Hi everyone.

I have recently encountered a problem with my rating. I just noticed my statistics and learned that my best rating was 1725 at August, 2011. This was plenty of time ago, and now my rating doesn't seem to increase, actually it fluctuates around 1670.

Altough I know how to improve when one is a beginner, around 1200 or so. I also happen to know the second step with which to pass over 1500. However I have no guess what to do now. Can you please give me some ideas? How do most 1700's train and improve themselves? Here are my details about what I usually do to try improving:

-Play a lot of games ranging from 3min live to 7 days online.

-do a lot of tactics training with both tactics trainer and some books.

-occasionally I study master games from a local chess journal.

Here's what I think my defficiencies are:

-calculation and planning. I can't seem to think more than 3 moves or so and I regularly fail to find an efficient plan.

-strategy and positional play

-Technique. For example I was just forced to resign a game in which I had a 2 pawns lead in material previously. Also I'm weak at attacking and even in a few kinds of endgames because of the lack of technique.

Finally, I'd like to make one more thing clear. I'm no more than a hobby player and I usually don't spend more than an hour or two with chess a day.

Thanks in advance for your feedback and ideas :)

I'm sure you'll find the answers you seek. Meanwhile would you mind telling me how to break the 1200 barrier? (If I do it, then I guess I'll be back for the 1500 barrier info. Appreciate it.

For me I tend to step the wrong way through the 1700 threshold when playing at 2am 

but seriously, tactics and endgames crucial, openings not as much. I broke the 2000 barrier on a poor opening repertiore, but good tactical and endgame knowledge.

For calculation being able to visualize the board in your head is a great help. reading books or online articles and then trying to visualise the variations in your head helps.

when I was that level I would play 15-20 minute games, this helps as you have time to think. as I improved I started playing quicker games as I could calculate quicker.

For the 1200 barrier, just practise tactics as that is how almost all games at that level are won or lost. chesstempo.com is a good site for tactics. also make sure you know the basic endgames.

Have you tried chess mentor? I found it helpful.

http://www.chess.com/chessmentor/myhome.html

Agree with corrijean if you use site-resources (tactic-trainer & chess-mentor) & also play many games you will definitely achieve 1300+ 

I know it's a pretty old topic, but how exactly do you increase your ranking as a beginner? I never thought about any special planning, just training, studying and playing. I don't really see how making it that advanced would be a bigger benefit.

I am not really clear on why so many people worry about their rating.  Play if you enjoy the game and dont if you dont.  Ratings are a crappy system to soothe egos.  OTB I have been 1700 and something for years - last year I was 1717, next year I think it goes up to 1756 - I might never reach 1800 but it doesnt matter.  I have given up chess for two periods - both when my personal life was falling apart - but rating should never be an issue.  I would be quite happy if FIDE scrapped the whole rating system.

Sure, here on the internet it's not really that important but it could act as a measuring tool. Measuring how you improve and so on, while you could take the FIDE rating more seriously.

How to step through the 1700 threshold?

Head down the street, straight past number 1696 then number 1698 and you are there.  Knock on 1700's door, come up with a good excuse then force your way in.  Success!  Why do you want to go there anyway, I heard they are terrible hosts.

I recommend going over grandmaster games, searching through the recent tournaments first. Find games that are in your opening repetouire, and then study these games and similar games. For this I use chessgames.com's find similar games feature. I have used this recently to improve my blitz rating above 1600, and historically I have always been a 1400-1500 blitz player.

Note that I think I can improve my online rating past 1800 soon, the games are just so slow so my rating doesn't increase. Most of the players I play are lower rated than me too, so I win about 5 games, lose 1, and drop a few points. 

I also have trouble with playing at 2 a.m., is there any way to fix this?