What to do after reaching 2000?

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Colteyblack

When I started playing chess, I couldn't dream of being a 2000, but I actually reached it fairly easy. However, I focused too much on the goal rather than the improvement, and now I kinda hit a plateau. What should someone focus on at my level, how should I train? I don't have a coach so everything I do is on my own.

Any tips?

rook_fianchetto_37
Colteyblack wrote:

When I started playing chess, I couldn't dream of being a 2000, but I actually reached it fairly easy. However, I focused too much on the goal rather than the improvement, and now I kinda hit a plateau. What should someone focus on at my level, how should I train? I don't have a coach so everything I do is on my own.

Any tips?

I would suggest playing in some OTB tournaments (especially fide rated ones), however there may not be many in other countries

But the key thing to learn from 2000 - 2200 in rapid is how to not resign! What I mean by this is that in losing positions, or even just much worse positions, rather than playing the best moves play the most painful moves to deal with. These are often the most active moves

rook_fianchetto_37

Also, do some puzzles from time to time to avoid blundering. Even though you are 2000, people still blunder, and people will continue to blunder (even for me now). 
It is hard to find famous instructive games which fought back from losing positions, but what you can do is perhaps look at games from famous attacking players. Looking at how they attack will give you ideas on how to create this counterplay to save and maybe even win losing games

DavidGaming08

Yeah. I agree with Anirudh. OTB Tournaments are a great Way to improve. There are many in Romania, but mostly in Cluj and Bucharest. There are Tournaments in many other cities, but you have to travel a lot to get to these Tournaments. If your city doesn't organize Tournaments, it's hard to play in them. And one thing I would say about puzzles is to do them from a book. Chess.com puzzles have a very low quality.

phambuiducanh

In my city, FIDE-rated comps are so rare that I have only participated in two, none on which are classical. I reached 2000 too after 2 months of learning and pretty much quitting to focus on the high school entrance exam.

Anyway, when you reach a rating goal, even if you didn't focus on the improvement, you still would have improved. Maybe set another goal like 2100 and start learning until you break out of the plateau.

And sure, I agree with @DavidGaming08 that chess.com puzzles aren't great for improvement, maybe try Lichess', their puzzle by category is fairly decent

Colteyblack

Thanks! I went to one FIDE rated tournament and quite a few unrated ones, but I have less and less time for stuff like that. There are enough tournaments in my area, a lot actually. Any puzzles book recommendations?

DavidGaming08

The Woodpecker Method maybe? Or if you want a nice one in Romanian I suggest you Cooperarea Tactica from Mircea Pavlov.

Colteyblack

Thanks