How do I fix my thought process?

I've been playing chess since 2023, both online and over the board. I'm around 1750 OTB, 1800 rapid, and 1600 blitz. I enjoy the game and I want to improve, but I've hit a wall that I think is entirely down to how I think at the board.

My biggest issue right now is that almost every move I play is based purely on intuition. I'll look at the board, see a move that looks good, and just play it without actually verifying it, without checking what my opponent can do, without looking for anything deeper. And then I'll miss something completely obvious and lose a game I felt like I was in control of.

I know that's on me. It's not my openings, it's not my endgames, it's that I'm not actually calculating. I'm just reacting.

The other side of the problem is that when I do try to slow down and think, I end up just staring at the same move I saw immediately going back and forth on whether it's good, but not actually working through any lines. I'm not calculating at that point either, I'm just second-guessing myself without any real process behind it.

What I want is to be able to sit at the board and actually think... to evaluate a position properly, to check my candidate moves against what my opponent can do, and to play a move because it's genuinely good rather than because it felt right in the moment. I know that's what separates stronger players, I just don't know how to get there.

Has anyone else been stuck in this same pattern, and what actually helped you break out of it? And is there a specific thinking method or resource you'd point someone at my level towards? Whether that's a book, a training routine, or just a habit you built over time?

Make it like a mental checklist.

Find your instinctive first move.

"Candidate move found: check!"

Now pause and find another good move to consider. Unless you're in a forced sequence, there should be at least one other decent move to look at. Tuck that first move away and consider alternatives, until you find this second move that you'd consider worth playing.

"Alternate move found: check!"

Now compare the two moves by seeing what they each accomplish. Which one accomplishes more? Pretend they're on a scale and you're trying to find the worth of each one by weight. Think about how your opponent might respond to each move, and see which move leads to a better outcome for you.

"Moves compared: check!"

Finally: play the move that, in your mind, won the comparison.

This won't guarantee that you play perfect chess - but it'll help your move choices be more informed, and should also help you catch some of those blunders before you insta-play them.

I can teach you thinking system to make optimal move in any position.

I've found Chua's andKabadayi's courses on chessable.com to be super helpful in remapping your mind.

Thank you! I will look into these books. Right now im reading the 9 book series of Artur Yusperov

Ill seriously try this, its very hard for me to play moves that are outside my intuition. I dont know why.

ill look into them, thank you!