Ideas on How I Can Improve?

I'm fairly new to really studying chess and I've got my rating to go from the 800's to the 1200's but now I'm just stuck.  One big problem I'm still working on is blunders, but other than that, I'm looking for what I can do to improve.  If anyone would be so kind and to review this game, I would really appreciate it.  Feel free to be brutally honest. 

Thanks again very much for any advice.

If you are really serious about improving be prepared to spend alot of money.  On top of that to put in alot of long hours of hard study.  And, finally be prepared to play a minimum of 10 to 12 rated otb tournaments (that works out to 6 rounds per weekend swiss G120, G60, or G30 which works out to 60 -72 games/yr.)  In addition you will have to play alot of 5 minute games to keep your opening repertoire fresh in your mind and to keep sharp for handling the clock in time pressure when you are playing rated tournament games.

In summary you will have to get a coach with a minimum rating of 2200(that will cost 40-50/hr.) And, you will have to meet with him 2-3 times/week.  You will have to purchase chess software that will cost you several hundred $, so that you can build an opening tree and practice it for hours.  That doesn't include the long hours you will have to spend with your coach learning alot about endgames and endgame technique.  It will take you a minimum of 2-3 years to get to a rating of 2000-2100. 

Good luck on your excellent adventure.

I've got the software with a family members help (chessbase 11 with megabase 2012, Deep Shredder) and I have the time as I'm unfortunately on disability.  For the last month I've been spending 10-12 hours a day studying or playing (it's a mental thing, I get a bit obsessive when I want to learn something.)  I can't afford a coach but I've got a lot of libraries near by with lots of chess books, plus I've heard lots of even grandmasters didn't have a coach when they were starting out.  If I could find out how best to spend my study time, I could learn more efficiently, I think that's where a good coach would help the most, but it's just not going to happen.  I just want to get better, no matter how much work it takes.

You might submit the game for computer analysis.  The biggest thing that jumps out is on move 22.  You could have plaued Nc7ch and won the queen for a knight. You could have played it again on move 23.  

On move 8 you decided to fianchetto your queen bishop but you have the advantage of first move and you gave up the two bishops to gain an extra tempo so you should probably castle kingside ( which is perfectly safe ) and try to open the center if he is slow to develop. Your black squared bishop could live on f4 and contribute to e5.  Quick development would preserve the small advantage you have in time and secure space.

6. Nc3  I didn't necessarily have a problem with 4. Bd3, assuming you have more purpose than just defending the pawn.  For example, maybe you are going to play c3 later and then put your queen on c2.  Now you've got a powerful diagonal.

So with that in mind, I was expecting 6. Nxe5.  Then your opponent would take back and get doubled pawns.  I feel like your queen is kind of awkward on d3, although it still might work out.

10. Nd2  I agree with your analysis.  Just castle kingside and save a few moves.

17. e5?!  What's wrong with Nb6!

22. Nc7+ triple fork wins the queen!  Note that these last two forks were good for a couple of moves.  Really scan the board before moving!

28. e6!  Nice move.  It would have been even better on move 27, when you are threatening checkmate with Qxd7.  Black would have had to play fxe6 to defend, messing up his pawns and weakening his king safety.

It's ok to trade queens, but you are so strong here that I might have tried to use her for a checkmate instead.

33.  Keep the rook on d1 and pin the bishop.  You can get your other rook into position and make black waste a move by moving his king.

34. Rfe1?  Lol, you just had a rook there!  Like I said, just leave the first one there.

35.  Bxd4???  No, you are not up THAT much material!  You were up a full rook - now you are only up the exchange.  Definitely not a good play there.  I don't know if you ever play computer opponents, but you'll notice that they hardly ever give back material.  At your level, I would definitely use this mindset, because as you mentioned in your notes, you may sometimes blunder a piece.  No need to help the enemy.

I know 42. Re4 probably looks bad because of ..f5 with a rook fork.  But I think you still win a pawn with 43. Rxg4.  It doesn't matter which rook black takes, you win it back.

44.  Case in point.  If you hadn't given away your bishop earlier, you'd still be up material here.

Lol, I'm just kinda laughing at the endgame for both sides.  You definitely might want to check out some rook/pawn endgame studies to work on this.  If you do, you'll easily beat your fellow 1200s at this point in the game.  Although the game might be technically drawn, a little knowledge here would've easily made you a winner.

Best of luck.

Thank you very much.  Man missing the forks on 17 and 22 hurt me inside.  ;-)  Especially since I've been doing a bunch of fork excercises in Susan Polger's tactics book.  I've got to find a way to force myself to slow down and look at everything.  I get excited about an idea and the rest of the board just fades away.  This is extremely helpful though, I appreciate it. 

I'm making the assumption that you are asking to improve, not necessarially advance to 2000, so: Here is some advice that helped me. PLAY! You seem to have time, so play some correspondence games with players rated 100-200 points above you.

Even if you lose you should pick up some things.

Good luck