How do I beat a 2000+?

I really need to do that more often.

No you weren't being a jerk. I see nothing wrong with the way you asked the question but nonetheless people still seem to think it warrants douchebaggery. You handled it pretty well, I for one wouldn't necessarily have handled it so well if I were in the same position.

It's as if people here truly believe in these hypothetical points as religion; the more points you have - the more you are able to demand utter respect.

See I don't agree that this place has to be void of serious discussion. We aren't in the early 2000s anymore when the internet was only filled with trolls and flamers. I expect to be in an environment where chess is nurtured but sadly chess.com apparantly babysits a certain kind of sour attitude.

The helpful and redeeming comments do appear eventually but sadly most 1st time posters would stray far away from their thread when the first 2 or 3 replies have been douchebags. 

by being younger that him and then seceretly pausing the clock.

Kasparov, a student of the Botvinnik school of chess stated that the best way to improve is to be brutally honest with yourself. Find the area that you are weakest in, and work on that. Every week, review your strengths and weaknesses, and focus on your weakness.

Be precise. It's not good enough to say, for instance, that you are weak in endgames. Which endgames give you the most trouble?

You keep talking about your record against players rated 1900-1999. Your USCF record shows that you have yet to gain even a draw against anyone over 1700. Prove yourself, to yourself, in USCF games. The only ratings that matter are USCF (national) and FIDE ratings.

Go out and play some USCF tournaments! If you work on your game, the wins will come. Even wins against players with ratings starting with a 2.

Technical synopsis of what it takes to beat a 2000+ USCF rated OTB tournament player:

1. 6 opening repertoire (3 as White, 3 as Black) that you know all variations 35-40 moves deep including transpositions to other variations in the same opening and transpositions to other openings.

2. A strong 5 visualization pattern memory bank:

  a. Tactics visualization pattern memory bank

  b. Mating Net visualization pattern memory bank

  c. Endgame technique visualization pattern memory bank

  d. Opening visualization pattern memory bank

  e. Middlegame visualization pattern memory bank

The time required to acquire and be competent with all of the above is 2-3 years

If you would like to know more please let me know.

I think he joked. In my first 2000-"scalp", I was out of book in move 4 (4. a4 in the benko gambit, and I knew nothing theoretically. Though I knew a little about the positions after bxc4, because the structure looks like the b6-variations, except with the black pawn on a7 instead of a6, and since a typical plan for white is a4-a5 and pressure on b6, black is a little more comfortable.

The only thing you need to do is to constantly play fine moves, and 2000-players outplay themself. That usually happens when I play an IM. They do nothing extraordinary, but somehow I lose a piece around move 40. Very annoying, because it's difficult to find out where I went wrong.

Currently my Northwest rating tends to be closer to my actual rating because I've played 130 games on it compared to 20 or 30 in USCF. USCF rated tournaments are rare here, unless I want to drive 2 hours up to Portland to play in quads. The people I've beaten were rated 1900+ in USCF. I am honest with myself. I am one of the most self-scrutinizing people I have ever met. I am trying to improve. I just wanted to see if people could help me understand this problem that I tend to have. That's all.

Chessdude, the Northwest rating is just a scholastic rating. 2000 there does not equate to 2000 USCF. You are aware of that, aren't you?

Added:

I just noticed, you're not even a scholastic player anymore. It's time to join the big kids' pool and play in USCF events. There are plenty of events in your area.

I am aware. But the people I have beaten also had ratings of 1900 in USCF. I am just saying that given that it has twice as many games recorded on it that it should be more accurate to my playing strength. It's accurate towards a lot of players I have gone against as well since, as I have said before, USCF games are fairly uncommon here and the northwest rating has more games on it. 

Where are you seeing these USCF events near me? The closest ones that happen around here are two hours away.

Just keep working hard on it.

I can safely say, even though I am 2000 uscf, I am probably the worst calculator of the bunch that has ever reached that mark and surpassed it.

So in order to beat me, for example, all you need to do is beat me in a position that involves calculating a lot. I will blunder quite a bit. I like simplicity.

But truth be told, that's only one strategy to go about things against a 2000. My preferences are different from other 2000s and above. 

Knowing your opponent, their strengths and weaknesses will help a lot in attempting to defeat them.

Do you have Aagard's GM Prep: Calculation?  It's an amazing book that will break you down and build you back up again. Same with Secrets of Pawn Endings.  It doesn't just work endgame technique but the positions are quite demanding with calculation too and you'll recognize some of the positions from Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual.  Dvoretsky's School of Chess Excellence 2: Tactical Play is great if you feel you need to build up to them. 

Do you feel weak against the Fried Liver?  I personally play 3...Bc5 in those situations (when I'm not playing a Sicilian against 1.e4 obviously as my main weapons against 1.e4 are the Berlin Wall and Paulsen Sicilian with the idea of setting up a Hedgehog) since the big calculation and aggression peters out too early in the Fried Liver.  As white I prefer 4.d4 against 1.e4,e5 2.Nf3,Nc6 3.Bc4,Nf6 4.d4 and 4...Nxe4, a very natural capture is incorrect as 5.dxe5 leads to a great game for white.  There's a convincing Lasker win as white from that opening too.  Hoping for 4...Nxe4 isn't my main reason for playing it but is a nice little extra. 

I do have Aagard's calculation book actually. Went through the first 17 puzzles, and for some reason I am being lazy and stopped reading it. 

No reason for it honestly. I guess I am on the "easy" stuff with the first chapter haha

youre only 1300 strength, there's your answer

Portland is less than two hours away and hosts the Oregon Open at the end of the month. If you don't want to commute (two hours isn't a horrible drive), I'm sure you can find another chess playing friend to share the ride and a room. 

You're a college student. Stop looking for excuses and go play in some of these events in Portland! Get your chess playing buddies together and get a club going at your local college.

Quack!

http://leadership.uoregon.edu/get_involved/student_groups/446

<<Exchange brains with Magnus Larsen. Brain transplants are going to become possible in a few years (that's a fact).>>

There are some jokers here ... 

<<I expect to be in an environment where chess is nurtured but sadly chess.com apparently babysits a certain kind of sour attitude.>>

Yes, there are a lot of miserable and self-opiniated beggars but it still seems better now than it was three months ago when all I seemed to see were strongish players with ego problems. Maybe Summer's helping.