Kenneth Solomon GM

Kenneth, constructive feedback on your recent rapid games

You’ve shown solid opening discipline in the Queen’s Gambit Declined and related Indian/Slav structures, and you’ve demonstrated the ability to press when the position allows. Your games indicate you stay active with your pieces and look for practical chances rather than shying away from complex positions. With a few targeted improvements, you can convert more of your promising middlegame ideas into clean wins.

• Your willingness to press with piece activity and to seek tactical chances is a real strength. When the position opens, you tend to use rooks and queens aggressively on open lines.
• You manage to keep the game flowing and avoid blunders in many middlegame transitions, which is a good sign of resilience under rapid time controls.
• You show familiarity with several solid openings (QGD family and related systems), which gives you multiple clean ladders to reach solid middlegame positions.

Key areas to improve

• Time management in rapid games: keep a steady pace and try to finalize the opening and early middlegame decisions faster. Use a simple plan for each move rather than exploring too many branches at once.
• Calculation discipline: in intricate middlegames, identify one concrete plan for your side and stick to it for a couple of moves before re-evaluating. This helps prevent unnecessary pawn breaks or exchanges that don’t improve your position.
• Endgame technique: practice converting even small material or activity advantages into a win. Focus on activating the king and coordinating the rook(s) and pawns in rook-and-pawn endgames.
• Defensive awareness: after forcing sequences, pause to check king safety and potential counterplay. Strengthen your habit of recognizing threats a few moves ahead, especially against tactical ideas from your opponent.

Opening choices and plan alignment

You’ve shown comfort in Queen’s Gambit Declined and some Indian/Slav lines. A focused approach can yield more consistent results:

• Deepen two main openings: Queen’s Gambit Declined Orthodox (including lines with 4.Bg5 and 5.cxd5) and Queen’s Indian Defense. Build a concise middlegame plan for each so you know where to place pieces after typical pawn structures.
• Learn the standard pawn breaks and typical maneuvers in your chosen systems, so you recognize the right moments to push or neutralize in the middlegame.
• When facing unfamiliar setups, apply a simple triad: control the center, develop with purpose, and maintain king safety. Build familiarity over time with the patterns you encounter most often.

In your openings performance, you’ve shown both opportunities and risks across different lines. Focusing on a small set of trusted plans will help you convert more positions into favorable middlegames.

Drills and practice plan

• Daily tactics: 15–20 minutes solving puzzles focused on forcing moves, checks, captures, and common tactical motifs. This sharpens calculation under time pressure.
• Opening study: dedicate 20–30 minutes twice a week to deepen your two main openings. Create a short one-page summary of typical plans, piece placements, and common counterplays.
• Endgames: practice rook-and-pawn endings and simple king-activity motifs. Learn a reliable plan to convert a small edge into a win.
• Game review routine: after each rapid game, write a brief 3-point recap: best move, turning point, and one improvement to avoid next time. Use the notes to guide future practice.

Next steps

Over the next two weeks, target a focused plan around your two main openings, daily tactical training, and structured post-game reviews. If you want, I can tailor a 2-week schedule based on the openings you prefer and set precise drills for you to follow.