Tarasova Viktoriya WIM

What went well in your recent blitz games

You showed good fighting spirit in complex positions and the ability to press when the position opened up. In your winning game, you kept the pressure on the opponent’s king and used active rook play to create decisive chances. You also demonstrated resilience in defenses, staying active and finding practical chances even when material was balanced or equalized late in the game.

• You found aggressive, tactical opportunities that created real winning chances, showing you can capitalize when the position becomes sharp.
• When pieces were active on open files, you coordinated rooks and minor pieces well to press for a breakthrough.
• Even in longer blitz sequences, you kept your king relatively safe and maintained chances to win or force mistakes from your opponent.

Key areas to improve

• Time management in blitz: aim to allocate a bit more time to critical middlegame decisions and avoid rushing when the position is unclear. A quick 1–2 minute review after every 15 minutes of play can help guard against risky, unexplored lines.
• Endgame technique: several losses and draws suggest you can benefit from clearer paths to simplify into favorable endgames when you have the edge, and more practice converting advantages in rook endings and minor-piece endings.
• Pattern recognition and initiative: in some games the initiative shifted away from you after exchanges. Build a small set of go-to tactical motifs (pins, skewers, forks, and back-rank ideas) to keep the momentum when the position opens.

Opening performance and repertoire notes

Your openings show a broad repertoire with mixed results across different lines. Some structures can be tightened into a compact and reliable blitz plan. Focus on 2–3 dependable lines and learn the typical middlegame plans that arise from them, so you can decide on a clear plan within the first 15 moves.

• Ruy Lopez variants, especially the Berlin Defense, have room for improvement in blitz. Consider reinforcing the standard strategic ideas from this line and practice converting small advantages into a clear endgame plan. See resources for Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense for targeted ideas. Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense
• Nimzo-Indian lines (such as the Three Knights variation) can be solid go-to choices and often lead to dynamic play if you’re comfortable with the typical pawn structures. Nimzo-Indian Defense: Three Knights Variation
• Queen’s Pawn and related setups show competitive results; refine your plans in those structures so you can play with a clear plan whether you get a positional squeeze or a tactical melee. Queen’s Pawn openings

Endgame and tactical patterns to study

Blitz favors practical calculation and clean endgames. Build confidence with focused drills:

• Rook endings with one or two pawns on the board. Learn the winning technique for rook activity and activity of the king in the endgame.
• Typical pawn endgames and king activity patterns, so you can convert small advantages or hold draws when needed.
• Pattern-based tactics: practice recognizing common tactical motifs (forks, pins, skewers, back-rank weaknesses) in quick exercises to improve reflexes in time-pressure scenarios.

Training plan and next steps

To build steady improvement, try this short plan over the next two weeks:

• Blitz practice: 3 sessions this week, 15–25 minutes each, focusing on a fixed opening repertoire (2–3 lines) and 1 tactical motif per session.
• Endgame drills: two brief sessions on rook endings and king activity drills, 15 minutes each.
• Review: after each blitz session, 5 minutes of reflection on what worked, what didn’t, and where you deviated from a clear plan.
• Optional: we can tailor a 2-week, 4-session plan around your preferred openings and specific weaknesses. If you’d like, I can generate a short, personalized schedule and exercises for you.

Would you like links to targeted drills or a printable quick-checklist you can use before each blitz game?