Seems like the advice is leaning stronly towards opening up the learning dynamic. You need to immerse yourself in a plethora of tyoes of knowledge (books vids blogs trainers) find the one or ones that agree to your learning style and dont be afraid to make your own cirriculum. I just started my acct today, I got a horrible rating thus far, but I blame that on solely not being exposed to enough play and learning. Dont be afraid to get your hands dirty. Also, it is best to take pauses from something that seems to be going from wholesome discipline to obsession. Chill out, step away for a few days, then learn and play! mostly, have fun! if you're not having fun, why r u playing? prestige? bragging rights? to "feel smart"? the best players play anything cuz to them it is play, but play is life. Enjoy!

BTW sry about the typos. MY wrist is busted and I'm typing with one finger on my dominant hand....(which is left, mebbe that explains my unique style and play?)

A duesexchessina with a dominant left hand and a powerful mind and a unique style. My god, i just fainted....

If you're not understanding subtle rook moves you probably need to study positional play and the core concepts of the openings you play.

Subtle, mister?  It goes up and down, it goes side to side.  It occasionally castles, yes, but that trickery can be anticipated too.  Nothing too subtle like trying to work out how a knight gets to an adjacent square without getting itself killed.  Seriously though, I know what you mean - rook can have waiting moves, bridge ranks and the Lucena etc stuff that you study once and then maybe have to use 20 years later.  Openings though are seldom about rooks - you know those big lumps of plastic stuck in the corner till the other pieces do the decent thing and leave the field?  Positional play is more geared to pawn structures.  By all means look at some rook endings but pawns are way more instructive.

OP said "Opponent Rook moves two squares on back rank for reasons I CANNOT IMAGINE?!?"  I imagine his opponent has a plan for said rook that is common for his chosen opening.

yereslov, if the average player at your chess club is 1500+, thats a great club. I always felt when you reach 1500 OTB USCF rating "your In"! Once you reach that level you can stay there and enjoy chess for all its worth, or move up if this is your goal?

Since Rooks were brought up, Once you learn best placement of your rooks, in the early and middle game is a sign of a advanced chess player!! To me the rooks are most important, because your home is your castle! lolo just kidding 

One thing about learning is first you have to enjoy it! Losing a lot takes out the fun and discouragement sets in. If you lose make sure your next opponent is rated lesser than you to give you a better chance in winning again. Second thing learn it the right way, Endgame first, tactics and lastly openings. Read a lot of books too. Nowadays people are getting lazy to read, knowledge doesn't sink in the first time you read it, it will come eventually after playing a lot or after discovering it in a game, there is no instant knowledge. The ideas and reasons behind each move in a game are detailed in books, whereupon after reading you apply it immediately in a game. As you would have known by now chess takes time to learn, how much more to master it. Best of luck!

Ahh.  That was so long ago I forgot what first post was.  (Stand by my point about rooks being irrelevant to most openings, at least insofar as the general middlegame positions where games leave theory for most players.)  Often the problem when threads reach 300 - I did read that section but it was some time ago.  OP showed basic misconceptions about how vast and intricate chess is - like most people coming from outside he was unaware of how little we know till we realise "Wait, I still know nothing"....this continues on for another few years, then we turn round and go "Wow I still suck at this game, I really do know nothing."  On the other hand the title should perhaps have been "Can AN intelligent person..."

No.

The issue is that once you reach 1500+ your rating is going to remain there for a LONG time. None of the players have improved beyond one hundred points, and when their rating jumps it eventually sinks back again.

We have two 1900+ rated players and two more 2000+ rated players, but none of them makes progress once they reach the 2100+ rating point.

By the way, the organizer of the club is the president of the MACA.

This is the rating list.We're a small club, but we get random visits from strong players.

http://www.wachusettchess.org/ClubMemberRatings.htm

Percy Yip is the strongest eight year old in the United States.

And you are one of the weakest blowhards here.

Three digit rating and he goes on about how bad Tal's sacrifices were!!! LOLZ!

That's just one reason why I don't respond to comments regarding great players' play.  

This is the end, my beautiful friend. The end.