--- title: "Sample report: Player A, 10,837 blitz games · Chess Goat" description: "You don’t need more chess knowledge. You need to look before you move. 10,752 of your games are blitz, 93% of them 3+0. Your rating has lived between 800 and 1,080 since 2020. The engine says why, and it is mostly one habit." canonical: "https://trychessgoat.com/r/sample-blitz/" last_updated: 2026-11-04 --- chess.com / Player A · 10,837 games · Stockfish 19 on the latest 2,000 (Mar 9 2025 – Sep 20 2026) # You don’t need more chess knowledge. You need to look before you move. 10,752 of your games are blitz, 93% of them 3+0. Your rating has lived between 800 and 1,080 since 2020. The engine says why, and it is mostly one habit. 79.7%your accuracy — opponents’: 79.6%. You are exactly as good as the people you play. 2.3game-changing mistakes per game (≥20 win-% lost in one move) 3.2 smedian think time in the middlegame. 1.4 s in endgames. 382games lost after being +5 or better — 38% of all your losses ## The short answer **Analysed:** Player A’s chess.com blitz games: 10,837 games · Stockfish 19 on the latest 2,000 (Mar 9 2025 – Sep 20 2026). Report date: September 21, 2026. **Verdict:** Rating: 799 → 1,039 in 90 days. Move quality: unchanged. Accuracy, blunder rate and opening results are statistically identical to the prior nine months. What changed is that you now save more lost games (26% → 38%, p = 0.001) — real fighting spirit plus generous opponents, not better chess. A 200-point swing inside 90 days has happened in half of all 90-day windows since 2020. Expect it to fade unless the habits below change. **Biggest leaks:** 1. [One-move oversights](https://trychessgoat.com/#leak-check): 1,081 mistakes · 23% of all 2. [Not taking what’s offered](https://trychessgoat.com/#leak-take): 1,704 missed punishments · you cash in only 58% of opponent blunders 3. [Openings that start you in a hole](https://trychessgoat.com/#leak-open): As Black: −1.8 average by move 10 · ≥1.5 pawns down in 46% of games [How to review your own games for free](https://trychessgoat.com/improve/free-game-review/) · [Time pressure in chess, measured](https://trychessgoat.com/improve/time-pressure-data/) Where you’re stuck ## 1000–1400 Typical at this rating The r/chessbeginners rating guide describes this band plainly: players **still sometimes hang pieces**, don’t understand openings yet, and create weaknesses with random pawn moves. Most of them already know enough chess. What they lack is a check they run before every move. Yours That is you, almost to the number. **460** pieces left where they were attacked, **427** moved onto attacked squares, **−1.8** by move 10 as Black. Your puzzle rating (≈1,600) says the knowledge is there. Your rating has lived between 800 and 1,080 since 2020 because the habit isn’t. Last 30 & 90 days ## Improving, or lucky? Rating: 799 → 1,039 in 90 days. **Move quality: unchanged.** Accuracy, blunder rate and opening results are statistically identical to the prior nine months. What changed is that you now **save more lost games** (26% → 38%, p = 0.001) — real fighting spirit plus generous opponents, not better chess. A 200-point swing inside 90 days has happened in **half** of all 90-day windows since 2020. Expect it to fade unless the habits below change. Metric Last 30d Last 90d Prior 9 mo Read Results Games 170 413 953 Rating, start → end 930 → 1039 799 → 1039 1013 → 791 up Score 53.8% 53.3% 48.1% p = 0.08, not significant Skill — what the engine sees Your accuracy 79.0 79.7 80.1 flat (p = 0.36) Opponents’ accuracy 79.1 79.6 80.3 flat Big mistakes per 40 moves 3.00 2.89 2.83 flat (p = 0.81) Opponent blunders you punish 60% 58% 58% flat Eval at move 10 as Black −2.1 −1.8 −2.0 flat — still bad More accurate than opponent 47% 47% 46% flat Resilience & luck Score after being −5 or worse 37.8% 37.5% 26.2% real change (p = 0.001) Score after reaching +5 71.9% 72.2% 65.8% borderline (p = 0.055) Wins that came from a lost position 47% 47% 33% half your wins are comebacks Wins on the clock while losing on the board 14% 12% 9% flag luck rising ### Rating, rolling 50-game average Same band for 18 months. The current climb starts from the lowest trough in the sample. ### Accuracy, rolling 50-game average If you were improving, the blue line would pull away from the orange one. It never has. YouOpp Credit where due: not resigning and fighting on is a skill, and it is paying. But it is a skill that depends on opponents erring back. Both players reach +5 in over 60% of your games — these are coin-flip brawls. Fewer blunders is the only durable way up. What the engine found · 4,606 big mistakes classified ## Six leaks, ranked by rating points Every position below is from your own games in the last 120 days. Decide first, then open the answer and step through what you played and what was best with the ← → buttons (or your arrow keys). Red arrows show what went wrong, green arrows what was best. ### 1 · One-move oversights 1,081 mistakes · 23% of all > It never even passed through my mind that this was threatened. — José Raúl Capablanca[Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/33870) 460 times you ignored a piece that was already attacked. 427 times you moved a piece onto an attacked square. 146 times you walked into mate in 1–3. Your blunder rate is **the same with 90+ seconds on the clock (7.4 per 100 moves) as with under 10 (6.1)** — this is not time trouble. It is not looking. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens You play what Dan Heisman calls **Hope Chess**: you move without checking their forcing replies and hope there is an answer. The clock isn’t the cause. Your blunder rate is **7.4 per 100 moves** with 90+ seconds left and 6.1 with under 10. 2The habit Heisman’s **“Is it safe?”** check on every move. What did their last move attack? What can they check or capture after mine? It takes three seconds, and you still hold 104 of your 180 at move 20. 3The drill 15 minutes a day of Lichess _Hanging piece_ puzzles, untimed, 95% correct. Finish with one Puzzle Streak run. One miss ends it, so it rewards looking before you click. 4What success looks like Big mistakes at **2.4 per 40 moves** or fewer (now 2.9). Half as many pieces left en prise in your next 40 games. White to move · Move 9 · 2:53 on your clock · you were +4.8Before grabbing b5 — what is Black threatening? You played axb5?? White to move · Move 15 · 1:47 on your clock · you were +8.4A free rook on a8. What did the last move (…Ng4) threaten? You played Nxa8?? White to move · Move 22 · 1:42 on your clock · you were +6.3You want Nf5 and mate on g7. What is attacked right now? You played Nf5?? Black to move · Move 20 · 1:47 on your clock · you were +2Your queen and the f1-bishop are on the same diagonal. You played …O-O-O?? Study with - [Dan Heisman: Is Your Move Safe?](https://www.danheisman.com/is-your-move-safe.html)articleThe blunder check, explained by the coach who named it. - [Lichess Puzzles: Hanging Piece](https://lichess.org/training/hangingPiece)practiceSpot the undefended piece, yours and theirs. The core skill below 1400. - [Lichess Puzzle Streak](https://lichess.org/streak)practiceNo clock, one mistake ends the run. It rewards checking before you move. - [GM Aman Hambleton: Building Chess Habits](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8N8j2e7RpPnpqbISqi1SJ9_wrnNU3rEm)videoHabit rules staged by rating, from beginner to about 2000. Start with the videos at your rating. Practice this: [The blunder check →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/blunder-check) ### 2 · Not taking what’s offered 1,704 missed punishments · you cash in only 58% of opponent blunders > Take every Pawn or piece that may be offered to you unless you see immediate danger. — José Raúl Capablanca[Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/aprimerofchess) 243 free pieces left on the board. 19 mates-in-one not played. Opponents blunder as often as you do; whoever notices first wins. Before every move: **checks, captures, threats** — for both sides. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens Your opponents blunder as often as you do. You cash in only **58%** of those blunders because you look at your own plan, not at their last move. 243 free pieces and 19 mates in one went untaken. 2The habit **Checks, captures, threats** (CCT), in that order, for both sides, on every move. Forcing moves first, because forcing moves decide games at your level. 3The drill Five minutes of Lichess _Mate in 1_ before every session, then _Mate in 2_. In games, look at every check before any other move. 4What success looks like Punish **68%** of opponent blunders or more (now 58%). No missed mate in one in your next 40 games. White to move · Move 4 · your own pet lineYou play Bc4 + Qf3 for one reason. Do it. You played Nc3 Black to move · Move 18 · 2:03 on your clockChecks first. You played …f5 Black to move · Move 3 · 2:59 on your clockWhite just played Bf4. Look at every capture. You played …Qc6 Black to move · Move 8 · 2:44 on your clockWhite just played Ng5. Is it defended? You played …a5 White to move · Move 32 · 0:43 on your clockChecks first. You played g4?? Study with - [Lichess Puzzles: Mate in 1](https://lichess.org/training/mateIn1)practiceFast pattern reps. A good five-minute warm-up before you play. - [Lichess Puzzles: Mate in 2](https://lichess.org/training/mateIn2)practiceThe next step once mate in 1 is easy. - [Lichess Practice: Checkmate Patterns I](https://lichess.org/practice/checkmates/checkmate-patterns-i/fE4k21MW)practiceNamed mating patterns, back rank first. Pattern memory is what makes a mate jump off the board. - [IM John Bartholomew: Chess Fundamentals](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLl9uuRYQ-6MBwqkmwT42l1fI7Z0bYuwwO)videoEpisode 1 is “Undefended Pieces”. That’s the free material you keep walking past. Practice this: [Is it really safe? Counting attackers and defenders →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/count-defenders) ### 3 · Openings that start you in a hole As Black: −1.8 average by move 10 · ≥1.5 pawns down in 46% of games > In the openings avoid moving the same piece twice. It retards your development. — José Raúl Capablanca[Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/aprimerofchess) As White you are fine on average (+0.2) except for the Qf3/Qh5 sorties. As Black you are regularly lost before the middlegame: early …Qf6, the Scotch (−2.8), the London (−2.7), generic 1.d4 (−2.2), Italian (score 32%). In a quarter of all games your first blunder comes before move 10. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens Qf3, Qh5, Qb3 and …Qf6 all move the queen early and move it again when it gets chased. Your knights stay at home. As Black you are 1.5 pawns or more down by move 10 in **46%** of your games. 2The habit Knights out, then bishops, then castle. No queen move before move 8 unless it wins material. Play one setup as White and one as Black. You need fewer lines, not more. 3The drill Step through the week-3 walkthroughs until you can play them without the board. Then open your last ten Black games on the Lichess analysis board and mark the move where you left the setup. 4What success looks like Eval at move 10 as Black of **−0.7 or better** (now −1.8). Your first blunder comes after move 10, not before it (now a quarter of your games). White to move · As White · played 20 times · costs 37 win-% each timeBlack defended f7 with …Nf6. Your usual move is Qb3. Why is it bad? You played Qb3?? White to move · As White · King's Gambit · played 5 times · costs 43 win-% each timeWhy can you never take on e5 here? You played fxe5?? Black to move · As Black · played 26 times (…Qf6 on move 2)How do you defend e5? You played …Qf6 Black to move · As Black vs the Scotch · your worst common opening (−2.8 by move 10)You traded knights on d4 and the queen recaptured. You play …c5 to kick it. You played …c5 Study with - [ChessNetwork (NM Jerry): Beginner to Chess Master](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQsLDm9Rq9bHKEBnElquF8GuWkI1EJ8Zp)videoA patient climb through the ratings with every idea explained. - [Lichess Analysis board + Opening Explorer](https://lichess.org/analysis)practiceCheck your own opening lines against master games. The explorer needs a free Lichess login. - [Lichess Puzzles: Opening](https://lichess.org/training/opening)practiceTactics from the first moves of the game, where cheap traps live. Practice this: [Opening rules that win games →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/opening-rules) ### 4 · Not converting won games Reached +5 in 1,220 games · lost 382 · drew 40 > My wife does not really know how to play chess, but she can beat anyone who loses on time against her. — Dan Heisman[chess.com](https://www.chess.com/blog/danheisman/losing-on-time-is-much-worse-than-making-bad-moves) 164 of those losses were on time, 163 by checkmate. When you are winning you keep attacking at 2 seconds a move instead of trading down and checking your own king. 35% of your big mistakes are made from positions that were already winning. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens You reached +5 in **1,220** games and lost **382** of them, 164 on time and 163 to checkmate. **35%** of all your big mistakes come from positions that were already won. Winning is when you stop checking. 2The habit When you’re +3: trade pieces, not pawns. Check your own king. Then ask what their only threat is and take it away. That is **prophylaxis**, Nimzowitsch’s idea: stop their plan before you run yours. 3The drill K+Q vs K and K+R vs K in under 30 seconds, five times a day. Then play +5 positions from your own lost games against a level 4–5 bot until you win each twice. 4What success looks like Score from +5 at **80% or more** (now 67%). No more stalemates. Five of your games were drawn that way. White to move · Move 23 · 2:02 on your clock · forced mate on the boardKing on f8, your queen on g6, knight on f7. Finish it. You played Rae1 White to move · Move 23 · 1:52 on your clock · you were +6You are in check from the f2-bishop. Three legal replies. Which? You played Kh1?? Black to move · Move 18 · 1:47 on your clock · you were +7.9Your bishop attacks the white queen. The knight on h2 attacks your bishop. You played …Qg5?? Study with - [Lichess Practice: Piece Checkmates I](https://lichess.org/practice/checkmates/piece-checkmates-i/BJy6fEDf)practiceQueen, rook and two-rook mates until they are automatic. A won game you can’t finish is not won. - [Lichess Puzzles: Crushing](https://lichess.org/training/crushing)practicePositions where one move wins decisively. Train the instinct to finish. - [Prophylaxis (chess) on Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prophylaxis_(chess))articleA short definition of prophylaxis: asking what the opponent wants before you move. - [GM Daniel Naroditsky: Beginner to Master Speedrun](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLT1F2nOxLHOfQ-eoJTpyvKkQFwYewDduj)videoThe late GM Naroditsky explained his thinking move by move. Watch what he does once he is ahead: that is the skill this leak is about. Practice this: [Converting a won game: trade pieces, not pawns →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/converting) ### 5 · Two-move tactics: forks, loose pieces, f2/f7 ≈1,900 mistakes punished by a short tactic > Whenever we see an unprotected piece we must keep our eyes peeled because this is one of the most important ingredients of a combination. — Jacob Aagaard[Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jacob_Aagaard) Most common punishers: capture sequences on under-defended pieces (653), attacks on pieces with no retreat (651), checks (297), forks (270). Your puzzle rating (≈1,600) says you can find these when told one exists. In games nobody tells you. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens Most of these are short shots at loose pieces: **653** capture sequences on under-defended pieces, 651 attacks on pieces with no retreat, 270 forks. Your puzzle rating says you can solve them. In a game, nobody tells you a tactic is there. 2The habit **LPDO: loose pieces drop off**, the rule popularized by GM John Nunn. After every move, name each undefended piece on both sides. When an enemy knight reaches your half, check its fork squares. 3The drill One puzzle theme every two days, 20 minutes a day: Fork, Pin, Trapped piece, Discovered attack. Do the matching Lichess Practice module first, then the puzzles. 4What success looks like Fork losses cut in half (270 in this sample). You find your own forks as often as they find theirs: the same drill fixes both. Black to move · Move 10 · 2:40 on your clockA white knight sits on d5. Which square must you always check? You played …b4?? White to move · Move 12 · 2:34 on your clockYour king is still on e1, the f-file is open for Black. What is loose? You played Bd3?? White to move · Move 11 · 2:45 on your clock · you were +8Your Bc4 + Qb3 battery points at f7. Black king g8, rook e8. You played d4 Study with - [ChessBase: Loose Pieces Drop Off (LPDO)](https://en.chessbase.com/post/loose-pieces-drop-off-lpdo)articleThe rule popularized by GM John Nunn: an undefended piece is a target waiting to happen. - [Lichess Practice: The Fork](https://lichess.org/practice/fundamental-tactics/the-fork/Qj281y1p)practiceThe tactic amateurs miss most, and fall for most. Short and interactive. - [Lichess Practice: The Pin](https://lichess.org/practice/fundamental-tactics/the-pin/9ogFv8Ac)practicePins explain a lot of “I didn’t see that” losses. Do it right after the fork module. - [Lichess Puzzles: Trapped Piece](https://lichess.org/training/trappedPiece)practiceThe quiet win: attack a piece that has nowhere to go. Practice this: [Forks: one piece, two targets →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/forks) ### 6 · Endgames played at 1.4 seconds a move Score in 40+ move games: 38% · entered winning endgames: only 71% > It should be borne in mind that a player strong in the endings will have a decided advantage over the others. — José Raúl Capablanca[Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/aprimerofchess) You reach move 40 with 37 seconds on average and lose 38 clearly winning endgames on time. 85% of endgame mistakes are in rook or rook-plus-minor endings: passive king, rook behind nothing, missed back-rank and edge mates. Coach’s notes 1Why it happens You reach move 40 with **37 seconds** on average and play the ending at 1.4 seconds a move. 85% of your endgame mistakes are in rook endings: passive king, a rook behind nothing, missed edge mates. 2The habit Keep 60 seconds for move 30 and beyond. In the ending the king is a fighting piece, so walk it to the centre first. Rooks go behind passed pawns, as Tarrasch taught. 3The drill Silman’s _Complete Endgame Course_, your rating section only. Then Lichess Practice: Opposition, and Basic Rook Endgames. 4What success looks like Score in 40+ move games of **48%** or better (now 38%). No clearly winning ending lost on time (now 38). White to move · Move 32 · 1:09 on your clock · rook endingBlack king on h6, your rook on g4 cuts the g-file. You played f5 White to move · Move 35 · 1:01 on your clock · rook ending, +3b3 is going to fall either way. What is your worst-placed piece? You played h4 Study with - [Jeremy Silman: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/83337.Silman_s_Complete_Endgame_Course)bookChapters are split by rating. Read your section and the one below it, nothing more. - [Lichess Practice: Opposition](https://lichess.org/practice/pawn-endgames/opposition/A4ujYOer)practiceKing-and-pawn basics. The foundation for converting a simplified win. - [Lichess Practice: Basic Rook Endgames](https://lichess.org/practice/rook-endgames/basic-rook-endgames/pqUSUw8Y)practiceLucena and Philidor ideas. Rook endings are the most common endings you will reach. - [Lichess Puzzles: Rook Endgame](https://lichess.org/training/rookEndgame)practiceRook-ending puzzles. Pairs with the rook endgame practice modules. Practice this: [Converting a won game: trade pieces, not pawns →](https://trychessgoat.com/learn/#/lesson/converting) Lesson plan · 8 weeks · ~30 minutes a day ## The plan ### Five rules, starting today 1. **The 3-second blunder check.** Before releasing any move: “What did their last move attack? What can they check or capture after mine?” You have the time — at move 20 you still hold 104 of 180 seconds. 2. **Checks, captures, threats — theirs first, then yours.** Every move, especially right after the opponent moves a piece next to your king or queen. 3. **Play 5+3 or 10+0 for the next 8 weeks.** At most one 3+0 session a week. You cannot build a look-first habit at 3 seconds a move. 10,000 games of 3+0 have produced zero rating change. 4. **When +3 or more: trade pieces, not pawns; king safety first; no new adventures.** 5. **Stop after two losses in a row** (you score 40–48% after 2–3 straight losses), **and max 6 games per session** (game 7+ scores 45%). Your in-game checklist ### Before you let go of the piece 1. What did their last move attack? 2. Checks, captures, threats: theirs first, then mine. 3. Is the square I’m moving to safe? 4. Up +3 or more? Trade pieces, guard my king, no adventures. Chess Goat · trychessgoat.com ### Week by week Each week has a board. Pick a tab, then step through it with ← → or your arrow keys. Every line was checked for legality; the two basic mates are Stockfish’s own play. Weeks 1–2 · Leak 1 + 2 ### Board vision Start · White to move Your game, move 8. You are +2.5. Before moving: what did their last move attack? - Daily 15 min: Lichess puzzle themes _Hanging piece_, _Mate in 1_, _Mate in 2_. Untimed, aim 95% correct — accuracy over speed. - Daily 5 min: for each puzzle position, first name every undefended piece on both sides. - 2–3 games of 10+0. After each: find your first big mistake with Game Review and write which rule it broke. Target: big mistakes ≤ 2.4 / 40 moves (now 2.9) Week 3 · Leak 3 ### A repertoire you can’t lose from Start · White to move Your new White opening. Same setup every game. - Step through all five tabs until you can play each line from memory, then play them out against a level-3 bot. - **White:** the Italian setup. Delete Qf3, Qh5 and Qb3. If you keep the King’s Gambit, the knight comes out before anything is captured. - **Black:** knight defends e5, bishop to c5, castle. One setup against every 1.d4. - Rule: no queen move before move 8 unless it wins material or the line above says so. Target: eval at move 10 as Black ≥ −0.7 (now −1.8) Weeks 4–5 · Leak 5 ### Two-move tactics Start · White to move King behind three unmoved pawns, no rook guarding the back rank. - Daily 20 min puzzles by theme, one theme per 2 days: _Fork_, _Pin_, _Trapped piece_, _Discovered attack_, _Removing the defender_, _Back-rank mate_, _Kingside attack (h7/f7)_. - Learn the 10 basic mate patterns (back rank, smothered, Anastasia, Arabian, Qh7/Qg7 support mates, Légal, Scholar’s, Greek gift idea). - In games: whenever a knight reaches your 4th/5th rank, check its fork squares. Target: punish ≥ 68% of opponent blunders (now 58%) Week 6 · Leak 4 ### Winning won games Start · White to move Box the king in with the queen a knight-move away, bring your king, mate. Drill until it takes under 30 seconds. - Play 10 “+5” positions from your own lost games against Stockfish level 4–5 until you win each twice. - Drill: K+Q vs K and K+R vs K mates in under 30 seconds each, five times daily. You drew 5 games by stalemating. - Checklist when ahead: is my king safe → what can I trade → what is their only threat. Target: score from +5 ≥ 80% (now 67–72%) Week 7 · Leak 6 ### Endgames that actually occur Start · White to move King on the 6th rank ahead of its pawn always wins. - Silman’s _Complete Endgame Course_, parts for beginner → class C only: opposition, square of the pawn, rook behind passed pawns, Lucena and Philidor ideas, king activity. - Lichess Practice: _Rook endgames_, _Pawn endgames_ basics. - Clock rule: keep ≥ 60 s for move 30+. Spend less in the opening (you now know it) — not less in the endgame. Target: 40+ move games ≥ 48% (now 38%) Week 8 · Re-measure ### Audit again - Play 40 games at 5+3. - Re-run this exact analysis on them. If accuracy is ≥ 82 and blunders ≤ 2.4 / 40, the gain is real and 1,150–1,200 follows. Then go back to 3+0 if you like. - If not: repeat weeks 1–2. That habit is worth more than everything else combined. Pass mark: accuracy gap vs opponents ≥ +2 (now +0.1) Rough value of each fix, from your own numbers: converting +5 positions at 80% instead of 67% is worth ≈ +55 Elo. Reaching the middlegame level as Black instead of −1.8 is plausibly worth as much, and halving one-move oversights likely more than both. Method All games from the chess.com public API. Stockfish 19, 150k nodes per position, every position of the latest 2,000 blitz/rapid games (≈130k positions). Mistake = ≥20 win-percentage points lost in one move (Lichess win-% model); accuracy uses the Lichess formula, so numbers differ slightly from chess.com’s CAPS. Motif tags are heuristic. Significance: Welch z-test, last 30/90 days vs days 91–365. Older games (2009–Feb 2025) were used for opening, time-of-day and streak statistics only. Want this for your own games? Send your chess.com username; the report arrives as a link like this one. [Get your Goat Report · $10$5](https://trychessgoat.com/) Analysis by [Stockfish](https://stockfishchess.org/), the free open-source chess engine. Chess Goat is not affiliated with chess.com, or with any player, coach, author or channel quoted or linked in this report.