How to improve?

Hi all,

I'm interested in suggestions on how I can improve my overall chess game and what the best approach is.

I started playing the game again seriously around a year ago, having had moderate success in my school days. I've definitely improved during that time and my classical rating elsewhere has improved from around 1350 points a year ago to around 1650 now.

Despite this, I am usually comprehensively beaten by most players at a local chess club I joined around 6 months ago and I've lost every rated match I've played so far!

My rapid rating on Chess.com is around 1000, but the best player at my club has a rating of 1700+ and someone who is probably around average at the club has a rating of around 1400. 

My question is, how can I improve generally to get nearer to these players? Some people suggest memorising a few openings and defences, and I've worked on some of these, but my overall tactical play is quite naive at times and I easily fall into traps against better players.

What should I do, is there a particular book I should study or is there a good online course I should sign up to? Is it worth paying for premium membership on here and if so which one? There are loads of You Tube videos but where on earth should I start? There is so much help and info out there but I seem to be getting more confused and don't know what to do for the best?

If anyone can suggest any practical advice I'd be very grateful. I was looking at buying Simple Chess by Michael Stean but reviews say only players of 1800+ will understand it. There is also Test your positional play by Ponzetto. What I don't want to do is invest time and money in something that won't benefit me. Any help would be appreciated.

I naively thought I was a lower intermediate player but it seems I'm barely past the beginner stage lol

Thanks in advance.

Opening Principles:

1. Control the center squares – d4-e4-d5-e5.
2. Develop your minor pieces toward the center – piece activity is the key. Centralized piece control more squares.
3. (King Safety)
4. Connect your rooks. There should be no pieces between your Rooks.

Pre Move Checklist:

1. Make sure all your pieces are safe.
2. Look for forcing move: Checks, captures, threats. You want to look at ALL forcing moves (even the bad ones) this will force you look at, and see the entire board.
3. If there are no forcing moves, you then want to remove any of your opponent’s pieces from your side of the board.
4. If your opponent doesn’t have any of his pieces on your side of the board, then you want to improve the position of your least active piece.
5. After each move by your opponent, ask yourself: "What is my opponent trying to do?"

Yes please.

Thanks for the detailed reply. Only problem with your advice is I don't have a coach!

"... for those that want to be as good as they can be, they'll have to work hard.
Play opponents who are better than you … Learn basic endgames. Create a simple opening repertoire (understanding the moves are far more important than memorizing them). Study tactics. And pick up tons of patterns. That’s the drumbeat of success. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (December 27, 2018)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/little-things-that-help-your-game
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-start-out-in-chess

https://www.chess.com/blog/michechess89/8-tips-to-increase-your-online-rating

https://www.chess.com/news/view/rapid-chess-improvement
https://www.chess.com/news/view/a-new-years-resolution-improve-your-chess-with-new-lessons

https://www.chess.com/article/view/mastery-chess-lessons-are-here
"... In order to maximize the benefits of [theory and practice], these two should be approached in a balanced manner. ... Play as many slow games (60 5 or preferably slower) as possible, ... The other side of improvement is theory. ... This can be reading books, taking lessons, watching videos, doing problems on software, etc. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627084053/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman19.pdf
"... If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Here are some reading possibilities that I often mention:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1948)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fc0ca5790af7895297e4/1486224396755/btbtactics2excerpt.pdf
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/

https://www.chess.com/blog/ForwardChess/book-of-the-week-openings-for-amateurs
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090448/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review750.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090229/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review492.pdf
http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf

https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-openings

https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

I disagree with Shelby. Firstly, if a player is just post-beginner level, then going over games by himself or with a computer would be meaningless anyway, because he likely lacks the basic chess foundation to really understand his mistakes, especially the deeper ones. Sure, even a post-beginner can get a mistake that results in mate in 2, or a loss of a piece; but can a player of post-beginner level understand why the computer evaluates a certain move at -0.23 and another at -1.35? 

Secondly, I imagine Prop20 doesn't have a coach. So the coach advice is completely meaningless. 

IMO, one should ground himself in the basic chess principles and basic foundation first. So, I'd maybe start with learning basic principles of openings and do a survey of many different openings, rather than studying any one opening 15 moves deep.

I'd def learn the basics of endgames (Silman's endgame book above is great for that. I have it too and went through about a third of it). And then I would just practice by playing - some blitz games (i.e. 5 mins) and some rapid games (10-15 mins), just to get a feel for many different positions and patterns. And lastly, I would get 1-2 books (for now) with deeply annotated games, which explain in good prose the logic and plans behind moves - behind each move, if possible. 

I know Chernev's Logical Chess has a really good reputation (as do his other books). But I cannot comment on it, because I don't have any of his books. And more importantly, when going over annotated games, really try to immerse yourself in the positions and the logic of what's going on on the board, so you can understand why certain moves are being done, including move order (a commonly overlooked thing). 

Lastly, when going over annotated games, esp. in the beginning, do it as follows: 

1. With the board

2. In the beginning, just go over game moves and read the prose annotations and mostly ignore the variations analysis. 

3. Go over the same game again, this time paying attention to some light variation analysis. 

4. Go over the same game the third time, this time going into deeper variations and sub-variations (assuming the book of choice contains deep lines). 

5. Finally, and you are probably at least months away from this, when going over master games, try to stop at critical junctures of the game and predict the moves, even taking notes on your ideas. I don't think you would be ready for this now, but I find that to be really helpful and effective in stimulating your immersion in the game and giving you ideas. 

If the above sounds like a lot of time and hard work, it is. But this is chess, not checkers or monopoly. . So, if you truly want to learn and get better, the above should be a good starting point. 

And btw, it's not like I am a chess expert. I myself recently got into studying chess, after spending (wasting really) the last 4-5 years playing silly bullet/blitz games and doing tactical puzzles. Sure, I got better at solving puzzles, but my game didn't progress at all. Just moving pieces senselessly won't get you anywhere. 

It seems to me that, even a beginner might make worthwhile post-game observations, even if they only involve the not-so-deep mistakes. If nothing is perceived in one's first attempts, there is the potential for one to improve from one game to the next, especially if, every time, a computer calls one's attention to some of the easier things that one missed. After 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 a6 4 Bxc6 dxc6 5 Nxe5, it might be nice to notice (or learn from a computer) that Black could have played 5...Qd4.

Are those the only two options?

"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf
"... The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line. ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

"... If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
"... [annotated games are] infinitely more useful than bare game scores. However, annotated games vary widely in quality. Some are excellent study material. Others are poor. But the most numerous fall into a third category - good-but-wrong-for-you. ... You want games with annotations that answer the questions that baffle you the most. ..." - GM Andrew Soltis (2010)

Purchasing books is obviously entirely up to you.  But honestly, I don't think you need to waste the money right now.  Start with the basics. 

So far all you're playing is blitz.  So ask yourself:  "How serious am i about improving?  When you play blitz, you are not giving yourself time to think.  You're not giving yourself time to implement what you're learning into your games.  Also...when you're starting out in chess, and playing fast, all you're doing is reinforcing bad habits.

Play long time controls like Daily Chess.  Take your time.  Use a real board and pieces.  Write down your thoughts, ideas, plans, how you feel, etc.  Go over your games doing your own analysis.  If you're going to use a chess engine, use it only to check for blunders, and missed tactics.  You are not going to learn anything by asking: "Why was my move -.4?"

Ideally get someone stronger to go over your games with.  If you don't have anyone like that.  Post your games (losses) here for review.

Basically:

Follow opening principles.

Double check your moves.

Always ask "why"

Your main focus of study should be tactics.  Tactics are quality over quantity.  Doing 300 tactics a day and not understanding them wont help.  Doing 3 tactics a day and understanding the theme, and "why" the tactic worked will go a lot  farther in your improvement.

"... for those that want to be as good as they can be, they'll have to work hard.
Play opponents who are better than you … Learn basic endgames. Create a simple opening repertoire (understanding the moves are far more important than memorizing them). Study tactics. And pick up tons of patterns. That’s the drumbeat of success. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (December 27, 2018)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/little-things-that-help-your-game

"... In order to maximize the benefits of [theory and practice], these two should be approached in a balanced manner. ... Play as many slow games (60 5 or preferably slower) as possible, ... The other side of improvement is theory. ... This can be reading books, taking lessons, watching videos, doing problems on software, etc. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627084053/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman19.pdf

"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

Could it perhaps be quite instructive to explore a position where White is ahead by a pawn and the evaluation is nevertheless -.4 ? Is it completely out of the question to look at a line suggested by the engine, try playing out the game as White against the engine, and/or ask about the position at chess.com ?

Thanks for all the great replies. I'll digest them all over the next few days. Thanks again.

For the most part, you have been given a lot of good advice.  But probably the most important thing is to have fun!  It makes learning much more enjoyable.  Last year was the last of playing in OTB tournaments for me.  It got to the point where it became more work than fun.