i never want to stop improving

i have been playing chess since i was about 8 years old, i am 26, now and i must say i have not put the energy into strengthening my game that i could/should have been for all of those years.... it's only been as of recent that i have really started to work hard and getting better.  I've always been and liked to stay away from the traditional strategies, though i do have a real basic knowledge of openings and what-not purely as survival tools....but whati really like is to try new things and write my own book instead of just repeating the steps that have been played for centuries....i just want to keep getting better and learn as much as possible....guys im lookin for any and all advice...i want to be a sponge for any one who's willing to shed light for me.... everything and anything is appreciated....

I'm in a very similar situation as you...started when I was young, and didn't put energy into getting better until recently...I turn 26 in a few days.  I'd have to say that the tactics trainer in chess.com has helped me out loads full.  After doing over a thousand puzzles consistantly (because I've got nothing better to do at work) I've noticed that I've jumped up a level in terms of skill.  You should give it a try.

i def. have... but i want to move from the "mechanically" algorithmic" aspect of the game, tho i fear that it may not be possible ya know... almost like nothing's original anymore... i need someone to tell me that it is and help me work those ropes

Thanx but as far as best ways to learn the traditional standard tactics... is that just practice and drilling or what?!?! i mean it seems likethere's 1000's of them but alot of them seem to be intuitive...

Let a computer beat you, write down the moves, recreate them on a board and analyze where you went wrong.  I have been playing since Christmas 2008 - I am in my 40's - this has helped me.  Also reading the posts in the forumes here for beginners and ad www.chesscafe.com and reading Nizmowich, Horowitz, and Reinfeld. 

My disclaimer to you - I am very bad and am not competitive at all - but I believe I am learnin from replaying the computer games on a board.

Just a thought... those age old, time tested, moves... work :).

i've found that i've learned a lot more from getting beat really badly, or playing against people way beyond my caliber of play...

The truth is that you probably learn more from playing people significantly better but not people way beyond your ability. When you play people way beyond your ability you will lose and not even necessarily understand why even with the score, and the games are likely to be short on meaningful learning opportunities often being essentially over very quickly. Analysis of games against people significantly but not overwhelmingly better will result in more meaningful learning moments and easier to see errors.

Mondoniz - A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. If a big book of tactics is intimidating, start with a small book. If the book still seems too thick, start with a chapter. And if that chapter is too long, start with a page.

Yes, you need to learn basic tactics to get good at the game. But it's just like writing. Once you learn some letters and words, you'll find you can string them together in infinite ways and even sometimes produce works than inspire and endure.

I also second playing opponents slightly better than yourself but not way beyond your ability... or you may learn the wrong lessons for your improvement.

I too never want to stop learning.  I love Chess Mentor and it more than anything has really improved my game.  I love the tactics trainer.  I enjoy studying books on chess.  I actually think I like learning more than playing though I enjoy that quite a bit too. 

But if you don't want to repeat the steps of centuries you first have to master those steps to go beyond them or you may repeat them without even knowing it.

I have not refuted a single person or comment in this room??!?! I've made 3 comments one of which i slipped up my wording and instead of saying "being beat by more experienced players" i said "players WAY beyond my caliber of play" which isn't what i really meant... but it is still not a refutation to any one in here...i've actually been nothing but thankful and have taken in each and every person's comments or advice.... so please explain to me how i've been refuting anything?!?!

Chess is great because there is always something else to learn.  Someone who would ever want to stop learning probably would never started on the difficult path of learning chess in the first place.

Once, a young man who loves poem wanted to be a good poet, so he went to a famous poet and asked for his advise.

The poet told him, "go and memorize thousand poems and then come back to me". In 3 months, the young man came back memorizing thousand poems, and there the famous poet told him "go and come back when you forget them totally"..3 months and the young man came back with the poems forgotten and then the poet told him "now you can write good poem".

I found this is very true as a beginning.

yea... i def. love that last quote... not the first time i've heard it, but it's def. truth...i find that in untimed games, obviously i play a lot better, and i know enough of the basic tactics to handle myself into a decent middle game...i guess it's just practice and what not, thank goodness i found this site, coz finding a game around here is like finding water in the desert... thank you to everyone who's been stepping in w/ words of encouragment

anything is original if you think of it yourself, I know something about openings, but if I open my own way, it doesn't have to not-exist as an official opening, for it to be original.
If only I am not playing by copying, but thinking.
What kinan said is very true, and fitting

A friend I have said that he learned to play chess by playing only Fisher Random.  He doesn't have any of the regular response-counterresponse/memorization of tactics, but he can see the lines and positions. He also doesn't and hasn't studied any books, which makes his openings and playing strategies very different and unorthodox.  Don't be afraid to try new things out, especially in unrated games, but make sure you are also open to the memorization of books.

If you don't want to learn the "mechanically algorithmic" aspects, then going to Fisher Random is a good idea to try.  However, make sure you look until you see things.  You can spend minutes assessing the positions just from the start of the game: what will the main ideas of this particular game be...etc.  It will really help you to look at the board and see things instead of mechanized responses to everything. 

If you want to write a book, you NEED to be able to see as much as possible.  Obvoiusly, tactics trainer could also help that.  Unless you are short on time, you don't have to move quickly without thinking (one of my problems).  Take time to analyze the positions before you make your move. 

Good Luck!

im def. not trying to write a book, i wish, but that's not likey... ur friend def. sounds like how i started learning and kept going since i was about 8 years old... and that's a great way for untimed games, i've found. but the techniques and what not def. work well w/ the timed games... so i suppose im looking for the happy medium b/t the two...but practice seems to be the pinnacle of any right answer to my question... i def. find myself good at "seeing" everything, but like i said, throw timing into that and that view def. get's scoped down.. im very appreciative of everyone's input, this truly is great to hear everyone's take on the question...