Followup to my own posting -- I should have incuded in question #1, that the training I need should include the skills needed to remember the result of the move chosen so that my continuing calculations will be accurate.
I Badly Need To Improve My Playing
Sort:
[(A,C,E,G)/(1,3,5,7)] and [(B,D,F,H)/(2,4,6,8)] aka ODD/ODD and EVEN/EVEN are dark squares. ODD/EVEN and EVEN/ODD are light squares
Perhaps you should post games for analysis too. Good luck.
I found this free site useful, it makes a little game out of finding the correct squares.
http://chess-skills.com/chess-tips/chessboard-coordinates-trainer/
As a diamond member You have access to so much that It's difficult to imagine you not making progress. All the latest tactics, strategy, endgame, checkmate, and opening courses are little gems on Chess Mentor and really give good feedback if you go astray. For "edutainment" it's hard to imagine anything better than IM Danny Rensch's Live Session videos and he must have 50 or so by now. Anyway keep plugging away at it and you'll get better.
hopeless6 wrote:
As you can see, I am trying, so far without success, to make a liar out of my user name.
I wish I could make a liar out of mine.....Sigh.....
Anyways, I think knowing exact positions by notation and rapid calculation are a product of time and practice.
I've never heard of Visualize (had to google it) but not finding any objective evaluation is usually a bad sign. IMHO.
Sorry I can't be of more help with any of your questions but I wish you good luck with finding the answers.
Don't Despair! If you keep at it I'm sure you'll make a big lie out of your username yet.
Baddogno, I will have to study that web site you included. By the way, it seems to be the property of the gentleman who owns the Visualize programs I mentioned.
PS-Love your name!
@ hopeless6:
With all due respect, when you've played 6800 standard games and have your current rating, something is wrong. I'm betting (and no I haven't looked at any of your games) that you're just repeating the same errors. Do you analyze your games afterwards? That helps, but I really think you need to "hit the books". I know books are boring (and I have to be in the mood for them myself), but come on, the ChessMentor is maybe The most efficient way of studying chess other than a personal (and expensive) tutor. Those Live Session videos of Danny Rensch will help too; it's really useful to have a titled player share his thought process as he chooses candidate moves and shares both the typical plans for the opening and what he's going to do. Pep talk over, my usual $.02.
EDIT: And I admit to having a LOT of pennies. 
Honestly I think books are overrated. I think they can help, for some people they can help a lot. But don't look at them as an automatic cure. You probably just need to work on something simple such as calculation, or keeping focus every move. There are a lot of things that are better done without books.
Frankly, I stink. I can't believe I am really as dumb as I usually play. I've tried reading books to help me improve, but find it very slow going because I just don't seem to be able to rapidly calculate moves from the notation. I certainly understand the concept and can figure them out, but it takes me so long that I eventually give up.
So my questions for you folks are:
1. Does anyone know of any training method which will allow me to see a notational symbol and immediately know exactly where on the board it is? Obviously, good players can do that without having to stop and calculate it.
2. I've run across a program called Vizualize (not sure I spelled it right). Also, Vizualize 2.0. Looks interesting, but I can't find any objective evaluation of it. Has anyone have an opinion of them? I know it won't solve my question #1, but might help my overall play if it is good.
As you can see, I am trying, so far without success, to make a liar out of my user name.