WhiteKiwi WFM

Hi WhiteKiwi! Here’s some constructive feedback to help you climb to your next milestone.

Your current highlights

• Peak rapid rating: 2263 (2022-03-14)
• Impressive conversion once you reach simplified positions – the end-game technique you showed vs dna77 (0-1, 15 May 2022) was textbook.
• Healthy overall activity – keep an eye on trends:
   

What you’re already doing well

1. Piece activity and space-gaining pawn pushes. Your kingside pawn storms (g- and h-pawns) often net space and tempo, e.g. 17.g4! in the win against dna77.
2. Trading into favourable endgames. In the same game you steered toward a rook-and-pawn ending where your outside passer decided the result.
3. Opening variety. You handle both Slav structures as Black and the Ruy/Sicilian as White; this flexibility is an asset.

Growth opportunities

1. Pawns over-extended without adequate support.
   In the loss to nikoskosta6 (C66, 15 Mar 2022) the a- and c-pawns marched but became targets. Before pushing wing pawns, run a quick blunder-check: “If the pawn disappears, do my pieces improve or worsen?” If the answer is “worsen,” consider a preparatory move instead.
2. Central tension management.
   After 14.e5 Ne4 15.Nxe4 Bxe4, Black’s minor pieces dominated the centre. Try keeping tension longer; moves like 14.Re3 or 14.Be3 keep the pawn on e4 and leave you the option to strike later with dxe5 when it favours you.
3. Rook coordination in the middlegame.
   Several losses feature doubled rooks that never connect (e.g. 26.Rc5? in the same game). A quick “rook harmony” checklist on every move will help: “Are my rooks (a) connected, (b) on open/semi-open files, (c) supporting each other?” If not, look for a way to fix one of those three.
4. Prophylaxis before tactics.
   You spot attacking ideas quickly but occasionally miss the opponent’s counter-punch (e.g. 30…Ra6 hitting a4/a5). Challenge yourself to name your opponent’s three most forcing replies before finalising a move.
5. Clock discipline.
   In several games you dipped under 90 seconds with 15+ moves to play. Try the “30-second rule”: if you have spent 30 seconds and still see nothing decisive, play the healthiest move you can find and bank the time.

Mini-lesson: converting the extra pawn

Your technique vs dna77 was strong; here’s a condensed blueprint:

Follow these steps any time you’re up a healthy pawn:

1. Centralise king (Kf8–Ke7–Kd6 in the game).
2. Trade pieces but not active pawns.
3. Create an outside passer to stretch the defence.

Next-week training plan

• 3 rapid games per day with post-game self-annotation (limit to 15 minutes).
• Daily 15-minute session on rook endings – start with Lucena/Philidor then practise 4-vs-3 same-flank.
• Study one model game where the stronger side wins with pawn storms + central breaks. Add it to your personal database.
• Solve 20 tactics focused on defensive motifs (zwischenzug, back-rank defences) to balance your attacking eye.

Keep the momentum!

Your attacking flair is evident, and with a bit more restraint before committing central and wing pawns you’ll tighten the few leaks in your repertoire. Keep enjoying the game and analysing both wins and losses – that’s where the real rating points hide.