improving chess

I think that the best way to improve chess is by doing puzzles. You should do them 5-10 minutes a day. Then and only will you see your chess rising and rising to the top. Also, it would be a good idea if you analyzed games by the computer or your chess coach. Anyway, it is just a tip for improving chess. If you simply follow this advice, I thinkthat it will really improve yoour chess.

I think that puzzles are helpful to become familar with certain themes such as Rxf3 in the Dragon.  Analyzed games by you and your coach is also helpful but computer analysis are of little use to novice players.  

That being said I increased my rating without use of computers or puzzles but by tournament play, self-analysis (being extremely critical of my play and state of mind), and hiring a class coach/sparing partner (getting a coach that was only 1 or 2 classes higher) helped me remain objective and was familar with his recent struggles with similar issues that he just conquered (not someone who solved thoses problems 10 years ago and trying to recall their state of mind) 2 year prior.  

In a short time I rose from a provisional 1197  USCF to well above 1900 due to my desire to win and being extra critical of my play in my analysis.  I am now training with a 2215 USCF rated player to get over the mental block that casues me to stay out of the 2000s.  I have reached 1990, 1998, 1989, and 1979 and then I lose a string a tournament vs players I have beaten 4 out of 4 times in the past months and once I reach 1800s I continue to beat these same players.  

I am trying to work on this fear of success in chess with my coach and hopefully will join the Expert and Master ranks soon.

I am currently rolling a 2540 on this site as a sign that I am overcoming this mental block.  I should (baring timeouts) rise to 2100 on chess.com before summer end.