Coach Chesswick
Hi Vei — well played so far!
Your games already show good fighting spirit and creativity. The notes below focus on the areas that will bring you the fastest improvement in the next few weeks.
1. Opening habits
- Pick one main opening as White. Right now you alternate between 1.c3 and 1.e4 systems. Sticking with a single choice will let you recognise pawn-structure plans faster.
• Homework: build a mini “first 10 moves” notebook for your chosen opening. Add one main line and one sideline that opponents play a lot.
• Track your progress with once per week. - Reduce early queen moves. In several losses the queen wandered (e.g. 2.Qc2/2…Qf6) and fell behind in development. Instead, aim to bring two minor pieces out before touching the queen.
- Castle by move 10 whenever possible. Remaining in the centre led to problems in games like your loss to zorrrex. A simple rule of thumb: if you have moved a centre pawn and two minor pieces, castle next.
2. Tactics & calculation
- Spotting hanging pieces. Both wins and losses feature loose pieces on the back rank. Spend 3-5 minutes of each practice session on “Find the hanging piece” puzzles.
- Look for forcing moves first. Before every move ask: “Can I give check, capture, or create a threat?” – the core of the candidate move method.
- Create a 5-minute tactics routine. Aim for 15-20 puzzles/day at your current rating; consistency beats volume.
3. Endgame basics
- Your wins often convert easily once you promote a pawn, but a few endgames slipped away. Learn the “rook’s pawn & wrong-bishop” and “king-and-pawn opposition” patterns first.
- Resource: Lichess Training → Endgames (use the “basic mate” filter) – five drills/day.
4. Time management
- You usually keep ~45 seconds left when the game ends. Try using the first minute to slow down critical positions (e.g. when queens are traded or a pawn race begins).
- If you drop under 20 seconds, switch to premove/simple moves; don’t hunt for the perfect tactic.
5. Measurable next steps
- Reach 552 (2025-06-20) + 50 in the next 30 games by focusing on one White opening and castling early.
- Finish 300 tactics puzzles with 70 %+ accuracy by month-end.
- Play two 10 + 5 games per week and annotate them (win or lose). Use blunder check afterwards to find patterns.
Above all, keep the game fun — your attacking style is a strength, just polish the fundamentals around it. Good luck and see you on the board!