xGustavoGomes

Hi xGustavoGomes! – Post-Session Feedback

At a glance

• Current peak blitz rating: 1622 (2025-01-13)
• Main opening family: Italian & Four-Knights (C50-C54) – 12/15 latest games.
• Typical game length: 30-40 moves, decided by tactics or the clock.
• When you win you usually do it by check-mate (7/10) – great attacking instinct!

What’s already working

1. Initiative-first mindset. In your win against alioke you kept your foot on the gas from 10.Nd5! until 30.Qb1#. Excellent sense for momentum.
2. Tactical alertness. You rarely miss loose pieces. 7…Nxe4!! in the miniature vs. Johnzzzwww shows you can spot immediate tactics even under 5-minute pressure.
3. King safety awareness. You castle quickly in almost every game; that’s step one toward consistent play.

Highest-value improvements

1. Clock management (critical)

You lost four of your last six defeats on time even in winning or equal positions. Try the “40-20-40” rule for 5-minute games:

• Opening (moves 1-10): spend 40 % of your clock building a safe structure.
• Middlegame (moves 11-25): allow 20 % for tactics (your strength!).
• Rest of the game: preserve the final 40 % for conversion/endgame.

Practical tip: force yourself to move within 10 seconds when the position is quiet; save deep thinks for branch points (critical position).

2. Opening hygiene

Your repertoire is fine, but two recurring issues cost material:

1. Playing …f6 or …h6 too early with Black. In the Italian, these moves weaken the diagonals c4–g8 and b3–f7. Delay them until you’ve developed all minor pieces.
2. Grabbing pawns before completing development. Example: 10…exd4 in your loss to brolaireofsunnyd allowed Bxf7+ and shattered coordination. Follow the classic order: development → king safety → centre → material.

Homework: build a 10-move script for both colours in the Italian so you never have to burn time reinventing moves.

3. Endgame conversion

Several winning positions slipped away once queens came off (e.g., the R+p endgame vs. TonyNicklen). Focus on:

• Keeping rooks active behind passed pawns.
• Cutting off the enemy king before pushing pawns.
• Basic rook-and-pawn vs. rook technique – 10-minute drill on Chess.com’s endgame trainer each session.

Model game (annotate it yourself!)

Replay your sharpest win and ask “why was this move necessary?”. Try to find at least two alternatives that would have lost the advantage.

Next-week micro-goals

• Solve 10 tactics before playing; stop when you miss two in a row.
• Play two 15|10 games focused solely on time control discipline.
• Write down three move candidates (in your head is fine) every time your opponent attacks something.

Track your progress

Come back to these charts after 30 games:

Final encouragement

Your tactical eye is already strong enough for 1300-1400. Pair it with steadier clock use and basic endgame technique and you’ll hit that milestone quickly. Enjoy the grind and good luck in your next set of games!