Coach Chesswick
Hi Yani Mameri!
Well done on putting in consistent games and already scoring several convincing victories. Below is some personalised feedback to help you climb to the next rating bracket.
What you are already doing well
- Tactical awareness: you frequently spot forks, pins and mating nets (see 15. Bxb7 ♖xb7 16. Ng5!! in one of your wins). Your eye for tactics is a real asset – keep sharpening it with a daily puzzle routine.
- Active piece play: you rarely keep your forces on the back rank; rooks often reach open files quickly.
- Fighting spirit: you play on in complicated or even worse positions and often turn games around on the clock or by setting tactical traps. That resilience will serve you well as you improve.
Highest rating so far
Priority fixes for the next 20 games
- King safety comes first. Make castling a habit by move 10 whenever the position allows it. In several losses (e.g. vs. meguraaaa2) you were mated with your king still in the centre or on an exposed file.
- Stop weakening your own king with early pawn thrusts. The moves g4/g5 and h4/h5 before castling gave your opponents both open lines and targets. Save those pawn storms until your king is safe and your pieces are supporting the attack.
- Limit early queen adventures. Moves such as 2. Qf3?! (Pirc game) or 1. Qb3 early in the opening wasted tempi and let your opponent develop with threats. Follow the classical order: occupy the centre, develop knights and bishops, then bring the queen.
- Develop every piece once before moving any piece twice. You often shuffle the same knight (Ng5–Nh3–Ng5) while other pieces remain on their original squares. This is the quickest way to fall behind.
- Endgame technique. In the loss below you were two pawns down but still had chances to set up a fortress; instead pieces were exchanged mechanically. Spend a few minutes each day on basic king-and-pawn endings.
Illustrative loss – lessons highlighted
Early pawn pushes and delayed development left your king exposed. Play through the moves and note where simple developing moves (Nc3, d4, O-O) would have kept the balance.
Mini training plan
- Play one 10-minute game per day where you must castle before move 10.
- After every game, write down one move that violated a basic principle (e.g. “moved my queen twice before finishing development”). This builds awareness.
- Solve 10 tactics on the Chess.com trainer, focusing on themes such as the fork, pin and back-rank mate.
- Study one model opening: as White, the Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4); as Black, the Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5). These lines emphasise fast development and castling.
When do you win the most?
Keep an eye on these charts to understand when you play your best chess.
Next coaching checkpoint
After 20 more rapid games, send me your new peak rating and two games (one win, one loss). We will review how well you stuck to the priorities above and set new goals.
Good luck, keep enjoying the game, and remember – safe king, active pieces, healthy centre!