Coach Chesswick
Constructive feedback for Zhanibek “Zhani-Z” Amanov
Your current profile at a glance
- Peak Blitz rating: 2562 (2024-07-05)
- Characteristic openings: 1 b3 (Nimzowitsch-Larsen), Caro-Kann, Sicilian Taimanov, and Queen’s Gambit–Tarrasch as Black.
- Typical result pattern: very strong in fast 60 + 1 games (many wins on time) but large Elo swings in longer 10 min games (losses to ~1500 rated players).
What you already do well
- Dynamic piece play. Your win vs. kalmandufne shows you willingly sacrifice a pawn (6…d4!) to gain quick development and tactical chances.
- Speed & pressure. Many opponents flag because you keep the clock edge; this is a practical strength worth preserving.
- End-game technique. In multiple wins you converted R + pawns vs. minor pieces with correct king activity—good sign you study basic endings.
Biggest improvement levers
-
Opening discipline (especially in longer games).
Your losses against 1400–1500 players came from early-queen adventures (3.Qh5?! vs …e5) and king walks (5.Ke2/6.Kf3). Stick to classical development: centre control, knight-before-bishop, castle early. Before every move ask: “Does this follow opening principles?” -
King safety.
Games lost to Qxh7# and quick mating nets begin with …Nh5 or …Bd6 leaving g7/h7 loose. Build the habit of a “20-second blunder check” on every move: checks, captures, threats against your king first. -
Tactical hygiene.
You see tactics for yourself, but sometimes miss simple ones against you (e.g. 10…Qb6# in the Vienna loss). Daily exercises (10–15 mixed motifs) will raise your baseline. Use spaced repetition; aim for 85 %+ accuracy under 1 minute each. -
Stable repertoire.
Consider narrowing to one system per colour until 2300+ feels effortless:- As White: keep 1 e4 but add solid main-line structures (e.g. Ruy Lopez, Italian) instead of early queen attacks.
- As Black vs. 1 e4: your Sicilian Taimanov scores well—commit to it and learn the critical paths up to move 10.
- As Black vs. 1 d4: the Tarrasch Defence fits your active style; review plans in the isolated-d-pawn middlegame.
-
Time-management balance.
Winning on time is great, but rapid blunders often stem from too much speed. In 10-minute games aim to keep 2–3 minutes banked, not 6–7. Spend the saved seconds on critical positions; your accuracy will jump.
Suggested weekly training template (≈5 h total)
| Session | Duration | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 30 min | 10 tactics drills + annotate one recent loss |
| Wed | 45 min | Opening review (update repertoire file, memorise 5 key lines) |
| Fri | 30 min | End-game study (king-pawn & rook-pawn) |
| Sat | 2 rapid games 15 + 10 | Play, annotate without engine, then check with engine |
| Sun | 45 min | Model-game review (grandmaster game in your opening) |
Visualising your progress
Mini checklist before pressing “Move”
- Are there any forcing moves (check, capture, threat) for either side?
- Will my king still be safe? Evaluate typical mating motifs: back-rank, Greek gift, zwischenzug.
- Does this move improve my worst-placed piece?
- What is my opponent’s best reply? Spend 5 seconds visualising it.