Coach Chesswick
Hi Twan – personalised performance review
Current peak: 2820 (2023-03-14). Your hourly win-rate curve looks healthy (
), yet recent blitz events reveal some clear growth opportunities.What you are already doing extremely well
- Opening Flexibility as White. In the most-recent win versus Jonathan Tayar you steered the B52 Canal into a pleasant Maroczy-type bind and never let go.
- Conversion of Initiative. Once you get the upper hand you convert efficiently; the a-pawn sprint (moves 31-41) from the same game is textbook.
- Practical piece trades. Queen exchanges timed to enter won rook endings show strong situational awareness.
Key improvement themes
- Clock handling in technical phases.
In the loss to Ruben Gideon Köllner you reached an equal Q+R ending but slipped under time pressure. Critical moment:
Train 10-second-increment drills to build a “simplify & move” reflex when the position is holdable. - Simpler solutions versus the Symmetrical Queen’s-Pawn.
Five of your last seven losses (e.g. vs Alexei Gubajdullin, Bjorn Thorfinnsson) arose from 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 d5 3.Bg5/Bf4 structures where …c6 left you passive. Test a more dynamic scheme: …d5 & early …c5, or even a Grünfeld-style setup with …g6/…Bg7. - Defensive technique in rook endings.
Both the game above and the time-forfeit to Mykola Bortnyk featured a passive rook. Mini checklist:- Keep the rook behind the passed pawn.
- Centralise the king before pushing flank pawns.
- Look for a saving zwischenzug to force simplification when low on time.
Opening micro-prep corner
| Line | Practical tip |
|---|---|
| Sicilian Canal (B52) – White | If Black delays …e6, accelerate f4-f5 (as in your last win) to exploit the d6 pin and dark-square weaknesses. |
| Alekhine Four Pawns – White | After 11.c5 Nd5 12.Nxd5 Qxd5 13.O-O f6 test 15.Qa4! instead of 15.b4 to keep tension and prevent …Nxb4 tactics. |
| Queen’s-Pawn Symmetrical – Black | Add the sharp 4…c5! 5.e3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Bg4 line to avoid drifting into slow manoeuvres. |
Micro-goals until next review
- Finish 50 rook-ending puzzles with ≥ 70 % accuracy.
- Play 20 blitz games starting move 15 with ≤ 10 s on the clock to rehearse fast practical choices.
- Test a five-move anti-Colle repertoire (…c5 & …Qb6) in at least 10 games.
Keep sharpening the tactical edge while adding a layer of end-game and clock discipline – that extra half-point per round should push you back above 2800 blitz soon. Good luck!