Fix My Chess
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Mistakes that repeat

The Exposed King — the leak costing you rating points

“You attack with a king still in the open.”

You commit to the initiative while your own king is exposed, and the counter-attack arrives first.

Your king was caught in the open — uncastled, its pawn shield cracked, or its defenders pulled away — and the attack crashed through. The king isn’t a fighting piece in the middlegame; it’s the thing you protect. Castle early, keep the three pawns in front of it intact, and leave a piece or two nearby. A safe king lets the rest of your army attack without fear.

The good news: it is a pattern, not bad luck — and patterns can be trained. Step one is measuring yours: how often it appears in your real games and how many rating points it drains. Then the daily repair: 5 minutes on your own positions, not invented puzzles.

The master who cures it

In Fix My Chess every leak has its antidote: a master whose school is exactly what you need to internalize.

Morphy →

Is this your leak?

Paste your Lichess or Chess.com username and in 60 seconds you will know which pattern is costing you points — with your own moves cited as proof. Free, no account.

Diagnose my games See an example diagnosis