Vidit Gujrathi GM

What You Are Doing Well

Vidit, your recent blitz games show several strong aspects of your play:

• Opening Preparation: You demonstrate excellent understanding and variety in your openings, with strong win rates in lines like the Caro-Kann Defense (win rate ~63%) and the Amazon Attack: Siberian Attack (win rate ~65%). This preparation gives you solid positions early in the game.
• Positional Understanding: Your games handle complex pawn structures and positional imbalances confidently, as evident in your handling of the Queen's Pawn and other strategic openings.
• Strong Conversion Skills: You showed good technique converting advantages, especially in your recent wins where you capitalized effectively on positional pluses and opponent inaccuracies.
• Time Management: Across your recent games you maintained good clock awareness, rarely falling into severe time pressure early in the game, which helps maintain quality in blitz.
• Consistency and Progress: Your rating trend is positive and steady with a rating increase of 189 over the last 6 months and a strength-adjusted win rate slightly above 50%, reflecting ongoing improvement.

Areas for Improvement

Despite your strong play, here are some specific areas to focus on to continue leveling up:

• Handling Opening Surprises: Your 'Unknown' openings category shows a lower win rate (~46%). Increasing familiarity with a broader range of offbeat or surprise lines could prevent early discomfort and losses in less familiar positions.
• Endgame Technique in Blitz: In your recent loss, careful endgame techniques could have helped better defense or counterplay. Sharpening your blitz endgame skills could help convert close games more often.
• Transition from Opening to Middlegame: Sometimes small inaccuracies in development or piece coordination after the opening lead to opponent counterplay. Focus on smooth piece harmony and flexible plans right after the opening phase.
• Reducing Non-Critical Losses: Your loss count is roughly half your wins. Analyzing your losses in detail to find recurring tactical oversights or missed defensive resources will help reduce these and boost your scoring.
• Increasing Drawing Opportunities: You have a relatively lower draw rate compared to wins and losses. In some positions, accepting and playing for a draw may be smart, especially against similarly rated players or in difficult moments.

Practical Training Suggestions

To build on your current skillset and address the points above, consider:

• Drill Less Familiar Openings: Regularly practice your 'unknown' or offbeat opening repertoires with a blitz training partner or computer simulation to gain quicker instincts.
• Endgame Blitz Practice: Play specialized blitz endgame training games focusing on common pawn and rook endgames to improve your technique under time pressure.
• Review Losses Thoroughly: Analyze your lost games without the clock initially to understand mistakes and alternative plans, then practice those positions tactically.
• Work on Transition Phases: Study master games in your favorite openings aimed at strong transition from opening to middlegame, focusing on smooth development and flexible plans.
• Maintain Physical & Mental Focus: blitz requires attention and speed, so ensure adequate rest and warm-up routines before sessions to reduce blunders.

Summary

Your current form shows solid mastery of your main openings and consistent results, but expanding your opening breadth and sharpening blitz endgame skills could give you an edge. Along with a steady focus on loss analysis and transition play, these improvements will help you increase your win conversion and overall blitz performance. Keep leveraging your growing rating trend and positive momentum—you're on a strong path!