Is it worth it to upgrade my status?

lol.  ok its clear your a troll and do not care to be rational so I will end this debate here.

I think I understand the debate, and, please, lets not turn it into an argument.

Irontiger: I understand how one would want to see all the moves that have developed to a certain position. I'm a hack when it comes to the game, and, confronted with a board showing a position in the middlegame, it takes some time for me to evaluate. As in, what was the plan for either side? It's difficult for us to analyze as you can.

Jadarite: I understand (and you should, too) how a player like Irontiger (1900+) has the ability to see a position and realize what is the best move quickly, regardless of how the players came to it.

As far as upgrading to become a better player, the fee really is minimal if one is going to use the tools available.

Has anyone actually used TT here?

Jadarite - when you solve/fail the problem, you just click on on the analysis board and there, you can view the entire game and see how they played up to the tactic. Use that in conjunction with the game and openings explorer and should have what you are looking for.

But I agree with the others...you should learn to analyze a position via tactic training. Doing this will help keep your eyes sharp for tactical opportunities in the game.

And, you are acting like a troll btw....

How that ?

The rest of the game might be interesting, I never denied it. But each and every position requires to re-evaluate all the possible plans, and precisely, the tactic-trainer positions involve switching plans for immediate profit.

Even assuming that there is indeed in the position a long-term plan that was clearly perpared / pointed to by the previous moves and that remains valid, and where no other options are really available (I have yet to see such a position), it would be bad study to present that kind of positions with the previous sequence and play "guess the pattern", simply because most positions do not work like that.

This is obviously with reference with stuff like chess mentor where you are trained to find a middlegame plan, not to the tactics trainer, where "plans" do not exist, but only brute calculation.

And that was my point, Irontiger. Calculation, as you put it, is not easy for those of us that aren't good at the game, especially if I haven't gone through the moves.

For example, when I click to any current online game, I will remember what my plan was (even as it changes). If I look at a board in the middlegame that I'm not a part of, it takes quite some time for me to take it in and come up with what I think is the best move.

I believe that was jadarite's point. As I wrote previously, it's understandable that one at your level would not have an issue with it.

Trolling usually do not deserve an answer, but I had to quote this WTF-masterpiece.

The tactics are just cheap tricks to catch the opponent offguard, and they get forgotten after some short time. And good chess players are the barbarians, whereas the patzers are the artists that know how to appreciate a work of chess art. Yeah, sure.

I think he does not understand what tactics are.  He is looking for an overall plan and thinks he cannot find it jumping into the middle of a game. 

jadarite, you probably need a basic course on tactics.  You can get a book, take beginner classes in chess mentor, watch beginner tactics videos here on chess.com, or there is a nice article linked to the help button in tactics trainer.  Once you understand what tactics are, you need to recognize them independent of the game plan.  Understanding positional chess and strategic planning are important too, but that is not really where you should start.

Very simply, I have found it worth the upgrade for the learning tools in particular the Tactics Trainer (upto 25 lessons per day on the cheapest upgrade). The video series by Daniel Rensch, "Everything You Need To Know" is also excellent.

Studying isolated queen pawn structures and then steering your openings towards them is a good idea. ALEXANDER BABURIN - WINNING PAWN STRUCTURES may be hard to find but is worth the time if you are trying to reach expert

Didnt find platinum membership worth it. Although I did improve, it was mostly though TT and game experience. There are other free tactics websites and phone applications. I dont feel that chess.coms lack of attention towards the site should be rewarded with profit.

Time stamping? Any chess professional would realize the importance of this.

1-Even if they give them only once per game and it is a very subtle one, you need to see it if you want to win.

2-Not only you have to find them when you see them, but you also have to avoid running into them yourself.

3-Dirty little secret : 99% of the more or less balance endgames are "tactical", in the meaning that the move order is much more important than the general plans. I guess that makes the endgame a useless part of the game.

Computers are nothing more than very precise "purely tactical" players. They do not reason with "plans" or stuff. Yet they beat humans, so maybe tactics are actually more than cheap tricks in chess.

Good luck reaching even the 1500 level with hand-waving and pure concepts. I will stay with my delusion that rating indicates more or less strength in chess and that you are just a trolling patzer.

what's wrong with the chinese guy

not worth it... i tried a diamond for one month and didn't like it at all.. i am improving through  experience and analyzing my games.. about to reach 1600 soon

I just have the FREE access and use for puzzles and a few games. I would appreciate any quick summary of membership levels, cost and your assessment. Thanks.

http://www.chess.com/membership?c=navbar

I agree with DrCheckoverten, the Gold isn't worth even fooling with.

yes no and maybe

yes you only play onlne the chess.com platinum package is a bargain at a dollar a week

no if you play at a club pick peoples brains ie get their analysis also use a clubs library

maybe if you aint getting help from present sources ie library chess cub or online as chess.com has great tutorial for all levels

(Ive now plugged your membership chess.com can i get my platinum card free now?)

Ya, you got some good answers at the start.  Just ignore the trolling, it's typical.