The simplest way for improving your Chess skills.

For me it was doing tactic puzzles, finding two openings that suit my style and playing 30 minute games. I dropped down to 740 ELO end of last year. Had super negative winrate on especially my black game. But then I got addicted to puzzles. Did like 4k-5k of them on several pages. Mostly easy ones, so not a lot where I had to think for minutes.

I went up from 740 to now, 1058, with a winrate of over 70% after dropping so low. Not because my play is so stellar, but people just don't know tactics very well on a lower level. E.g. two of the last three games I landed a skewer on the queen and king of my opposition...

Well that and... Trying to stop one move blunders as good as possible.

Now granted, grinding games would have probably also helped, but I think for my level gaining some tactical awareness is invaluable. If I played more (I only play if I really feel the itch to do so, because it costs me too much time otherwise) I'd surely be around 1200+ already. All thanks to tactic puzzles (well, and John Bartholomews videos ).

solve tactics