How to go from Expert level to Master level ?

What would you recommend to go from Expert level to Master level ?

Which books ? Which videos ? Which training schedule ?

Thanks in advance for any useful answers !

Thanks for all the suggestions.

And I've read good reviews about this "Pump up your rating" book. I'll have a look. Cheers !

The nine Yusupov books (it's a series) are supposed to be excellent. They are geared toward someone at your level. The beginning books (the first three) are for someone at least 1700 FIDE I believe. Some of the others are for people 2000+. Make sure you do them in the right order...many get confused on the intended order.

Do you have a chess coach?

EDIT: I think it was Dvoretsky who said that 1700 FIDE rating actually a bit low, and the the first three books would challenge someone at a higher level.

@Chicken_Monster

Thanks for the suggestions ! :)

Currently I'm saving cash for some other non chess things.

With the "crisis" and my age (I'm no longer 16 years young, and able to find a job anywhere) I could probably go for 1 book (like the "Pump up your rating"), but not a book serie and a chess coach.

Besides that I still have a few chess books (less than 10) here. One of them is an endgame book by Jacob Aagaard, and the "Survival guide to rook endings".

I hear. A chess coach is a luxury and costly...although some are $12/hr online.

As for finances...until you become a GM making bank in tourneys playing against Carlsen, you could try to do a lot of coaching of beginners and intermediates...maybe even write a book or ebook. Annotated collection of games and various open repertoires (you have learned many openings)...

Anyway, you can improve by yourself...it will just take longer. As for the Yusupov 9-book series, you can purchase them one-by-one over time. Get them used ... each one is around $16 or so (used). I read that they are very good, very challenging, and you have to be very motivated (which you obviously are). Each book will take a long time for you to go through.

This is the series:

http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3AArtur%20Yusupov

Hopefully that link worked. If not, do a Yahoo search of yusupov books and it will come up.

If you make it please share your experience :) I'm not 2200... or even 2000 yet, but here's my thoughts:

Finding your weaknesses and improving those areas is the general path to improvement.

Here's something I've just noticed about my improvement: When I'm simply trying to play well I usually improve. However, my improvement slows down when I stop trying to play the best moves and instead start focusing on trying to play to either my style or against my opponent's style. When I began chess I just tried to get better. Eventually when I got better I started worrying about which opening I should choose and what if I lost rating points and what if I don't improve, etc. Lately I've been learning that I just need to relax and try to find the best moves. Things have been working out better for me :D

Sounds right. I think I read something like that. However, I also read that experts (Dvoretsky et al. I believe) thought that was low. Also, they are probably referring to FIDE levels.

Some 1700s struggle with the beginning books. That doesn't mean they can't plow their way through it though.

@SJFG:

I would imagine that Masters need to be able to play open, semi-open, and closed...they probably need to be very good at tactics, strategy, position...definitely it is a requisite to being a GM...and they are experts on opening too for the most part.

achja, try to find a friendly master or strong expert at your club or here on chess.com and get an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Here are a few masters on here who will do this for $10 or $20, just by sending them some games you played.

Until you have a good idea of this, your progress will be hit and miss.