How can you become a stronger player?

Am not no expert nor a strong player... But maybe some of the members of the group who are stronger players can give or add or correct more of the advice i am going to give...

1. Tactics : Study tactics 1/2 hour a day or 1 hour a day. Buy a book on tactics at first that shows you the basics 1-3 combinations then move on to one that has 1-4 move combinations. Best is to buy a book that you can carry witth you and you can use it on the bus, train or anywhere you have freetime ... The more positions your mind remembers you develope a ' Database' of clusters of positions when you see them on the board you will react and see the weakness in your opponents play...

 2. Endgame : I would say the most important part of chess game. Studying endgame has a inderect effect on your chess game!

3. Building a Repertoire of openings and defenses. a. Pick a opening that you like and has worked for you. Buy a book that specializes on this opening's theory or defense theory. Study the Grandmasters games that use these openings. b. Pick two openings for white one with e4 or d4 or anything else .. Pick 2 defenses one against e4 and d4.... Stay away from complicated openings in the start. And Gambits..

4. Study the games of Grandmasters this will help you build a database of positions in your mind.

a. If you like a quite game with no crazy attacks and a slow build up for a win study annotaded games by Karpov, Capablanca, Petrosian and Botvinnik.

b. If you like the constant attack then study annotated games of Kasparov, Tal, Marshall and Alekhine . ( One of my favorites is the player Ljubojevic.)

5. Go over all your lost games and write down all your mistakes and what would have been a better move...

6. Do not waste your money on books you will not read or are to hard for you to understand. You should have in your possesion books on.

 a. Tactics

b. Endgame

c. Speciality book on your chosen Defense's and Openings.

 7. Join a chess club i believe it is a good way to prepare and learn for real time play. There you will meet strong players and your game will improve.

 8. Balance your time between studying chess and palying chess. You can play chess all day and loose all day without understanding theory and basic tactics you will be lost and are wasting valuable time. When you could be gettin stronger.

Again Study Tactics, Endgame, Middle game positions of your chosen Defenses or Openings. I believe you can improve and become a better player.