Coach Chesswick
Hi Chess Tutor! đź‘Ť
What you are already doing well
- Consistent development & castling. Most games show you getting knights and bishops out rapidly and securing the king early.
- Active piece play in the middlegame. You willingly launch pawn breaks (e.g. 20…c5 in the French and 4…c5 in several d4-openings) and seize open files with your rooks.
- Fighting spirit. Even in worse positions you keep creating counter-chances, which has netted you wins such as the exchange-sacrifice mating attack against OskieBoy.
Key improvement areas
- Piece safety & blunder checks. Several losses originate from overlooking undefended pieces (e.g. 13.Qb1? Bxb1 vs aniruddh1191, 11…Qa4+ 12.Kd1 Nxf2+ vs astroinmute). Adopt a strict “Scan for checks, captures, threats” routine before every move.
- Conversion in advantageous endgames. Winning positions slipped away (e.g. rook endgames vs pecko11 & celsonnlark). Strengthen basic rook endgame technique (Lucena, Philidor, cutting off the king).
- Time management. Two recent defeats were on the clock. Aim to reach the late middlegame with ≥2 minutes; when below, simplify instead of complicating.
- Opening coherence as White. Your d4 → e3/ c4 setups are sound, but the early queen excursions (Qb1, Qh4, Qg3) often invite tempo-gaining attacks. Replace them with natural developing moves (Nc3, Bd3, Be2, Re1).
12-move training routine (3-4 sessions / week)
- Tactics warm-up: 15 puzzles on overloads, pins & forks (your most common tactical themes).
- Opening micro-review: Play out your first 10 French-Defense moves against an engine set to 1200. Repeat until you do it flawlessly three times in a row.
- Game analysis: Pick one of your losses, locate the first big evaluation swing, and write one sentence on how to avoid it.
- Endgame drill: Practise K+R vs K, K+P vs K, and the Lucena position five times each on a board.
Opening checklist to print & keep near your board
- Central pawn in the first two moves.
- Knights before bishops (exceptions = French …c5, Sicilian …c5).
- Castle before any lateral pawn push (h- or a-pawn).
- Don’t move the same piece twice unless you win material or stop mate.
Critical moment to revisit
After 11.f3 h6 12.Re1 Qb4 13.Qb1? your rook on a1 was left en-prise. Instead, 13.Bb3 protects the rook and keeps material equal. Add this position to your personal “Blunder Check” flashcards.
Your performance patterns
Peak rapid rating so far: 1611 (2020-09-11). Let’s aim to push it 100 points higher in the next month!
Glossary links for quick reference
zwischenzug • overload • Lucena
Keep the board busy and the blunders busy elsewhere. You’ve got this!