Does anyone have advice for improving at chess?

And analyse your lost games so as to learn from your mistakes.

I reviewed few of your games. I suggest you view the free chess course videos

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQKBpQZcRycrvUUxLdVmlfMChJS0S5Zw0&si=A5P-JrRkOihU_NYN

Are you new to chess? If yes then the first thing beginners should do is learn the value of pieces. It is way better to trade a knight for a rook instead of vice versa. Here are the values.

Queen - 9

Rook - 5

Knight - 3

Bishop - 3

Pawn - 1

The second thing beginners should do is learn to DEFEND against traps. The most common *trap in your rating range is Scholar's Mate. And remember, only DEFEND against traps, do NOT use them.

The third thing beginners should do is learn basic checkmate patterns. Here are a few you can google and learn - 2 rook mate, 1 queen mate, Backrank Mate.

If you want more advice or want me to analyse your games then you can DM me.

To most of my students, I give this advice (and it's almost all they need):

The biggest reason people struggle in lower-level chess is because of blunders. They make them in almost every game.

A mistake can instantly put you in a bad position, no matter how well you played earlier: if you had great opening knowledge, great positional skills, great endgame skills, whatever; a single mistake can change everything (you lose a piece or get checkmated).

So, how do you avoid blunders? Follow these two simple steps:

1. After your opponent moves, think if it's dangerous. Ask yourself, “What’s his idea?”
2. Before you make your move, think if it's safe. Ask yourself, “What attacking replies can he play?”

If you feel like getting to levels like 1600, 1800, or 2000 in chess is super hard, let's look at it in a different way. Those players you're facing make blunders in nearly every game they play. Beating them isn't so tough if you stop making big mistakes and start using their slip-ups to your advantage.

Again, it does not require you to become a chess nerd or spend all your time on chess. Just doing this one thing can boost your rating by a few hundred points right away.

Lastly, while avoiding blunders is crucial, I also share a few basic principles with my students. These principles help them figure out what to do in each part of the game - the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. Understanding these simple principles is like having a map for your moves. When you use this knowledge along with being careful about blunders, you're not just getting better at defending. You're also learning a well-rounded approach to chess. Keep in mind, chess is not just about not making mistakes; it's about making smart and planned moves to outsmart your opponent.

Thank you for your wise words or advice

I see that you have been playing lots of bullet. In order to get better at bullet, familiarise yourself with more openings so that you play moves faster.

okay Thanks

The most important factor in chess improvement is motivation. You have to WANT to improve.

If you've already got that, then the next most important factor is objective self-criticism. You have to look at your lost games and figure out WHY you lost each one.

Keep asking "Why", and don't stop until you find the REAL reason...

Example:

"I lost that game because I blundered my Queen away". Why did you do that? "Because I ran out of time and just had to make a bunch of random moves". Why did you run out of time? "Because I didn't feel comfortable in that sort of position, and couldn't come up with a plan"...

--- NOW we're getting somewhere ---

What sort of position? Double-edged? Crazy tactical? Or the opposite, blocked and boring?

An objective study of your own lost games can point you precisely at the parts of your chess play that require further improvement.

Another tip that I can offer is that instead of studying LINES... instead of studying sequences of moves, which seems to be so popular here at chess.com, you should find a bunch of Master games played in the particular opening lines you favor, and study those Master games from start to finish.

That will teach you not only the sequences of moves, but also the typical strategies and tactics, and even how to play the typical endgames that arise from your favorite openings.

One more piece of advice:

Read over my posts in this thread:

GM Larry Evans' method of static analysis - Chess Forums - Chess.com

Posts #4, 7 to 10, and 12. Then play over the three or so sample games (my posts) on the first two or three pages of the thread.

Okay thanks!