Coach Chesswick
Personalised Feedback for W_Amadeus
Quick Snapshot
• Current form: A string of convincing wins (Old-Indian, KID Makogonov, QP-A40) followed by rare but instructive losses.
• Peak rating so far: 2964 (2025-06-06) (impressive for the 3-minute pool).
• Activity pattern: see
Your Core Strengths
- Opening versatility. You comfortably switch between 1.d4 and 1.e4 and handle both sides of the board. Your last three wins feature three different defences – this makes prep against you hard.
- Tactical alertness. Sequences like 17.Qxe4+! in the A54 game and 18.Nxf6+!! in the Makogonov show excellent calculation. You often spot the right Zwischenzug when the position demands it.
- Piece activity in simplified positions. In multiple PGNs you convert two-rook endings by dominating open files (e.g. 26.Rf4! → 32.d5! in your last win).
- Clock management in winning positions. You don’t burn time once the advantage is clear; you play the technical phase briskly and force early resignations.
Key Improvement Areas
- Over-optimistic pawn grabs vs. dynamic counter-play.
• Loss vs. PracticeMakesOK: 19…Nxa2? invited Rc5/Rd3 with tempo, after which your queen was stuck and your back-rank collapsed.
• Habit: accepting side-pawn bait before completing development. ♦ Rule of thumb: count tempo debt; if you need two tempi to untangle, pass on the pawn. - Handling opposite-wing imbalances. In several defeats (Slav Exchange & Ruy Rio), you pushed wing pawns (…h5/…g5) without a clear king-safety plan and were punished on the dark squares.
➜ Train typical “same-side vs. opposite-side castling” structures; rehearse where to place your king once you push the rook pawns. - Conversion in equal endgames. When the game is level but imbalanced (e.g., minor-piece endgames in the D30 loss) you sometimes choose passive continuations (…Rb8?, …Qd6?) rather than active counter-play.
➜ Weekly exercise: play one 15-min rapid where you purposely trade queens early and convert endings from both sides. - Fixing the occasional “Berlin wall.” In the C67 game you mixed plans (…Bf5/…f5) and allowed white’s queen to invade on the light squares. Refresh the mainline ideas: after 9…Bf6 you should aim for …Re8, …Ne6, and keep g7-g6 on hold.
Opening Benchmarks
| Colour | Repertoire piece | Next study step |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1.d4 systems | Deepen your grasp of Old-Indian A54 move-order tricks (Ukrainian Two-Knights) |
| White | Anti-Sicilians (Alapin) | Add 6.c4 mainline ideas vs …d5 (compare with loss vs. Luka Paichadze) |
| Black | Slav (Exchange) | Study the active plan …Bf5, …e6, …Rc8 (Karpov style) instead of early …Qc7/…Bd7 |
| Black | Berlin/Rio | Revisit the 9…h6 lines; memorize the safe king-walk if g-pawns advance |
Middlegame Focus Drills (next 2 weeks)
- Daily 15-min puzzle rush but only select themes with double-checks & deflections – these mirror your winning tactics.
- Endgame flashcards: rook + pawn vs. rook side-files; bishop vs. knight with pawns on both wings.
- Play out the following critical fragment against an engine until you hold as Black:
Practical Tournament Tips
- Insert a 5-second “safety check” before pawn grabs on move 15-25. If you can’t verbalise the opponent’s main counter-shot, skip the capture.
- When ahead on the board and the clock, exchange queens if the remaining position offers you an open file or outside passer. You convert those with high accuracy.
- Consider adding one 10+0 session per week. Your tactical style is lethal, but a slightly longer time control will tighten the positional screws that sometimes loosen under 3-minute pressure.
Encouragement
Climbing close to the 3000 blitz barrier is remarkable. Round off the small positional edges highlighted above, and your tactical firepower will shine even brighter. Keep the creative spirit – the Mozart of the 64 squares is on the right path!