How Do I Improve?

I have been plateauing at 1100-1190 range for a long time now and I don't know what I should be doing to improve. I have been solving a lot of puzzles on lichess but it does not seem to be helping. Is this because I am not solving them thematically?

Also, I am looking for very tactical openings as white and as black against 1. d4.

I also had a few questions regarding:

1. How long should I be studying chess and how much of my time should go to my openings, middle game and endgame?

2. How many games I should play a day?

3. How should I solve puzzles (just any puzzles or thematically)?

4. Is it possible to reach 1500 in a month by improving tactics?

Thanks for reading, please give me feedback in the comments!

Well what is your current daily chess routine?

I spend around 20 mins doing puzzles, and play 2-3 rapid games. That's it.

I play Queens gambit as white and sicilian as black.

Puzzles are of limited value. The most significant difference between ratings is how long each player goes between making mistakes and blunders. Puzzles do nothing to teach you to search for bad moves that lose games. Play more games. Play at slower time controls to learn how to look for the best move. How serious are you at getting better, that will tell you how much you should spend every day. Masters play for hours every day, or are reviewing games.

Thanks for your input, I will take this into consideration

@1

"what I should be doing to improve" ++ Analyse your lost games

"I have been solving a lot of puzzles"
++ Not that useful. In a real game nobody tells you there is a tactic, or for which side.

"Is this because I am not solving them thematically?"
++ No. In a real game there is no hint of theme.

"I am looking for very tactical openings as white and as black against 1. d4."
++ Do not worry about openings. You do not win or lose because of the opening, but because of tactical mistakes.

"How long should I be studying chess" ++ As you like and as you have time for it.

"how much of my time should go to my openings" ++ Zero

"middle game" ++ You cannot really study middle games, you can only play and analyse your lost games, or you can study annotated grandmaster games.

"endgame" ++ This is important and can be studied exactly.

"How many games I should play a day?" ++ One 15|10 game.

"How should I solve puzzles (just any puzzles or thematically)?" ++ Just any, but not too many.

"Is it possible to reach 1500 in a month by improving tactics?"
++ Yes, even more specifically by blunder checking.

"I play Queens gambit as white and sicilian as black."
++ Both are good. Stick with these so as to accumulate experience.

Do puzzles, play OTB and learn flagging if you have time problems. I sometimes reach 4 minute in a 3 | 2 game. Learn your openings good, don't miss a single variation. Tactics and tactics bro. Play endgame like stockfish, middlegame like a magician, openings like a book. Use chessable, use your frickin money to buy things. Don't watch Gotham, watch Hikaru. Don't play GTA, play chess. And come 1v1 at FIFA. Learn how to sac pieces, then you'll be a master...

Puzzles are good for beginers to learn paterns and helps spot them during games. But best you can do is learn and drill endgames and decide on contrete positional plans for your opening repetoire. Maybe an hour of endgames a day alternating between practice and study. Spend an hour (for each opening you play) going over your games played and the common errors, and the positional considerations to build a strategy for how you will play that opening into the rest of the game going forward. Then after you play your one white and one black 15|10 game per day review that game against those plans. How did you execute your endgame if you played one? How did the opening go, did you achieve your objectives, how were they foiled, does your plan need adjusting? How well did you transition between objectives? Finally how often did you blunder to a tactic?

Hi, thanks a lot for the feedback, it is very helpful and will be integrated. I had a few questions about how I should approach endgames (provided that I do not have chess.com membership). I am not quite sure how I should be studying endgames. I am finding it hard to grasp information out of books due to its notation. Are there any websites you recommend that train endgames?

@11

There are endgame lessons here
https://www.chess.com/lessons/endgames

However your priority now should be blunder checking and analysis of lost games.

Don't expect us to trust you. You joined 1 hour ago

That is his raging account after getting wrecked he logs in.

Play an amount that allows for reflection and analysis after each game. Quality is more important than quantity.

Aiming for 1500 in a month is ambitious, but improvement rates vary among individuals. Consistent, focused effort is more crucial than setting a strict timeframe.

For tactical play, consider openings like the King's Gambit (as White) and the Budapest Gambit or the King's Indian Defense (as Black against 1. d4).