ernst weinzettl IM

Hi Ernst, here’s your tailored training report

Quick snapshot

• Peak blitz rating: 2293 (2017-03-25)
• Typical playing hours & performance:
• Day-to-day consistency:

Your current strengths

1. Tactical alertness – In the win against senorpetrosian you spotted 22…Qxe1+!!, instantly converting a small edge into a forced resignation.
2. Dynamic piece activity in the French. As Black you often reach middlegames where both bishops are active and rooks land on the c-file (e.g. …Rc8 in many games). When the position opens you generally out-calculate opponents.
3. Practical attitude. You are willing to sacrifice pawns for initiative, and you keep pieces on to create winning chances when ahead on the clock.

Recurring issues to fix

1. Pawn structure neglect
   • You advance wing pawns (…b5, g4/h4) before completing development. In the loss to PusongLigaw the early …d4 isolated your d-pawn and gave White a clear target.
   • In several French games you allow doubled isolated f-pawns or IQP positions without adequate compensation.
2. King safety
   • Side-stepping with Kf2/Kg3 in the Scandinavian loss left the monarch exposed to repeated checks.
   • Castling late in your own Latvian Counter-Gambit let Black pile up on f2.
3. Endgame conversion
   • When two pawns up you sometimes keep queens on and run low on time (see rabid rook-and-pawn endgames).
   • Your technique with opposite-coloured bishops could be cleaner—study basic winning setups.

Opening priorities (next 2-3 weeks)

Study & practice plan

• Tactics: 20 puzzles/day focusing on intermediate-move themes. Track streaks.
• Middlegame patterns: Create a mini-database of your own French wins and losses; annotate critical turning moves and rehearse them from memory.
• Endgames: Work through 10 pawn & rook endings from Silman’s Complete Endgame Course; test with Lichess trainer.
• Time management drill: Play three 3 + 2 games where you must use at least 30 seconds for the first 10 moves—this curbs impulse moves that create structural weaknesses.

Key position to revisit

From your French victory (Black):

Motivation corner

“When you see a good move, look for a better one—especially if it guards your king or repairs your pawns.”

Feel free to send your next batch of games for review. Keep up the energy and watch those pawn pushes!