Adam Kujawski FM

Hi Adam!

Congratulations on a solid set of games around the 2200-2250 mark. You are playing tough opposition and, aside from a few speed-related stumbles, you are scoring very well. Below is a quick snapshot of where you stand, followed by concrete, practical advice to lift the next few hundred points.

Your current profile at a glance

• Peak blitz rating: 2518 (2024-08-10)
• Favourite White openings: Italian / Scotch structures, the occasional English.
• Favourite Black replies: Two-Knights / Modern Italian, Panov-Caro-Kann, flexible Queen’s-Pawn setups.
• Typical session performance:
   

What you’re already doing well

1. Active, principled openings. In wins such as vs. astrokk7 you grabbed the centre and developed quickly, allowing pressure tactics like …Qg5+ and …Bd6+ to decide the game.
2. Tactical alertness. Double-attacks and discovered checks (e.g. …Nxf3+ followed by …Qf4+) show you spot forcing ideas fast.
3. Fearless play against higher-rated opponents. Recent scalps against players in the 2250-2300 range prove your fighting spirit.

Main themes holding you back

1. Time management.
   Four of your last five losses were on time in positions that were either equal or only slightly worse. Your tempo usage peaks sharply around moves 12-20, then you scramble. This is low-hanging fruit: gain 10-15 seconds per early move and you will save dozens later.
2. Conversion technique in simplified positions.
   Even in wins (see vs. MercyfulFate) you allowed counter-play before converting the extra material. Endgames where you are a pawn up but pieces are passive often lead to frantic time-trouble.
3. King safety when castling long.
   The loss vs. MercyfulFate (Richter–Rauzer) shows how pawn storms can hit your own monarch first. A-/h-pawn advances before you have coordinated rooks are risky.

Illustrative moments

Action plan for the next 30 days

• “1-2-3 Rule” for time. In the first 15 moves allow yourself max 3 seconds on obvious moves, 10 seconds on critical ones. Practise 3-minute no-increment games specifically for this discipline.
• Endgame mini-sessions. Daily 10-minute drill: play pawn-up rook endings vs. the engine from equal positions until you convert three times in a row.
• Safety checklist when castling long. Before pushing a wing-pawn, ask: (a) Are both rooks connected? (b) Is the f-file closed? If not, postpone the pawn thrust.
• Annotate one loss per week. Pick any recent flag-loss, add comments on when you first dipped under 20 sec. Self-annotation is worth more than engine evals here.
• Repertoire tightening. Replace the occasional off-beat line (e.g. early …h6 in Rauzer) with main-line theory that you know by heart. Fewer surprises → faster moves.

Further resources

• A refresher on schematic planning: prophylaxis
• Practical chapter on flagging opponents: see Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, “Playing for Zugzwang under time pressure.”
• Follow strong practical players in your openings, e.g. gm_nakamura for Italian/Scotch ideas.

Final thought

If you simply halve the number of time-forfeit games, your rating graph will jump immediately. Combine quicker early moves with cleaner endgame technique, and 2300+ will follow naturally.

Good luck, and feel free to ping me after your next 50-game block!