Loris Piccoli

Quick summary

Nice session — you closed several games cleanly and showed good tactical finishing. The game with the nice mating finish (see the replay below) highlights strong piece coordination and an eye for tactical opportunities. At the same time there are repeatable patterns in your play that, if tightened, will give you a steady rating gain in blitz.

What you're doing well

• Finishing tactics: you find decisive tactical shots in messy positions and convert them confidently — the final sequence in your recent win is a textbook tactical finish. (
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• Active piece play and pressure — you tend to bring pieces into the opponent’s camp quickly instead of passively shuffling. (Active piece)
• Practical instincts in time scrambles — you get the job done under pressure (multiple wins by time and clean checkmates when low on clock).
• Openness to unbalanced lines — your repertoire creates imbalanced positions where tactics and complications favor you.

Most useful improvements to focus on

• Opening plans, not only moves: against the Caro-Kann Defense and similar structures, keep a checklist — which minor piece should be exchanged, which pawn breaks to prepare, and where to place your rooks. That will reduce guesswork after move 8–12.
• Time distribution: you sometimes spend too much on early non-critical moves and then scramble later. In blitz, aim to keep 30–40% of your time for the middlegame/endgame critical moments.
• Avoid creating long-term pawn weaknesses with one-sided pawn pushes (e.g., overextending pawns on the side where your king will be). When you push, have a concrete follow-up plan (outpost, open file, or restricting opponent counters).
• Watch for tactical backfires when you attack: double-check for opponent intermezzos and unexpected checks. A quick two-second safety check before committing often saves a game.
• Endgame technique: practice basic rook and queen endgames — many blitz games reach simplified material where technique decides the result.

Concrete drills and training plan (next 2 weeks)

• Daily tactics: 10 mixed puzzles focusing on mating patterns, forks, and discovered attacks. Prioritize speed + accuracy over rare motifs. (tactics)
• Two 15+10 rapid games per week where you must practice the opening plan (not just moves) for one chosen opening — pick one you play often (for example, Caro-Kann Defense as Black or the lines you face as White).
• One endgame session (30 minutes): rook endings and basic queen vs rook technique. Spend 15 minutes on Lucena-type positions and 15 on practical queening or perpetual tricks.
• Blitz habit: use the first 5 moves to follow your opening checklist quickly; if you deviate from book, spend an extra second to ask “what’s my plan?”

Game-specific takeaways from the recent checkmate

The game you won by mating shows a few instructive moments:

• You used pawn advances on the queenside to open lines and distract the opponent’s pieces. When you generated a passed b-pawn the opponent was forced into defensive moves that allowed you to bring heavy pieces into the decisive zone.
• Your queen and rook cooperation finished the job; keep practicing simple patterns where queen + rook invade along open files and the opponent’s king lacks luft.
• One small improvement: earlier in that game there were a couple of moments where a calmer developing move would have kept the initiative without creating weak squares. In training games, practice choosing the quieter active move first — it's often simpler and safer in blitz.

Opening adjustments

• If you meet the Caro-Kann regularly, prepare two plans: one aggressive (early pawn breaks and piece trades) and one positional (slow build, bishop placement). Decide which plan before move 6.
• Your top success lines are aggressive/unbalanced openers — keep those in your blitz mix, but have a dependable “solid” backup when you want to grind rather than tactical-swing the game.
• Study one model game per opening you play this week — follow the ideas, not only the move order. (Opening)

Practical blitz tips

• Two-second safety check before every move: king safety, opponent checks, hanging pieces.
• When ahead, simplify toward an endgame you know (rooks vs minors, connected passed pawns) and avoid unnecessary complications that allow counterplay.
• When behind on time, trade into simpler positions where you can flag the opponent without needing perfect moves.

3-step plan for your next session

• Warm up with 10 tactics (5 minutes).
• Play three 5|3 blitz focusing on opening checklists and time distribution.
• Finish with one 15|10 rapid where you force yourself to follow the planned opening ideas rather than rote move order.

Next steps & encouragement

You're making progress — keep the tactical sharpness and combine it with slightly cleaner opening plans and tighter time management. Small, consistent practice on tactics + one targeted endgame will give you the best return in blitz.

Want a focused training plan for the week (daily checklist + puzzles tailored to your openings)? Reply and I’ll prepare a 7-day schedule for you.