I plateau since a year in the 900 category despite doing puzzles. How to improve?

Dear chess friends,

It makes a while that I try to improve at chess. I am a mid-30s player that started to really work on chess over 1 year ago. I joined a chess club, started reading chess books, worked on my tactics, doing tournaments...

However, despite all that, it seems that I still plateau around the 900 category (which is seen as beginner) and I don´t understand what is wrong with my games? Does anyone has any tips how to improve and pass that plateau?

I am not even talking OTB in tournaments where I got crushed by underrated kids. LOL

Thanks for your help!

Play more matches and less puzzles.

Chess com puzzles are for fun nothing else , if you want to improve get a real puzzle book that has handpicked puzzles by a coach and not the engine.

https://support.chess.com/article/437-how-do-i-get-better-at-chess

When I see posts like this sometimes I think about doing a quick video, reviewing some of the OP's games... it's easier to talk about what I'm thinking, draw arrows on the board etc, than it is typing advice.

But I wouldn't want to do that if the person isn't interested.

After your opponent moves, try to find ALL of their checks, captures, and threats.

After you choose a move you want to play, imagine it as if it's been played, and (again) find all of your opponent's checks, captures, and threats.

If you still like your move, then you can play it.

Even beginners do this on some moves, but your goal is to do it 100% of your moves in 100% of your games.

For example in the position below white can capture your knight. If you capture on d5 with your queen or pawn then that knight will be defended, but in the game you played like this:

-

So you lost the knight for no reason.
To be higher rated you're not allowed to make moves like that. You have to do your best to not give away anything, not even a single pawn.

Developing this habit is very tedious, but it's the single biggest way for players under a certain rating (like 1000) to improve.

(If I made a video I'd give less tedious advice heh)

I've checked one of your recent games. I didn't do a full game review. Instead I focused on what I believe is the most essential problem. You play too many moves without thinking them through. I've commented on the move that stood out most. 

Recently I wrote an article about the decision making process for each move that might be useful to you.  Chess is a massively complex game that is very hard to master. And it will take time. The first step that will help you play better is to start playing more intentional. Think about each move before you play. You will play better chess and probably learn faster as well.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

It’s my big problem too. I’m aware of that. In one game out of three I give a piece away; adding trivial forks, pins, discoveries I miss, two game out of three I make mistakes like these.

Thank you for reminding us once again, it really is the hardest hurdle to overcome.

Thank you again for all your comments and analyses. Having an external view on my games helped me to understand what I did wrong. I will try to overcome that and hope in 1 year to revert for the 1200 plateau

Please, feel free to analyse my games. I am always open to learn from my mistakes. 

Thank you again for your help!

Kind regards,

i and my friend need someone who will play vs us in swedish chech

Clearly because puzzles give you a position that's already been set up in a way there's only one way to solve it, and they tell you there's something there for you to discover.

It is vastly different to have to set up those kind of positions yourself during a game, against an unwilling opponent who's trying to prevent you from doing that while attempting to do that themselves.

@1

"I still plateau around the 900 category"
++ A rating of 900 is a sign of frequent blunders.
Always check your intended move is no blunder before you play it.
Imagine your move played on the board, verify it is no blunder, only then play it.
Hang no pieces, hang no pawns. as long as you hang pieces and pawns all the rest is in vain.

Hello. I have just hit 2000 a few days ago. I may give you some basic principles. 
- Put your pieces on optimal square. Knights on outposts, rooks on open files...

-refrain from pushing pawns, especially pawns in front of your castled king. 
-trade bad pieces for your opponents good pieces. Learn about bad bishop vs good bishop. Trade bad bishop for monster knight on an outpost.... 
- a knight on f3 when you castle kingside with white is the best defender, for black on f6. If you dont know what to do keep it there. 
-do not panic if you get forked... look for counter play. 
- sometimes you should try to sacrifice your pieces, use all your pieces to break their castle, you may lose, but you will learn, and your opponent may panic. 
Finally, what I now know and able to do compared to when I was at 1600 elo: 

I often calculate  2-3 best possible lines, may be 4-6 moves depth in a 5min games. I then choose to go in the lines I think is best for my style of play. 
also very important is you need to analyze games of grandmasters, I often watch them on youtube, Adgamator has a collection of games featuring Bobby fischer and capablanca, which I consider must watch. 
Good luck! 

You have to do more easier puzzles...like for kids.

Like your opponent just applied a pin in the opening, so you ignored it and hopped away and lost your queen. Took 15 sec on it.

So they have exercises on that. Assuming you were not  proving you were not cheating.

Like end game exercises.