Emil Sutovsky GM

Hi Emil, overall impressions

You are clearly a strong and ambitious attacking player (currently around 2732 (2021-02-13)). In the last six games you scored 5-1 while consistently posing your opponents difficult practical problems. Your feel for initiative, especially in Sicilians with the Bb5 sideline and in English/King’s Indian set-ups, is excellent.

Your key strengths

• Dynamic opening choices. The Bb5 Sicilian and early g-pawn storms (h4–h5, g4–g5) regularly surprise sub-2600 opposition and lead to unfamiliar structures.
• Tactical alertness. Motifs such as Nxf7, Qxd5 and exchange sacs on f6/f7 appear repeatedly and usually with good effect. In the recent win you exploited …dxe5? with 9.fxe5 Nd5 10.Qf3!, grabbing the d5-knight and seizing the d-file.
• Practical instinct in time scrambles. Four of the wins were decided on the clock but only after you had already produced winning positions.

Recurrent issues & actionable fixes

1. Time management.
   You often reach move-25 with ≤20 seconds. In the loss (Chekhover variation) you still had an edge after 28.Qg2 but collapsed once inside single-digit seconds.
   Drill: play 3-minute “increment only” games (0 + 2) where the opening book is auto-skipped; force yourself to keep ≥60 seconds until move 15.
2. Over-extension of wing pawns.
   Your g- and h-pawn thrusts are dangerous, yet in the Chekhover defeat 13.g4? opened files that Black later used for decisive counter-play. Adopt a quick self-check: “If the centre opens next move, are my minor pieces coordinated?”.
3. Conversion technique once winning.
   Even in victories you sometimes allow counter-chances (e.g. 38…Nxe4+? in the Najdorf game). When up material, prefer exchanges that eliminate all of your opponent’s active pieces; practise the “bot test”: would Stockfish still give the opponent >0.5 if they had perfect play?
4. King safety in the early middlegame.
   Several games feature castling long with no subsequent dark-square cover (Qc2 without Be3 in KID lines). Review opposite-side castling principles prophylaxis to decide when a single developing move (Re1, Kb1) trumps a pawn lunge.

Opening micro-suggestions

• Sicilian with 3.Bb5: after 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 g6 you scored well, yet 7.Nc3! (the main line) keeps more tension than 7.f4.
• Against …b5 in the Najdorf, the prophylactic 12.a4 can save you a tempo later and restrict …b4 counter-play.
• Facing ...c5 English set-ups, consider delaying f4 until you have played Re1 and h3, reducing counter-shots on g4.

Illustrative moment

Below is the critical stretch from your last win. Note how 18.Ne4!! exploited both tactics and piece activity; still, after 18…Nd5 you could also play 19.Ng5! for an immediate crush.

Training plan (4 weeks)

1. Week 1: daily 20-min tactics, restrict to themes “deflection” & “perpetual avoidance”.
2. Week 2: play 15 annotated rapid games; after each, spend 10 minutes identifying the first moment your evaluation became unrealistic.
3. Week 3: endgame module – rook+minor vs rook+minor; replicate the position on move 30 of your lost Chekhover game and convert as both sides vs engine 5.
4. Week 4: build an anti-…b5 Najdorf file; include the sideline 12.a4. Finish with two sparring sessions vs a 2500 bot.

Final thought

Your creativity is your trademark. Polishing time usage and tightening conversion will push you through the next rating band. Enjoy the journey!