# Week 55: two time losses after reaching 1300 > Week 55: 17 rapid games, 5 wins and 12 losses, 1334 → 1288 (−46). Two losses on time from winning positions and 10 blunders with under a minute left. - URL: https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2025-w04/ - Updated: 2026-10-29 - Author: Ignacio Soler Between January 20 and 23, 2025 I played **17 rapid games**, with **5 wins and 12 losses**, and my rating fell from **1334 to 1288 (−46)**. My average accuracy was 80.6%, higher than the week before. Two time losses after reaching 1300 are the main thread here, with their recorded clock use and key positions below. ## Two time losses after reaching 1300: the week in numbers | | | |---|---| | Rapid games | 17 | | Wins / losses / draws | 5 / 12 / 0 | | Rating | 1334 → 1288 (−46) | | Record with White / Black | 2–6 / 3–6 | | Average accuracy | 80.6% | | Blunders (mine) | 50 | | Most played openings | London System (4), Queen's Pawn Opening (2), Indian Game Tartakower Defense (2) | Every game here is 10 minutes per player with no increment. Two games ended on time, both losses, and **10 of my 50 blunders were played with less than a minute on my clock**, more than in any of the six weeks before. The opponents were the strongest of the winter, averaging 1339; 13 of the 17 had a higher rating than mine and I went 2–11 against them. The week finished with five straight losses (games 1342 to 1346). ## Two games, same pattern ### Game 1344: winning by five pawns, then the clock With Black against **bonjours (1365)** in a Pirc Defense ([game on Chess.com](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131290823093)), my opening was excellent: 93.9% accuracy in the first twelve moves. In the middlegame I got a winning position and kept it for a long time. Here is what my clock and the evaluation looked like along the way (negative numbers mean Black, me, is better): | After my move | My clock | Evaluation | |---|---|---| | 34...f4 | 229 s | −6.40 | | 40...Bd8 | 145 s | −5.48 | | 43...Bc7 | 68 s | −3.07 | | 46...Ba6 | 52 s | +1.92 | | 52...Qc2+ | 36 s | −5.88 | | 60...Bxg3 | 6 s | +0.28 | | 64...b2 | 3 s | +8.32 | Between moves 42 and 43 my clock went from 127 seconds to 68: **almost a minute on one move**, in a position I was winning. From there the game became a coin toss played at a few seconds per move. I made 13 blunders in total, seven of them with less than a minute left, my peak winning chance had been 96.7%, and I lost on time on move 65. ### Game 1346: the same story with White The last game of the week, a London System against **deni-sergeev (1291)** ([game link](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131397574709)). At move 29 I was at +6.47 with 123 seconds left. At move 25 I had already spent 57 seconds on a single move. With under a minute, I played 34.g5 (+2.95 became +0.62) and 36.Ra1 with 49 seconds left (+3.25 became −5.47). My flag fell before I made another move. ## The engine's key positions The three moments the engine picked this week are all early-game mistakes, and none of them was about the clock. Two of them show how I lost the games that didn't go to the wire. ### Game 1332: a rook move into a capture > **My rook attacked two pieces, but it went to a square where the queen could simply take it** > Position (FEN): `r3k2r/pp1b1ppp/2nPpn2/q2p4/8/1Q2PN2/P2N1PPP/2R1KB1R w Kkq - 1 12` > Played: Rc5 — Rc5 attacks the queen on a5 and the knight on c6, but the rook can be captured > Better: Qxb7 — Qxb7 takes the pawn and attacks the knight on c6, the bishop on d7 and the undefended rook on a8 With White against **athleticmint371 (1311)** in a London System ([game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131119247757)), I was already worse, −1.45. Rc5 attacks Black's queen and knight, but the queen on a5 can just take the rook; the engine's answer is 12...Qxc5, and the evaluation becomes −8.86. My opponent played 12...Qb6 instead, but two moves later I blundered twice more and spent the rest of the game around −7 until I was mated on move 57, with 34 seconds left. ### Game 1331: the pawn that protected my king > **My f-pawn was the only thing protecting the pawn on g6** > Position (FEN): `r1bqk2r/ppp1ppb1/1n4pp/4N2P/3P1P2/2N5/PPP3P1/R2QKB1R b KQkq - 0 11` > Played: f6 — f6 attacks the knight on e5 but leaves the pawn on g6 without support > Better: g5 — g5 attacks the undefended pawn on f4 With Black against **natesway (1356)** in an Indian Game, Tartakower Defense ([game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131107163131)), the game was about equal, +0.44. f6 attacks White's knight, but the engine's reply is Nxg6: the knight takes the pawn protecting my king and attacks my rook in the corner. +0.44 became +4.40. The engine wanted g5, attacking White's undefended f4 pawn. My opponent played exactly 12.Nxg6, and I lost by checkmate on move 40 with 34 seconds on my clock. ## The lesson of the week In 10-minute games without increment, **a winning position with two minutes left is not a won game yet.** Both time losses had the same shape: a long think when I was clearly better, then a sprint where every move was a gamble. The practical rule I wrote down after this week: once I'm winning and under two minutes, I stop looking for the best move and play the safest one I can find quickly: trade pieces, protect my king, push the passed pawn. No single move gets more than ten seconds. The engine will find a faster win later; I only need a win. ## All games this week | Game # | Date | Colour | Opponent (rating) | Result | Opening | Accuracy | Link | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 1330 | Jan 20 | Black | Wipp690012 (1369) | Loss (abandoned) | Queen's Pawn Opening | 64.0 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131071163363) | | 1331 | Jan 20 | Black | natesway (1356) | Loss (checkmate) | Indian Game Tartakower Defense | 85.5 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131107163131) | | 1332 | Jan 20 | White | athleticmint371 (1311) | Loss (checkmate) | London System | 83.4 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131119247757) | | 1333 | Jan 20 | White | shashank_21 (1325) | Win (resignation) | London System | 80.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131129341453) | | 1334 | Jan 20 | Black | nitt66 (1296) | Win (resignation) | Pirc Defense Modern Defense Geller System | 93.9 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131132394109) | | 1335 | Jan 20 | White | MattyVantooten217 (1370) | Loss (resignation) | Indian Game Tartakower Defense | 65.8 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131133072735) | | 1336 | Jan 21 | Black | RaiSajawal121 (1402) | Loss (abandoned) | Modern Defense with 1 e4 | 90.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131187014729) | | 1337 | Jan 21 | White | aagrawal4u (1367) | Loss (abandoned) | Queen's Pawn Opening Zukertort Chigorin Variation | 71.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131204962883) | | 1338 | Jan 21 | Black | alzaagara (1339) | Loss (abandoned) | King's Indian Defense Accelerated Averbakh Variation | 83.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131208586805) | | 1339 | Jan 21 | White | wiltormeister (1297) | Win (abandoned) | London System | 94.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131227814877) | | 1340 | Jan 22 | Black | djuka2008 (1277) | Win (resignation) | King's Indian Defense Normal Variation | 92.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131271022141) | | 1341 | Jan 22 | Black | gev209 (1325) | Win (resignation) | Pirc Defense Modern Defense Geller System | 94.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131272196089) | | 1342 | Jan 22 | White | IceShade005 (1323) | Loss (resignation) | Indian Game East Indian London System | 84.7 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131272745581) | | 1343 | Jan 22 | White | Aitugan65 (1353) | Loss (checkmate) | Queen's Pawn Opening | 74.1 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131275226573) | | 1344 | Jan 22 | Black | bonjours (1365) | Loss (time) | Pirc Defense | 63.3 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131290823093) | | 1345 | Jan 23 | Black | Yaringoz (1402) | Loss (abandoned) | Scandinavian Defense Modern Variation | 85.6 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131375951011) | | 1346 | Jan 23 | White | deni-sergeev (1291) | Loss (time) | London System | 64.2 | [game](https://www.chess.com/game/live/131397574709) | Go back to [week 54](/journey/week-2025-w03/) to see the +96 that came before this, or ahead to [week 56](/journey/week-2025-w05/). Every week is on the [journey hub](/journey/), and the clock data comes from the same review [Chess Coach does for your games](/features/ai-chess-analysis/). For a general method beyond this week's games, see [the clock-review guide](/answers/why-do-i-keep-losing-on-time-in-chess/). ## FAQ ### How did my two time losses after reaching 1300 unfold? Both games included a winning position with about two minutes left in ten-minute games without increment. Each also contained a decision of almost a minute before the eventual timeout. ### How many blunders did you make with less than a minute left? 10 of my 50 blunders that week, more than in any of the six weeks before it. Seven of them came in a single game, game 1344. ### How much rating did you lose that week? 46 points, from 1334 to 1288. The week ended with five losses in a row. ## Related - [From 631 to 1385: my chess journey in 2,117 games](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey.md) - [Week 54 (Jan 2025): +96 in a week and my first 1300](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2025-w03.md) - [Week 56 (Jan 2025): Pirc vs Modern, 0–3 with Black](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/journey/week-2025-w05.md) - [Free AI chess analysis of your games, explained](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/features/ai-chess-analysis.md) - [Why do I keep losing on time in chess?](https://thechesscoach.netlify.app/answers/why-do-i-keep-losing-on-time-in-chess.md)