Goal: Use my Aimchess report to identify and improve on weaknesses
Source: Aimchess, YouTube Video ★★★★★
What I Learned
This past week, I finally took the time to dive into my Aimchess report, and the results were humbling. The first thing it made clear… I’m in a slump. My losses have been stacking up, and I had a feeling it was tied to practicing my recent shift in strategy. I’ve been experimenting with new openings that I don’t fully understand yet, and I’ve been trying to play as Black more often, which puts me on the defensive from the start.
Aimchess didn’t hold back in telling me where I was falling short. The biggest downfall was my time management. My opponents have been managing their clocks better, and that’s given them a huge edge. I also saw that I’ve been making more clumsy mistakes lately, likely due to overplaying and not sticking to my roots.
One of the biggest holes in my game was my Scandinavian Defence. Aimchess flagged it and directed me to helpful YouTube videos through links. The video broke down common traps, strategic goals, and mistakes people tend to make. Primarily, I noted that preventing my queen from getting chased around too early is what I need to focus on the most. That alone was a huge shift in how I approached the opening.
Did I Find Success?
Absolutely. Aimchess didn’t just point out my weaknesses; it gave me a clear roadmap to fix them. The report analyzed my last 40 games and compared my performance to that of my opponents in six different categories: openings, tactics, endgames, advantage capitalization, resourcefulness, and time management. That level of detail helped me understand not just what I was doing wrong, but why it mattered and what steps I needed to take to improve.
I especially appreciated how specific the recommendations were. When it told me I was struggling with time management, it didn’t just stop there. It offered me my in-game data and tips with links to get started on improving that area. For example, to improve my openings, the direct link to the Scandinavian Defence information was incredibly helpful.
Since watching the video and applying what I learned, I’ve already noticed my Scandinavian Defence improving. I’m no longer getting into bad positions early, and my queen is no longer running for her life in the first ten moves. My decisions have become more efficient, and I’ve been using my time more wisely during games.
What It Was Like Learning From the Source
While post-game reviews on chess.com is helpful for reviewing individual games, Aimchess offered a much broader view of my performance. It was like stepping back and looking at my entire playing style, not just one-off mistakes, which gave me a lot more insight into patterns I might not have noticed on my own.
The reports are refreshingly (and sometimes brutally) honest. Aimchess doesn’t sugarcoat how you stack up against your opponents, and while it can sting, it’s also what makes it so effective. I knew where I stood and what needed attention.
The YouTube video that Aimchess linked to was a nice bonus. The content was straightforward, clear, and immediately applicable.
All in all, Aimchess turned out to be an eye-opening resource. It made me confront my bad habits, gave me the tools to improve, and reminded me that a data-driven approach can really accelerate learning. If I stick with it and use these reports regularly, I’m confident my slump will be a short one.
The following video is my best attempt at the Scandinavian Defence.