1) Stake a claim on the center 4 squares (with only one or two pawn moves max).
2) Get ALL of your back-row pieces off the bench (the starting squares) and into play so you actually have them available for use.
3) AND CASTLE YOUR KING!!
When 95% of your opening consists of pawn moves, it’s really amazing you’re still hanging around 1000 at all! Start incorporating these three points into your openings and watch your rating go way up (even if it doesn’t happen right away).👍
I am a rating of 1031, I am consistently losing games, is there a way to get better, Tactics?
Yea, so at that rating the basics are still pretty much going to win or lose you games. People still definitely hang pieces at that level, sometimes obviously but usually more less obviously. What I mean by less obviously is that they make a move, but then don't realize they set themselves up for a 2 or 3 move tactic where you either win a piece through a pin, a fork, a skewer, etc.
Focus on controlling the center of the board, and look for tactics. Puzzles can help you find simple tactics in your games. Something I did back at 1000, and even still do now in 1400, is go through this mental checklist (and do it IN ORDER, thats very important) every time its my turn:
1. Danger -- what of my material in danger after his last move, if anything? Is there anything he is trying to do with that last move that puts my material or my king in danger? Is he setting up a tactic, check, or checkmate with that last move?
2. Checks -- Is there a way I can check my opponents king without it endangering any of my pieces after he moves/protects his king to get out of check? (Checks force your opponent to spend a turn moving a piece that they otherwise most likely wouldn't have moved, which means you gain tempi as a result)
3. Captures -- is there a way I can safely capture anything , either for free , or that makes him have to take back in a way that I will gain further material as a result or greatly improve my position as a result (or both)?
4. Threats -- is there a way I can move a piece that helps me threaten something of his right now, or will setup a good threat once it's my turn again?
5. Position -- I don't see anyway to check, capture, or threat. Is there anyway I can move a piece that helps improve my position overall, whether by moving a piece to cover more squares or be better in sync with my other pieces (for example, moving a knight so that it covers some squares that your bishop and pawn up front aren't able to cover)
These will all help you -- especially 2 through 4 -- because they are FORCING. Forcing moves are so important because it makes your opponent have to react to you, and reacting in chess is so detrimental because it means that person is limited in what they can do, and can't pursue their own plans. More often than not, it's the person that makes the other have to play reactionary (because they don't have a choice) that wins.