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
- 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.
- Tactical alertness. Double-attacks and discovered checks (e.g. …Nxf3+ followed by …Qf4+) show you spot forcing ideas fast.
- Fearless play against higher-rated opponents. Recent scalps against players in the 2250-2300 range prove your fighting spirit.
Main themes holding you back
- 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. - 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. - 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
Click to replay a model win (18 moves)
Click to replay a recent time-trouble loss
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!