I have broken the 1700 barrier several times in the past.....1775...1745...1719...1694....etc. and etc. It's not hard to do....my last game, my computer kept disconnecting and reconnecting and it completely wiped out my concentration. I lost.
Just thinking...
I found that if i play stronger opponents i have better chance to win. Seriously. Some (many?) players are sandbagging and have lower than their actual rating. I remember being stuck at 1350. Some 1250 rated played like 1700 rated. if you see their stats their max is way above their actual rating with best beaten player als very high rated with huge ups and drops in graph. I wont play thise guys. That is valid also for higher rated.
But to improve dont just play more and more (but i see now you have only 80 games??) . Start watching master streams/videos/lessons (saint louis youtube) OR better get diamont membership here. Chess Mentor here really helps. Video lessons are the best. Solve not 10 or 20 but 50 puzzles or as me 100 in a day (now you can choose thematic ones and rating range and unrated option) . Solve the ones who are lower rated, so you can defend/hold your rating until you have 90% succes.
Forget openings. I hit 1700 with very little opening knowledde (bullet and 3 min blitz).
Study Endgame and tactics. When i reach 1600 i had no idea how to win king and pawn endgame vs king. And many other basic stuff. Learn them. Found out what are your holes in the game, your weak sides and start learning from scratch.
(Almost) Every time that I get close to a new rating peak, I go into a slump that drops me 200 points. I've learned that I'm thinking about rating instead of the position on the board in front of me. When I play the board, I win. When I fish for rating points, I get skunked.
My POV for improvement below a 2000 rating:
Pick a book you haven't read from one of these categories: opening, endgame, strategy, tactics, annotated game collection, and read it. The whole thing, and without distracting yourself with other material until the book is finished. Review instructive / difficult parts.
Regularly play long-ish games against higher rated opponents.
(G/30 to G/60 vs people from +1 to +300) IMO a few games a week is enough.
Analyze every game you play at least a little, even if it's blitz. Check your opening choices against a database for every game.
For openings that often lead to middlegames where you're struggling, select 5 to 10 GM games featuring that opening, all from the same player, and play over them slowly. You can substitute in WC level players. I like the guess the move method.
When solving puzzles online, attempt to see the whole variation and any key sidelines before playing the first move. Always repeat failed puzzles the next day. Continue to do so until you get them right on the first try.
And of course the right focus is important. It's not about checking a game, book, puzzle, etc off of your list. It's about being able to answer: "what did I learn today?"
Keep in mind that before you're able to use new ideas effectively in your own games you have to be exposed to them a few times. Once in a book or in analysis, then 2 or 3 failures to see or use them in your own games.
Thanks for all the great advice guys!
I have only played 80 Live Standard games on here so far because of a number of factors. I play on another site as well as this one, as well as over the board games. But I do think that regularly playing more games on this site might help.
I really wish sandbagging wasn't a thing though - online chess can be so annoying sometimes.
On chess.com it is fairly easy to break 1700... but I would note that knowing Sicilian as an 1. e4 player can significantly increase your strength.
I've been steadily climbing over the past few years but every time I get close to a 1700 rating I lose a game(s) and rating points and have to start the climb all over again!
It's not like I'm not trying - I solve the daily puzzle every day, read chess books, study my games, etc. and I'm still stuck in the 1600's! What am I doing wrong?
Any advice would be appreciated.