{"id":51795051,"url":"https://github.com/calint/isuckatchess","last_synced_at":"2026-07-21T02:07:35.548Z","repository":{"id":345446663,"uuid":"1185054427","full_name":"calint/isuckatchess","owner":"calint","description":"A tool to erase the chess blind spots using your own games.","archived":false,"fork":false,"pushed_at":"2026-04-26T05:23:29.000Z","size":700,"stargazers_count":0,"open_issues_count":0,"forks_count":0,"subscribers_count":0,"default_branch":"main","last_synced_at":"2026-04-26T06:25:51.046Z","etag":null,"topics":[],"latest_commit_sha":null,"homepage":"","language":"HTML","has_issues":true,"has_wiki":null,"has_pages":null,"mirror_url":null,"source_name":null,"license":null,"status":null,"scm":"git","pull_requests_enabled":true,"icon_url":"https://github.com/calint.png","metadata":{"files":{"readme":"README.md","changelog":null,"contributing":null,"funding":null,"license":null,"code_of_conduct":null,"threat_model":null,"audit":null,"citation":null,"codeowners":null,"security":null,"support":null,"governance":null,"roadmap":null,"authors":null,"dei":null,"publiccode":null,"codemeta":null,"zenodo":null,"notice":null,"maintainers":null,"copyright":null,"agents":null,"dco":null,"cla":null}},"created_at":"2026-03-18T07:34:58.000Z","updated_at":"2026-04-26T05:23:33.000Z","dependencies_parsed_at":null,"dependency_job_id":null,"html_url":"https://github.com/calint/isuckatchess","commit_stats":null,"previous_names":["calint/isuckatchess"],"tags_count":3,"template":false,"template_full_name":null,"purl":"pkg:github/calint/isuckatchess","repository_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/calint%2Fisuckatchess","tags_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/calint%2Fisuckatchess/tags","releases_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/calint%2Fisuckatchess/releases","manifests_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/calint%2Fisuckatchess/manifests","owner_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners/calint","download_url":"https://codeload.github.com/calint/isuckatchess/tar.gz/refs/heads/main","sbom_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories/calint%2Fisuckatchess/sbom","scorecard":null,"host":{"name":"GitHub","url":"https://github.com","kind":"github","repositories_count":286080680,"owners_count":35705800,"icon_url":"https://github.com/github.png","version":null,"created_at":"2022-05-30T11:31:42.601Z","updated_at":"2026-07-20T02:08:10.276Z","status":"online","status_checked_at":"2026-07-21T02:00:06.728Z","response_time":109,"last_error":null,"robots_txt_status":"success","robots_txt_updated_at":"2025-07-24T06:49:26.215Z","robots_txt_url":"https://github.com/robots.txt","online":true,"can_crawl_api":true,"host_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub","repositories_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repositories","repository_names_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/repository_names","owners_url":"https://repos.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/hosts/GitHub/owners"}},"keywords":[],"created_at":"2026-07-21T02:07:34.944Z","updated_at":"2026-07-21T02:07:35.536Z","avatar_url":"https://github.com/calint.png","language":"HTML","funding_links":[],"categories":[],"sub_categories":[],"readme":"# blind spot trainer\n\n\u003chttps://calint.github.io/isuckatchess/\u003e\n\n## intention\n\nMost games at this level are decided by blunders — specifically, players missing\nthe opportunity to capitalize on each other's mistakes. Spotting two- and three-\nmove tactics can be practiced through exercises that develop pattern\nrecognition, and there is no better place to start than with your own games.\n\n## method\n\nUse the Blind Spot Trainer to retrieve and analyze your past games. The tool\nwill generate custom puzzles from positions where you either missed an\nopportunity or made a blunder. A blind spot isn't just a mistake; it's a pattern\nyour brain currently isn't wired to see. This tool helps you 'see' what you've\nbeen missing.\n\n## step 1, create puzzles\n\n* enter your chess.com username in the field\n* load years and months of available archives\n* fetch games for specified year and month\n* click \"Batch All\" to analyze your games\n\n## step 2, categorize\n\nOpen each puzzle and click \"Solution\" to review it. If the sequence ends in an\noverly complex position without a clear material or positional gain, categorize\nit as \"Too complex\". You can return to these later after practicing more obvious\ntactics. Legitimate blunders from either you or your opponent should be\ncategorized as \"Rotation\". Finally, categorize as \"Irrelevant\" if the puzzle\nlacks logic or if the computer suggests a murky line in a winning position that\ndiverges from the safest path to the win.\n\n## step 3, practice\n\nFilter the view to show \"Rotation\" puzzles, sort by severity, and begin\npracticing. Do not get discouraged if they seem difficult; they are specifically\ntargeting your personal blind spots. Spend about a minute on each position. If\nyou can't find the solution, click \"Hint\" to see which piece to move.\n\nCalculation gets easier with practice; much like learning multiplication tables,\nit takes time before the answers come instantly. To understand why alternative\nmoves fail, copy the position's FEN, paste it into\n\u003chttps://lichess.org/analysis/\u003e, and experiment with different replies.\n\nMake sure you understand the logic behind the solution, keeping in mind that\nsome puzzles may offer multiple winning lines and do not require playing through\nto the very end or choosing the strongest line. Once you have successfully\nsolved a puzzle, move it to the \"Transit\" category. From there, you can move\nthem back into \"Rotation\" in bulk, ensuring the next puzzle appears at the top\nof your list for easier selection.\n\n## step 4, overtraining\n\nIf you instantly recognize a puzzle and know the first few moves from memory\nwithout actively calculating, the puzzle has been overtrained. Rote memorization\nbypasses the calculation practice you need. If this happens, categorize it as\n\"Overtrained\" so you can set it aside. You can revisit this batch later when the\nspecific positions may have faded from your memory.\n\n## step 5, play long games\n\nTo effectively apply your training, play with a time control that allows you to\nthink deeply about each move. A 10-minute game is too fast, and while 30 minutes\nis better, the sweet spot for improvement seems to be 60-minute game.\n\n## step 6, repeat\n\nAfter playing a new game, retrieve it using \"Fetch Games\" and do step 2.\n\nEventually, most puzzles will become \"Overtrained\". Periodically scan this\ncategory; if the first move no longer immediately \"pops\" into your mind from\nmemory, move the puzzle back into \"Rotation\".\n\n## step 7, advancing\n\nReview your \"Too Complex\" puzzles and move any that now offer an understandable\nadvantage to \"Rotation\". For puzzles that remain difficult or lack a clear\ninstructional benefit, move them to \"Transit\" first; once you have finished\nreviewing, you can move them back to \"Too Complex\" in bulk.\n\n## openings\n\nAt this level, many opponents rely on \"system\" openings they know by heart.\nYou’ll often face sharp lines where they’re comfortable with specific tricks and\ntactics. Your goal is simply to survive the opening: develop your pieces,\ncastle, and reach a playable middlegame. This is often harder than it sounds if\nyour opponent has prepared their lines well.\n\nIf you get crushed early or encounter an unfamiliar opening, watch videos about\nit. Focus on the core counter-ideas rather than memorizing moves. Ideas are\neasier to remember and naturally reveal candidate moves.\n\n## checklist\n\nIt is remarkable how many games at this level are decided simply by a one-move\nfork or by capturing a piece left en prise. Before committing to a move,\nvisualize the piece on its new square and scan the board for potential captures.\nReducing these types of blunders is often the most effective way to gain rating.\n\nWhen your opponent moves, pause and ask what is being threatened. It is also\nworth checking if the moved piece has discovered an attack from a previously\nblocked piece.\n\nFlip the board to view it from your opponent's perspective; try to determine\nwhat they are planning.\n\nA helpful way to structure your calculation is to prioritize CCT: Checks,\nCaptures, and Threats.\n\n## winning strategy\n\nGoing for a checkmate attack is often risky, as it usually requires sacrifices\nand very precise tactics. A safer strategy is to simply win a single pawn, then\ntrade pieces until you reach an endgame where your extra pawn is winning.\nLearning to appreciate these types of endings can feel a bit slow at first, but\nit becomes quite satisfying as you get the hang of them.\n\nLearn to activate your king and create passed pawns. Even theoretical draws\noften turn into a win at this level.\n\n## beginning of positional play\n\nRealize that it is about the squares and how to control them using the pieces\nand pawns. Concepts such as weak squares and pawns are essential.\n\n* weak squares cannot be defended by pawns and can become outposts in your\n  opponent's half of the board\n* weak pawns cannot be protected by other pawns and become targets for your\n  pieces\n\nBy definition, every pawn move creates weak squares.\n\nA plan is to induce weak pawns and squares, then find ways to attack them. In\nthe absence of such a plan, improve the least active piece.\n\nIf a piece exerts pressure on the opponent's position, it is active. If a piece\nhas a solely defensive task or is blocked by its own pawns, it is passive.\n\n## finishing a winning position\n\nOnce you are up material, make safe moves that restrict your opponent's\ncounterplay while solidifying and simplifying the position. Computers often\nsuggest complex sequences of strong moves that are too murky at this level.\nManage your time and choose the simplest and safest way to a win, not the\nfastest.\n\nDo not lash out.\n\n## additional resources\n\nlichess.org\n\nThe free tier at chess.com provides a daily allotted set of puzzles in various\nformats; these are good for a pre-game warm-up.\n\nA highly recommended puzzle book is Lev Alburt’s Chess Training Pocket Book. It\ncontains beautiful positions from real games that provide \"aha!\" and \"wow!\"\nmoments. Don’t be discouraged if they seem difficult; avoid spending more than a\ncouple of minutes on a position before looking at the hint, but do spend time\nunderstanding the tactical motifs. After finding the solution, try to visualize\nthe pieces moving in your mind’s eye.\n\n## about time\n\nImproving as an adult is a considerable time commitment; a standard 60-minute\ngame can stretch into an intense two-hour session. Ideally, the training tool\ngenerates personalized puzzles from each game, but when that stops, you have\nreached a crossroads: you can either lower the engine threshold to find obscure,\ncomputer-like appreciation of positions, or accept that you have \"leveled up\".\nYou have stopped blundering and are actively punishing your opponents' mistakes.\n\nBecause of this, your rating now lags behind your actual skill. To bridge that\ngap, you simply have to play and not lose. It is a slow, steady climb; at a\nrealistic gain of 5 points per day, it takes a full month of consistency to\nlevel up.\n\nSolving ten tactical exercises — spending a couple of minutes on each — takes\nabout 30 minutes, including savoring those satisfying \"aha!\" moments of\nvisualizing the solutions. While the progress is fulfilling, the pressure to\nincrease the rating can make daily games feel like a chore. I often find that\nonce a game starts I am fully immersed, yet I still feel anxious before pressing\nthe \"Start Game\" button.\n\nLately, I have found myself enjoying Lev Alburt’s puzzle book more than actual\ngames.\n\n## additional thoughts\n\nIn a 60-minute game averaging 30 moves, you have roughly two minutes per move.\nThe opponent’s thinking time can be used to \"flip the board\" and mentally\ninhabit your opponent’s side, searching for the most punishing ways to attack\nyour own position.\n\nHowever, a difficult opening can easily stretch a single move’s evaluation to\nfive minutes. Likewise, \"hairy\" tactical combinations — where one miscalculation\nspells disaster — can demand ten minutes of deep calculation. In these\nhigh-stakes moments, opting for safe, solid play is often more practical than\nchasing a risky brilliancy. Training with a two-minute limit per puzzle\nsimulates the restricted time available over the board.\n\nOn my wishlist is \"whole-board vision\": a mental map as clear as a diagram. I\nwould like to sense the board’s topography — the shifting pressures and\nstrengths of the squares — as effortlessly as my hands feel the texture of a\nphysical surface. A weak square at d5 should feel like a sinkhole; an\noverprotected piece should feel as if it is towering over the board. Currently,\nmy process remains manual: left foot in front of right, then right in front of\nleft.\n\nThe second wish is the intuition of piece placement for better coordination.\nOccasionally, a certain clarity arises, allowing the pieces to form coherent,\nstrong positions through what feels like easy, natural moves. More often,\nhowever, a lack of harmony results in ugly, contorted positions.\n\nBuilding intuition is a Catch-22: finding combinations builds intuition, yet\nfinding them requires it. The process is a spiraling ascent toward better chess.\n\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fcalint%2Fisuckatchess","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Fcalint%2Fisuckatchess","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Fcalint%2Fisuckatchess/lists"}