Pick a goal to focus on- it doesn't have to be a great one.
GM games can only be understood by GMs.
Castling is overrated. I play 2. Ke2.
Don't let the third line undermine your trust of the first two.
Frustrated Chess Student
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Forgive me Mr. Ivan... I promise I mean no disrespect, but my goal is to get to GM ratings. I appreciate your comment, but I think your comment lacks the idea my goal is to obtain a rating of 2000 or better, thus I would need to understand those GM moves.
Although I have known how to play chess for a long time, I would say that maybe 2 years ago that chess "clicked" in my head and it started becoming more of a "knack." I finally understood chess. I just got it, "if he does this, I do that" kind of thing. I am trying to find that next "click" to that next level of understanding this game.
In my game experiences, I have been focused enough on a few occasions to play some brilliant, GM Level, games. My desire is to be at this level religiously, not be a freak occurrence. I feel like I am so close to the next understanding of Chess.
I have trouble referring to Chess as a "game," it's a war.
If you watch a GM game and you see them make a strange move you don't understand, you need to look at it from every possible angle: What did that move accomplish? What did it defend? What did it attack? Why was the attacked/defended peice important to attack/defend? How did this move ultimately lead to victory/defeat?
Instead of "if I do this, he does that", try "if I do this, then he could do this, in which case I can do this, or he could do that, which I could counter with this". Anticipate your opponent making the best possible move that could hinder you. This will make you prepare for an attack to the point that it will be unstoppable once initiated. Make use of forcing moves that can develop your position or give you tempo.
And, even if it is true, try not to refer to any of your own games as being as on the grandmaster level. I don't mind, but I've noticed there are some incredibly hostile people on these forums who would be more than willing to just fill this thread with hateful comments over that.
justrookin wrote:
Forgive me Mr. Ivan... I promise I mean no disrespect, but my goal is to get to GM ratings. I appreciate your comment, but I think your comment lacks the idea my goal is to obtain a rating of 2000 or better, thus I would need to understand those GM moves.
GM level isn't possible for you; you're too old, and you won't be able to spend 10 years just on chess.
But 2000 isn't anywhere near GM level. You don't need to understand GM games to reach 2000.
Anyway, at the end you're just asking how to improve in chess. The usual goes.
- Play a lot. Forget about blitz, play serious, slow games against opponents slightly better than you. After the game, do a post mortem: go through the game, explain why you did things, ask them why they did things, see if the things you saw during the game were actually true (if you didn't play a move for some reason, check if that reason was actually correct). Write everything down. Study the game afterwards, try to dig up the Truth. Then play more.
- Play more.
- Learn the general ideas of openings. FCO by van der Sterren is great. Play a great variety of openings using these ideas, and after the game look up how better players play the same variation in a database. That way you'll remember best, and you won't spend time learning variations you'll never play or that you would never play if left to your own thinking. Over time you'll develop favourite openings and that is fine, but every time you have improved 200 points, discard your old openings; your brain is full of old habits and ways of looking at the positions formed when you were a weaker player. You need to stay fresh or you'll plateau.
- Play more.
- Do many tactics exercises.
- Play more.
- Read annotated games. There are many sources -- chess news on the web, books... every day you can find many games where the moves are explained somewhat. A book like Nunn's Grandmaster Chess: Move By Move is great. Or your favourite player's best games collection.
- Play more. Did I mention that the games should be serious? Play OTB tournaments where you'll probably meet players slightly better than you. Let them teach you afterwards.
- When you see a good move, stop. Say to yourself, "Yes, that's nice and all, but isn't there anything better?"
- Dan Heisman's Novice Nook columns.
You got some helpful advice, a quality offering, from kwaloffer.
Since you are a diamond member and have access to all of chess.com's tools, why not try following their study plans? Intermediate level was just introduced and looks to be a nononsense straightahead "this is what you need to know" guide to improving your chess. Found under READ, ARTICLES, CHESS.COM HELP, in case you missed them.
get a coach! I have a lesson a week and my ratings are slowly improving. $25 dollars for an hour is very affordable and there are many coaches right here on chess.com. it's very interesting watching a strong player go through a game of yours. highly recommended...
Oct 3, 2011
0
#9
Kwallofer's offered some extremely good advice.
I'll offer two more :
- a coach could help a lot focusing your chess training
And, you won't get to expert level only by an act of will : some training, patience and practice are required 
If you have high ambition in chess you must play OTB tournaments imo, classical chess not the fast stuff. You must also combine study and play and find a balance of the two that works best for you. Some people progress faster studying more than they play while others are just the opposite.
There is an easy but very effective way to improve very fast. So far, this is the most effective way from my observation: Hang around with strong chess players. Comparing to just playing with stronger opposition, this ensures that you will get free over-the-board "coaching" from them.
If I had the time for that, I will definately do that! But yeah, chess is not our life, isn't it?
Wow!! Thanks everyone... and kwaloffer, thanks for being straight with me, I will rule out ever being a GM and begin with more practical goals.
bomtrown wrote:
OK... I give up, what is this?
Whats this all about?!
Oct 3, 2011
0
#16
When in doubt, MOVE A PIECE! Pushing a pawn can not be undone, where moving a piece can.
Oct 3, 2011
0
#17
You should read How to Reassess Your Chess, it will make you understand. I dont believe you can learn what you can learn in that book, on this site.
My review of the book: http://blog.chess.com/SimonSeirup/book-reivew-how-to-reassess-your-chess-4th-edition
vowles_23 wrote:
When in doubt, MOVE A PIECE! Pushing a pawn can not be undone, where moving a piece can.
I think you mean, when in doubt push your h-pawn 
justrookin wrote:
...
I have trouble referring to Chess as a "game," it's a war.
Ok then...
"Dig a hole in your back yard while it is raining. Sit in the hole until the water climbs up around your ankles. Pour cold mud down your shirt collar. Sit there for 48 hours, and, so there is no danger of your dozing off, imagine that a guy is sneaking around waiting for a chance to club you on the head or set your house on fire.
"Get out of the hole, fill a suitcase full of rocks, pick it up, put a shotgun in your other hand, and walk on the muddiest road you can find. Fall flat on your face every few minutes as you imagine big meteors streaking down to sock you.
"After 10 or 12 miles (remember -- you are still carrying the shotgun and suitcase) start sneaking through the wet brush. Imagine that somebody has booby-trapped your route with rattlesnakes which will bite you if you step on them. Give some friend a rifle and have him blast in your direction once in a while. Try to sneak up on a bull without him seeing you. When he does see you, run like hell all the way back to your hole in the back yard, drop the suitcase and shotgun, and get in.
"If you repeat this performance every three days for several months you may begin to understand why an infantryman sometimes gets out of breath. But you still won't understand how he feels when things get tough."
- Bill Mauldin, Up Front, 1944
OK... I am not a great player, but I am not horrible either. I am certain I have potential... but I get lost sometimes between the opening and middle game of "what the hell to do!"
I can push a knight or bishop, but I feel like the move will reverse itself with an easy counter attack. I get stuck in these positions sometimes where I don't want to move a piece, but there is no "pass" option available in these wars. I heard a great quote once, "When in doubt, push a pawn." This does not always work.
I am undecided about castling early because I get concerned about locking my king in a specific corner early on. Maybe I need to get rid of this concern.
I get confused when I watch play by play games of previous grand masters. "Why didn't they take take that rook... or queen, it was right there!!" And yes, I realize the goal of the game is "get the king!"
I solve tactic puzzles here fairly easily, I am not a dope!!
This website has so much to offer for people who want to improve their chess game. What videos or direction do you suggest for me?? I am a full paid member.
I am considering a coach to help me get past my "issues."
OK...thanks for listening, I love this site and the players here, I find, are just extremely decent people for the most part.