Sound advice from experienced people!
Systemize Your Thinking Process
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Thank you Suzette for sharing it here.
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This is an exerpt from GM Arunabi's question and answer article submitted this morning. He is responding to a question asking how to improve one's thinking process during a game.
www.chess.com/article/view/systemize-your-thinking-process
If you would have read Think like a Grand Master by Kotov, he has given several ideas about the thinking process during the game. It is important to discipline your calculation. Kotov says to calculate 3 candidate moves in any given position. Make sure you calculate all three lines before making a move-- this is really important and even several IM’s and GM’s very often do this mistake. It is simply because of the old advice "if you find a good move always look for a better one."
How to find those 3 candidate moves initially? Usually you get the feel of the position and know what to do in the given position, in other words intuition. Make sure before starting any calculation you select the candidate moves and then start going deeper into the variations. It is also important to complete a variation before starting to calculate another variation. These kind of disciplined calculations will help you a lot in the long run.
When Knight is there, fork is there. When Bishop is there, pin is there. When Rook is there, skewer is there. When Queen is there, double attack is there. My coach in my early days always used to tell this to me. After so many years of experience I now understand that, when you calculate in this manner you will be able to find many tactical blows hidden in the position.
Whatever knowledge you have make sure you understand it well. For example:
1) I will never create a pawn weakness.
2) I will never expose my king.
3) I will never leave my knight in the corner
These are some basic ideas you must follow when you play the game. Initially, know the rules, and as you get experienced you will know the exceptions as well.
Chess game can be divided into three stage
Opening: Whatever opening you play, make sure you learn its basic ideas and plans. There is no use in memorizing moves without understanding them. Know the idea behind each and every move, when you prepare and train yourself this way, you will know what to do even when you face a new move.
Middlegame: There should be a game plan. When you study the opening make sure you learn the plan that has to be executed in the middlegame. You need to be tactically alert and make positionally sound decisions in executing your game plan.
Endgame: Forecast the type of ending you need to play from your middle game itself. If your pawn structure is worse, then it is not wise to play an ending, where you will either lose or make a draw after much suffering. Learn the basic endgame positions and you can easily relate them to the position you get over the board.
I think your problem is you lack experience and I am sure when you get experienced you will start using the ideas you prepare. I would recommend you to play as many games as possible. This can be both tournament and friendly games. In the meantime make sure you keep improving your middle game and endgame skills.