Well, you did something very special with the parser! When I started playing it, I thought, "He didn't really build a chess set in Inform, did he?".
I wouldn't even know where to start to develop something like that. Especially not two weeks before the deadline.
I think you're right about the blindness. But I'm afraid that's always the case when you're more familiar with something. You lose the beginner's view.
At the same time, it's very hard to make something that works for beginners and advanced people alike. Even better if you already have ideas for it! You've already laid the foundation anyway. I am sure that many more great puzzles can be built with it.