Don't worry about numbers...a cat can look at a king...if you want to improve, you can make a good move, just study and study and study.  Especially study endgames, mating nets, and how to hunt the King.  Good luck.

Not liking to castle is something you might want to improve on.

Keep at it. I spent a long time at 1100, and while I am no expert I kept improving, it just takes time. The fact that you kept fighting and didn't just give up after losing your queen is good at 1100, your opponents can just as easily blunder back at you. What is the time control for this game? If you are missing moves like knight forks maybe slower games, or at least taking longer per move, would be better for you at this stage. If you enjoy playing, keep going, you can only improve, but be patient.

@Maartensmit: Why?

@whynotplayagain: Three days.

Because castling is often a good idea.

Again, why?  I'm not asking rhetorically.

Well, often as the game progresses, both players will exchange pawns at some point in the center. As the center opens up, your opponent will have more open lines towards your king if your king is still in the center. 

Plus, castling is the only move that allows you to move two pieces at once, rather than castling by hand or leaving your king dangerously in the center. The corner is usually a safer place for the king, even though that's how back-rank mates occur. If you are able to see the mate coming, you should be able to avoid it.

What do you mean when you say 1.e4 "hangs the pawn in question." Hangs it to what?  And what was the idea behing 2.f4? Don't you create a permanent hole on e4? What do you get in return for that. 

What was the thinking behind 4.a4? Don't you think you might have had more useful ways to spend a move? 

Why was 5...Be7 a "wasted move?" isn't is usually a good idea to develop your pieces and get your king safely castled? What do you think Black should have done?

On the plus side, you managed to centralise your king for the endgame.

@MarteenSmit: That makes sense; thank you.

@JamesColeman: Why are more than three pawn moves harmful at that stage?  Why is it damaging to move the rook pawns?  Doesn't that make the rooks more active?

@paulgottlieb:

"What do you mean when you say 1.e4 'hangs the pawn in question.  Hangs it to what?'"

I may have used some incorrect terminology.  Should I have said "isolates?"  I thought it was bad to leave a piece without any immediate cover.

"And what was the idea behing 2.f4? Don't you create a permanent hole on e4? What do you get in return for that."

I wanted to block the f5 pawn from advancing further and be in a better position to capture things placed on e5.

"What was the thinking behind 4.a4?"

It was a waiting move on my part.  I was waiting for black to move something into the center so I could capture or at least threaten it.

"Don't you think you might have had more useful ways to spend a move?"

No, I didn't think that.  And I lost.  That's why I'm here.

"Why was 5...Be7 a 'wasted move?'"

It didn't increase the bishop's activity at all.  And his knight at f6 didn't need any more protection.  Bb4 would have put me on the defensive.

Lazy, isnt 13) Ng5 met by 13)...Nf6 where the queen has to move and then the pawn can capture on d5 opening the e file?

It seems to me that you just lack opening experience. There should be no waiting moves in an opening, only development. Especially as white, you do not want to wait for black to move, as it gives up the initiative. His bishop move was a safe development of a piece without overextending it as his knight could safely move to g4 without worry as you moved h4 and h4 severely weakening your kingside. The point of castling, as well as not moving the pawns on the side you are castling is to protect your king. Had you developed your pieces instead of so many pawns, and castled, your king would not have been threatened, and killed so quickly. It is good to review masters games (you are a premium member so you can go through the entire games in opening explorer and try to understand why they make the moves they do) You may also want to buy a chess book or two, or look for websites, jeremy silman is great, but can be very technical, josh waitzkin's site is pretty cool too. 

Basically, what I am saying is, there is a lot of room for improvement, and playing only helps when you learn certain techniques. You could attempt baking a cake, but if you dont know the proper ingredients, much less measurements, you are going to make a lot of failed attempts- read a few chess "recipes" and then try again. also TACTICS TRAINER!! as well as the chess mentor (not sure how many you can do as a diamond) and finally use the study plans. Spend twice as much time in the "learn" section as you do in the "play" section, you will see a drastic improvement in no time.

Oh and did you do a computer analysis of the game? (its not the best engine, but it is quite useful to beginners)

@LazyChessPlayer3201: You're a wonderful human being.

"3. Nc3: You don't seem to have a plan, it might be difficult, but knowing why you play a move is important. (I played this move to develop a piece seems to be your only reason)"

My plan was to contest d4, d5, e4 and e5.

"4. a4: If black best way to get play was b5? then this might make sense, but not here. (You don't need the space, cause your pieces aren't coordinated to use it)"

Please be more specific.  What were my pieces not coordinated enough to do?

"6. h4: another pawn move, your pieces need to be developed (Nights and Bishops) and you still fail to have reason behind your move. g4 is also now a hole."

It was another waiting move, like a4.  I wanted to increase my rook's activity while I waited for black to send a piece into the center which I intended to then theaten or capture.  Why would I want something on g4?  I don't see anything about to go through there.

"9. e4!: Even if it's not best, your playing with the idea of challenging blacks strong e4 point. A good idea."

I wanted to contest those four center spaces.

"12. d5?: You have the space, best would be developing."

Are you referring just to the bishop on f1?  Why would black have retreated the knight it had on g4?  I couldn't have threatened it there.

"16. ...dxc6+: taking a pawn with check, so the rook doesn't need to be taken yet"

I didn't realize the move put me in check until I tried to move some other piece.  I don't remember which one it was.

@Kphlash: Thank you for your comment.  Your response will come in a few hours; I have to go someplace.

Snakes, thats terrible.  Here I thought after your massive thread hunting down trolls that you would desist from any trolling behaviour...Personally I was going to say "You could always close your account" but I felt it was unkind.

Or yes, if he quits.