Does following current events/games improve your game?

It seems most who can speak intelligently about them are 1700<, which is higher than my rating.

"Would you please point out which piece you moved? My mind was on the serious developments occuring on the Korean Peninsula."

I would have forked your King and Queen if it wasn't for that nuclear test.

Following some top level games and what the GMs are doing should have some good effect on your game.

I would have assumed he spoke about events like the Candidates tournament in London. :o

Ah... OK. Well, I stand corrected.

Following the games from International Tournaments could be helpful if you understand them. Not sure how helpful it would be if they only confused you, though.

I play less chess than I used to, but I follow tournaments and play through games. I haven't seen a decline in my playing. I also can't say that I've improved. Perhaps like blueemu said, that if I can understand the games I watch more than I do, then I would probably improve. There are moments though, where I understand the lines of play and the purpose of moves played. What I don't grasp is a deeper level that I'm not seeing yet. I'm missing something about chess that's right beneath the surface. It's intiguing. There is a mystery I still have to solve.

Really sorry about that, I should have clarified.  And yes I suppose that's true, they could probably improve your tactical vision if you understood them, but do you or do you not? That is the question I should be asking myself.  And I'm not sure I can understand 100% of the moves being played, at least not on the "deeper level" that trysts mentioned.  But I suppose they're always worth watching as there always is the possibility that you will improve in watching them.  Not sure.