Yes. It just takes discipline. You're playing turn-based, so ... if you don't have a direct point for an early attacking move -- like you want to clear out a certain enemy piece, so you force a trade; or you see a tactic to capture material that you can calculate exactly -- you just don't play that move. Develop instead. I swear just doing that much increased my rating against the computer by a couple hundred points.
Being more careful with my pieces -- not moving any piece to somewhere it's unprotected, after the first several moves (unless aiming to trade it/use it in a tactic) probably got me another couple hundred points.
Staying alert to your opponent's plans is a whole different thing and (I think) much harder to discipline yourself to do, but if you just do those two things your opponent will have a whole lot fewer options to plan around in the first place, so it still helps.
Oh, and tactics. ;)
I don't understand my behaviour!!
I know the basics of chess, e.g. attempt to deploy the main pieces as quickly as possible (N,B,R,Q,etc.,) control the centre, don't move out the Q to quickly, always watch/decipher/foil opponent's plans, etc...
What's the first thing I don't do when I start playing??
Get so involved in my own plans of attack that I don't watch out for the opponent's plan, don't employ my main pieces, don't control the centre!!
What happens to the basics I say I know? I DON'T know... I guess I just keep trying I suppose.
Is this common for others?
Brosche