I am need help or tips on how to improve and what steps to take!! (I am 1200 elo rapid)

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holybeeman

I noticed that lately I haven't been playing chess too often since a month ago, because of that I'm stuck on 1200 elo and haven't been improving lately. I want to get better at the game but I cannot stick to any routines to do so. Can anyone tell me about what I should do?
I am trying to reach around 1600 by January next year but I am lost on what to do.
(It's not like I do not enjoy the game anymore or is bored of it. It's that I just can't seem to
take the steps forward to improve as a player.)

blueemu

You can improve by:

1) Pick a couple of openings that interest you. Find out which Master players play (or used to play) those openings. Collect several of their games. Play over the complete games, from move one to the end. This will teach you far more than memorizing a few opening lines.

2) Play over all your lost games. Try to figure out WHY you lost each one. Analyze them yourself, with your own mind and eye. Don't use the computer... the engine already KNOWS how to play chess. We are trying to teach YOU, not the computer.


3) Read my posts on the first couple of pages of this thread, PARTICULARLY posts # 4, 7 to 10 and most of all post 12. Then play over my three sample games on those first few pages.

GM Larry Evans' method of static analysis - Chess Forums - Chess.com

holybeeman
blueemu wrote:

You can improve by:

1) Pick a couple of openings that interest you. Find out which Master players play (or used to play) those openings. Collect several of their games. Play over the complete games, from move one to the end. This will teach you far more than memorizing a few opening lines.

2) Play over all your lost games. Try to figure out WHY you lost each one. Analyze them yourself, with your own mind and eye. Don't use the computer... the engine already KNOWS how to play chess. We are trying to teach YOU, not the computer.


3) Read my posts on the first couple of pages of this thread, PARTICULARLY posts # 4, 7 to 10 and most of all post 12. Then play over my three sample games on those first few pages.

GM Larry Evans' method of static analysis - Chess Forums - Chess.com

I will do this. Thank you very much!!

CraigIreland

Most likely is that, like me, you're playing for fun instead of playing as part of a learning process. If you want to improve then I think your focus should be on the learning and your matches should be treated as exercises. Beware that you might have a lot of hard work ahead of you if you committed to reaching your goal.

holybeeman
CraigIreland wrote:

Most likely is that, like me, you're playing for fun instead of playing as part of a learning process. If you want to improve then I think your focus should be on the learning and your matches should be treated as exercises.

I see, I will keep that in mind from now on.

Bogopawn657

Want to improve your chess abillity, the abillity to improve your middle game play and choosing the correct transposition from middle fame to won ending then you need to play some classical chess times you will never improve in these areas if you only ever play Blitz chess, fun as one finds it one needs some longer play chess to improve in all areas of the game!!?

tomascalza233

constancy

ChessMasteryOfficial

The biggest reason people struggle in lower-level chess is because of blunders. They make them in almost every game.

A mistake can instantly put you in a bad position, no matter how well you played earlier: if you had great opening knowledge, great positional skills, great endgame skills, whatever; a single mistake can change everything (you lose a piece or get checkmated).

So, how do you avoid blunders? Follow this simple algorithm:



While avoiding blunders is crucial, I also share a few basic principles with my students. These principles help them figure out what to do in each part of the game - the opening, the middlegame, and the endgame. Understanding these simple principles is like having a map for your moves. I provide my students with more advanced algorithms that incorporate these fundamental principles. When you use this knowledge along with being careful about blunders, you're not just getting better at defending. You're also learning a well-rounded approach to chess. Keep in mind, chess is not just about not making mistakes; it's about making smart and planned moves to outsmart your opponent.