents in blitz (opponents flag or resign under pressure), so your practical decisions are effective.
- Repertoire balance: Strong results with solid systems like the Caro‑Kann and a good record in the Sozin and French Burn lines — you know typical pawn breaks and piece placements.
Recurring problems and patterns to fix
- Tactical oversight in sharp positions — a few losses stem from unnoticed forks, knight jumps to h3/g2/f4 and momentary hanging pieces. Practice spotting enemy knight forks and back‑rank threats before each move.
- Time management in complicated middlegames. A couple of wins were on time against you and you also capitalise on others' time trouble — tighten the clock in messy positions (take 3–6 extra seconds on critical branches).
- Opening-specific leaks: Najdorf and Sicilian Classical lines show below‑par results (Najdorf ~29%, Sicilian Classical ~33%). You get into uncomfortable tactical messes there — either simplify the lines you play or deepen study of the main tactical motifs.
- Reactive defence vs active knights: In your loss to Aaditya Dhingra the opponent exploited knight jumps and tactical checks (Nh3+/Nf4 patterns). When the opponent's knights alive near your king, prioritise exchange or create luft/escape squares for your king.
Concrete, short‑term fixes (this week)
- Daily 15–20 minute tactic session focused on knight forks, back‑rank motifs and discovery forks (10 puzzles minimum; track accuracy).
- One slow game (15|10) every other day and post‑mortem with engine + three key takeaways. Focus on the move where the evaluation swung the most.
- Opening triage: temporarily avoid deep Najdorf mainlines until you review the key tactical traps — play a sideline you know well or keep to less sharp Sicilian systems for blitz.
- In‑game checklist for complicated positions: (1) Are any of my pieces hanging? (2) Any enemy knight forks possible? (3) Back rank risks? If yes to any — spend extra time and calm down the position.
2‑week training plan
- Week 1: Tactics + one slow game every other day + 3 hours of opening review (Najdorf and Sicilian Classical: learn 3 typical plans and 2 traps each).
- Week 2: Endgame drills (rook + pawn vs rook patterns, seventh‑rank technique) + continue tactics + analyze 6 of your recent losses to find repeat mistakes.
- Measurement: record puzzle accuracy and average centipawn loss (if you use a tool). Aim to reduce average centipawn loss and increase tactic accuracy by 10% in 2 weeks.
Specific opening suggestions
- Najdorf (low win rate): simplify choices — pick a couple of reliable systems (e.g. Scheveningen setups or more positional Najdorf moves) and drill typical pawn breaks and the key tactical motifs that lose games for you.
- Caro‑Kann: Keep using it — your results are solid. Polish typical endgames and plan for the early rook activity that converts small advantages.
- French (Burn) and Sozin: maintain these — you have a good record. Continue sharpening tactical themes that arise from these pawn structures.
- Learn a handful of typical sacrificial motifs in those sharp Sicilian lines so they become pattern recognition, not calculation under time stress.
Study anchors: Caro-Kann Defense, Nimzowitsch-Larsen Attack, French Defense: Burn Variation
Practical game tips for blitz
- Keep moves simple in unclear positions — trade when you're unsure and the resulting endgame is comfortable.
- Pre‑move discipline: Only pre‑move in totally forced recaptures or checks you calculated; avoid pre‑moves in sharp middlegames.
- If opponent is low on time and you are winning on the board, keep pressure but avoid unnecessary complications that let them swindle you.
- When ahead in material, prioritize exchanging down to a winning endgame instead of hunting quick mates that risk tactical shots.
Example position to review (from your recent win)
Replay the decisive sequence where you infiltrated on the d‑file and won the game vs Dylan Tang. Use the viewer below and step through the moves slowly — note when you switched from middlegame ideas to forcing tactics.
Next steps — what I recommend now
- Today: 20 minutes tactics (knight forks + back‑rank), review one loss and annotate three critical moves.
- This week: implement the 2‑week plan above and avoid deep Najdorf mainlines in blitz until you feel comfortable with the tactical motifs.
- Long term: keep the balance — maintain your strong Caro‑Kann and Sozin lines while slowly expanding Najdorf knowledge with model games rather than memorizing long theory trees.
If you want, I can create a 2‑week daily checklist (with exact puzzles and model games) and a short annotated analysis of one of the losses you uploaded. Tell me which game you want analysed first (loss vs Aaditya Dhingra or a Najdorf loss).