Four important things to study to improve

ok so #1 calculation. Why you may ask? Well you need to be able to see things several moves away. Forced moves is not the type of calculation i am talking about. try studying, really studying a position for 10-20 minutes and see what you find. This is a particularlly useful skill in online chess

#2 postional chess

this is related to calculation, only you improve your position, to improve your position you must first realize what your opponent wants to do, then pick the best way to advance. pawn structure, piece activity and king position are all important things to consider. But remember it depends a lot on the position if doubled pawns are an advantage or not, or if in the future they will be an advantage

#3 openings 

these are important, not only because they save time, but they allow you to defeat your opponent right out of the opening which is the best way to win

#4 Endgames

these are usually forced, but do you know what philiadors position is?(ignore my poor spelling)

These are important to know good luck in your studying. if you are a stronger player you may think that these suggestion are ovbious, but for not as strong players they may be usefull,

CP

This is not for stronger players by the way

Maybe the endgame should be on the top, or maybe third in your list ? Anyway, I agree with you mostly. Maybe I would have changed some things, but generally these are the phases fo your game you have to improve !

Thank you for sharing the study tips.

thanks, but i didn't put them in the order of most important to least important, i just wrote them down in a random order. thanks all the same maybe i should have done that...

Ok then ! Maybe you should write on another post the list with most important on the top

Sorry guys theres only 3 things you should study :

1. how to play sound moves in the opening

2. How to play the middle game correctly

3. How to handle endgames resulting from your the middle game.

thats it

My top four things to study to improve...

1. Tactics

2. Tactics

3. Tactics

4. Tactics

Funny, a friend I have that's USCF 1600 says the same thing but without openings (If you calculate well and understand imbalances you'd naturally find good moves except in certain counterintuitive openings like the king's gambit, Latvian, and certain lines of the Sicilian). 

At the heart of attack and defense are calculation and positional assessments, if  your pawn structure's a total mess without compensating activity you should be happy with a draw. Converting advantages is a different story, it isn't what leaves but what stays on that matters.  You should ask, "can I trade that?" and if you answer, "oh hell no!" then you keep your active rook and let his passive one rot until an opportune moment to exchange, and if he refuses even better, you get free pawns After activating your king appropriately you calculate a trade results in his inevitable zugzwang, and you elbow out their king and win their pawns. 

i actually diagree. ok yeah but you are basically saying study the game of chess! Calculation is part of the middlegame. so is postional chess. since i already said the endgame and the opening i belive that i have covered some of the basics with this. of course study other things, but why do you think that i should change the list?

I don't really know why tactics are such a rage....

It's actually really simple.  If you don't understand tactics, you will lose pieces to players that do.  And it takes an exceptionally well constructed position to compensate for large material defecits.  Meaning losing pieces will be decisive in almost every game where it happens.

I agree with someone who told tactics ! Maybe you should not study too much the opening (don't study lines, study plans) and focus on the other 3 things + tactics !! If you improve your tactics, you will sudenly find yourself winning a lot of games !

tactics are overuled by calculation. A good calculater can find tactics dispose of them, and move on. why is this not what happens? well to find a good calculater.... is shall we say a difficult task. whatever i don't really feel like getting into a heated argument with everyone who has been told since they learned to play chess that tactics are 99% of chess.

how about this. 99%of people think chess is 99% tactics. i disagree that is all

Calculation is useless without being able to easily see tactics.  You can calculate all the lines in the world but if they overlook tactics, you will lose.

tactic this tactics that ok yes tactics are good but seriously? 99% of chess is tactics? no way! shoot now i am getting into a heated argument! ok so they are important to use and to see but 99% of chess is an exageration. yes i am arguing with GM but ask Magnus Carlsen if chess is 99% tactics and see.

I don't remember anyone saying chess is 99% tactics but you.

really? do tactics trainer, they say chess in 99%tactics....

Sometimes, your calculation might go 6 or 7 moves deeper, and then, if you are not familiar with tatcical paterns and you are not able to find them easily, you won't be able to find the move (or it would be more difficult because you will have to calculate another 4 moves. Also, you will waste some time)