Blundering to Oblivion

How in the world does one cease to make blunders in the Wonderful World of Chess?  I have a bad oversight problem that appears to be chronic in nature.  I will be playing a really good game then "POW" I move my Queen in front of the opponents pawn or some ridiculous thing like that.  I study tactics and strategy and have fair knowledge base for my rating of BB (Blundering Beginner).  I think I get tunnel vision and can't see the forest for the trees.  Sure, I have tried taking more time before moving but this isn't working.  Maybe this is more of a concentration thing that will improve with time.  Anybody out there with a recipe for success?

I read  your "About Me", you have the right attitude, your second from the last line in this post, "Maybe this is more of a concentration thing, is right on!  It will improve, it happens to many players that may not want to admit it, but remember losing a game because of a huge blunder is not as bad as losing because you are totally being out played! Think about it?   You will improve, if you keep playing, and as a diamond, you are too serious not to!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Thought you might like this example, one way I often give a piece away is my opponent just moved a piece and is attacking say my queen, and I see it but then I look at several counter moves that may give me some decisive play, so my brain is thinking more moves ahead and forgeting a simple basic move  like do something with your queen.   LOLO

Well...in blitz games and faster, not making blunders comes down to shear power of board vision (can be trained through specific exercises) and simple pattern recognition (built up over many thousands of games).

In Standard game length and up, it is simply of matter of forcing yourself into the habit of performing 'sanity checks' before you hit the submit button. After you settle on a move you think that you like, run though this list in this order:

1. Can the opponent make any checks on the next move?
2. What pieces can the opponent take on the next move?
3. What pins does the opponent currently have and is the pinned piece guarding anything or doing anything important? (this is my own addition, since 99% of my own mistakes are caused by pin tactics that I don't pay enough attention to).

A lot of your obvious blunders will clear up if you follow it regularly. And in correspondence games, going through this list and avoiding blunders is even easier, because you have the use of the analysis board (which doesn't require any mental board vision at all to use).

Good luck!

I usually blunder when I am focused on breaking through a defence on one part of the board, eventually moving pieces to that part from a place where they actually can't be missed... and bam! my opponent suddenly has the advantage.

I try to avoid this now by first looking at my opponents possibilties and only then think of my own move.

Great advice all.  Thanks a lot for taking the time.  I will try these ideas to improve my games.  Cheers! .  

I suffer from the same affliction as the OP.  I really like the suggestions quoted above.  What additional suggestions can others suggest that would help to minimize obviously stupid blunders?  My goal would be to develop a comprehensive check list to be followed religiously.  A friend suggested:

4.  Flip the board to be able to see the game from the opponent's view point.

I realize that chess is much more than following a check list, but this approach might help those of us in "grade school" avoid much angst.

Thanks in advance for additional suggestions!