yasheshwi

Hi yasheshwi — Here’s some constructive feedback to help you climb beyond 265 (2024-08-23)

Quick take-aways

• Your best results come from sharp, tactical positions (e.g. the wins against davidhiri and raphaelle_86).
• Most defeats share three themes:
  1. King left in the centre or wandering (see 30…Rh1# in your game with E_Yaylal).
  2. Early flank pawn/rook pushes that ignore development (…h5, …a5/…Ra6, Rh3-Rg3 as White).
  3. Loose pieces and missed tactics (e.g. allowing Qa8+ vs annyeong13).

Opening priorities

As Black vs 1.e4 you often choose the Scandinavian but switch systems mid-game (e.g. 1…d5 2.Nc3 d4). Consider learning one main-line structure deeply so you always know:

• Where your queen belongs after 2.exd5 Qxd5 (usually Qa5 or Qd6).
• How to castle quickly (0-0-0 is thematic).
• Typical traps against you (Qxa8+, Bxf7+, etc.).

As Black vs 1.d4/1.c4 invest in a solid reply (Queen’s Gambit Declined or the Slav). These lines punish impatient pawn pushes by White while keeping your king safe.

As White replace the early h-pawn thrusts with classical development: pieces out, castle, then strike in the centre. It will stop disasters like 30…Rh1#.

Middlegame focus

• King safety first. Castle by move 10 whenever reasonable. If you consider king walks (Kg5–Kh6) ask, “Is my opponent’s queen still on the board?”
• Respect tempi. Every rook lift (Ra6, Rh3) or pawn jab (a4, h5) must create a tangible threat; otherwise you’re just handing your foe a free tempo.
• Tactics every day. 15 minutes of puzzle rush or rated tactics will reduce oversights like 18…Nxc2+ or 8…Qd8?? in your losses.

Endgame basics

Rarely reached in your current games, but when they appear you often play with an extra pawn yet no plan. Study:

• King & pawn vs king fundamentals.
• Rook activity: the active rook over passive rook rule would have saved your R vs 2 pawns endings.

Study plan for the next 4 weeks

1. Week 1: Learn the mainline Scandinavian (video/book or free article). Play 10 games using only that line.
2. Week 2: Everyday 20 tactics + review two personal losses. Ask, “Where did development halt?”
3. Week 3: Switch to a “no pawn move on the wings before castling” challenge. Track games in a notebook.
4. Week 4: Endgame drill: king-and-pawn conversions, then basic rook endings.

Game to review

Progress trackers

Use these to spot when you play your best chess:

Final encouragement

You’re already dangerous tactically — a few structural fixes and disciplined development will make those tactics land against stronger opposition. Keep the king safe, solve puzzles daily, and stick to one solid opening per side for now. Good luck and enjoy the climb!