Yunier Leyva Rivera IM

Hi Yunier (Leyva Rivera)!

Congratulations on maintaining a strong mid-2500 blitz rating (2635 (2025-03-22)). I’ve analysed your latest batch of wins and losses and put together some tailored feedback.

What you’re already doing very well

• Killer instinct in dynamic positions. Your recent win against Daniel Madson de Medeiros Amorim is a perfect illustration: you sensed the moment to strike with 20…Bxh3 and never let the initiative slip until 47…Rg2#. Your tactical vision is a real asset.
• Flexible opening menu. You comfortably switch between the Caro-Kann, Sicilian and Benoni as Black, and between 1.e4 and 1.d4 as White. That keeps opponents guessing and shows broad understanding.
• Good feel for piece activity. In many games you willingly give up a pawn or structural concession to mobilise your pieces (e.g. the exchange sacrifice 10…Rxe3! vs baranovski12).

Key improvement areas

• Clock management. Three of your five most recent losses were on time in roughly equal or better positions. Try the “Plus-2 Rule”: aim to complete every move with ≥your opponent’s time + two seconds. If you drop below, simplify or speed up immediately.
• End-game conversion. Games vs skinerd6 and pavelAVal reached simplified positions where a quicker technical plan (king centralisation, safe pawn expansion) would have sealed the result. A weekly diet of rook-and-pawn endings will pay off fast.
• Handling the Sicilian as Black. The time-for-space pawn race in your loss to jadogar_riga (…b5/b4 grab that back-fired) shows that you sometimes push the queenside pawns too early. Study the thematic plans in the Richter-Rauzer so you recognise when to delay …b5.
• Avoiding early pawn looseness as White. In the Wing Gambit loss to Krisoboy the early 9.e5?! and 21.Bxg6?! weakened your dark squares. Before committing a pawn break, run a mental “new weakness?” checklist.

Action plan for the next 4 weeks

1. Dedicated opening focus (15 min/day)
   • Black vs 1.e4: deepen your Caro-Kann (Tartakower line).
   • Black vs 1.d4: prepare a solid fallback (e.g. Queen’s Gambit Accepted) to complement your sharp Benoni.
   • White repertoire: pick either 1.e4 or 1.d4 as your “main weapon” for a month and track performance with
   .
2. End-game technique (15 min/day)
   • Work through 20 rook endings from Silman’s or Dvoretsky’s manuals.
   • After each session, play out a rook + 4 pawns vs rook + 4 pawns bot position at 3 min to practice speed.
3. Clock discipline (all games)
   • Implement the “Plus-2 Rule” mentioned above.
   • If you reach a position with a clear static advantage, consciously simplify within the next three moves.
4. Self-review routine (once a week)
   • Pick one decisive game (win or loss) and annotate it fully.
   • Summarise three things learned in a journal.
   • Upload the PGN to friends/coaches for feedback.
   Use
   to see if certain times of day lead to more blunders.

Illustrative game fragment

Study where you converted the initiative flawlessly:

Glossary spotlight

Today’s word: zugzwang – a position where any move worsens the mover’s game. Recognising it helps you convert winning end-games faster.

Final thought

Your tactical energy already wins a lot of games; adding time-management discipline and sharper end-game technique will push you well beyond the 2600 blitz mark. Good luck, keep grinding, and enjoy the journey!