Do you know when you feel you are losing the game? If is in the first ten moves, then you might want to reevaluate your openings.
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THAT was a brilliant lesson, chess_gg. I couldn't help but laugh, though, at your recommendation for "Chess for Dummies" (even though you were possibly serious).
I have a guess as to what you need to do, newplayer10101. I'll bet you're one of those players who try to have a wide range of openings. If this is the case, I'd recommend you abandon that idea IMMEDIATELY. At your level, you should focus on as few specific openings as possible and count on general opening principle for the rest of the openings. This has 2 benefits:
1) You'll be memorizing less.
2) By studying deeper 1 specific opening, you'll start to discover that "book moves" actualy have purpose. More importantly, once you gain a better idea of the purpose of certain opening moves, you'll be able to strategize better in the middle game. This knowledge can even be generalized to other openings.
Lastly, when studying middle game, start by studying specific pawn structures. (Like I said above, try choosing a specific one, like the Carlsbad Structure or some other one that goes with your opening choice).
I suggest you to play online (correspondence) chess. I gained 100+ rating points in just 3 weeks. It is a good way to improve your chess skills. Don't move too quickly. Take your time to go through different variations using ' Analysis Board' & try to find the best move. It will help you.
Apr 28, 2014
0
#5
I am nearly of the same rating so may be i can help you in some way. . .
You have a premium membership and thats the best news.Many cant afford that.Now if you have not completed the beginners course on chess yet then complete it.Here is the course:
http://www.chesskid.com/article/view/chesskidcoms-curriculum
And then go to google and search for "chess.com daily chess column".
Bookmark it and read them regularly and try to solve puzzles there.And while you do all this make it sure that you play 2-3 30 mins game every week.
This method really helped me so i think it will help you too.
I would agree with gg. Blitz won't help you with your chess playing. If you play the 3-day/per turn games, you will be able to think about your move and your next move. When I first started playing chess, they told me to not memorize and opening. I found that I was losing a lot of games, but I was finding out the reason for each move. You will find that there is an opening that you naturally play. This should be the opening that you study.
Apr 29, 2014
0
#7
Try my free video lessons course on YouTube. I spell out in 37 minutes in lesson001 what you need to do to improve. You may join my group here, 7600+ members strong:
http://www.chess.com/groups/join?id=14246
My YouTube playlist is usually on page 1 of group wall. Of course my other 300+ videos will teach you quite a lot too, and it's all free.
I bet they're very informative, chess_gg. Unfortunately for me, I am much too proud to read one :( . It's quite sad really. I'm sure I should have picked up the "Elemental Number Theory for Dummies" book a while back, but I chose the one so boldly titled "Number Theory." Two months later and I'm still on chapter 1... But it feels good when I (rarely) learn something from it ! 
chess_gg wrote:
"Too proud" can cause a lot of problems in life. And I am saying that from the perspective of someone >70, grandchildren, business owner and 3.9 GPA.
I am proud, too. Sometimes, I am also humble. Now with these books, if after what I told you, your pride prevents you from reading them...I don't care. Which is good. Why should I?
But...I wasn't pushing the book for you to read. I was simply posting something which I thought the OP...who is obviously frustrated and befuddled...might find useful.
Now, in the end, I don't care if he reads a dummy book either. Again...why should I? Not only that, I am 99% of the opinion that he won't take my advice, anyway. And, again...why shoulld he? Free advice is cheap.
What he really needs to do is pay for advice (such as offered by aww-rats, who looks good to me) and suffer/struggle like the rest of humanity to find his own "truisms".
My adult children won't even take my free advice. Again...why should they?...lol. It has been sad to see all the misery they've been through, though. But...oh, well. comme ci, comme ça
Who could guess that the chess.com forums could be so philosophical? :)
Apr 29, 2014
0
#13
If you don't already have a reliable opening reperitore, I'd get on that immediatley. Doing so will save time in all your games and of course get you to a better middlegame. Buying some books for this is probably your best bet.
Apr 29, 2014
0
#14
he is 1200, he dont need an opening Repertoire! I am 1100 Fide and I also dont need an opening Repertoire!
@chess_gg, sorry if my bad humor was misleading. I was exaggurating my pride just to poke fun at the name ". . . for Dummies." And, although you don't care, I highly doubt someone got to your level off of reading only ". . . for Dummies" books. Moreoever, I'm sure there are brilliant minds far superior to the average man who enjoys a good ". . . for Dummies" book. My implication was not that only idiots read those books, but rather only those bold enough to be falsely label as such do.
As for as the OP, I think a lot of us would like to know in which stage of the game you struggle.
Apr 29, 2014
0
#18
Nice! I played a tournament in Dresden last time. There I improved My Fide rating up to 1050. I hope I will be a Master soon :)
I think I struggle in the opening. If im white, I always play e4 followed by developing my knight to an active square, and if my opponent defends with their knight, then I use my bishop and go into the ruy lopez. If my opponent does something else, I develop my other knight and just try to control the center. I will go to the library and check out that chess for dummies book as well as some other chess books if they have it. I have a book called, "Logical Chess: Move by Move" by Erving Chernev but its a just a playthough with analysis of some games. I'll also watch some of aww-rats video lessons and hopefully i'll learn. I really want to know more about the ruy lopez and maybe four knight's game. So far, Ive just been using nextchessmove and playing some variations then seeing the best moves to combat them but I tend to forget these lines when im actually playing a game. I'll also play correspondance chess instead of standard, hopefully I will improve. Thanks everyone :)
Ive been on chess.com for about 5 months now, Bought the 1 year premium membership a few days after joining chess.com. For the first month, my rating shot up from 800 to 1100, Then on the second month I gained 100 points. For the past 3 months Ive been in the 1200 range, I say this now because my standard rating is exactly what it was 3 months ago. I try submitting my games for analysis but on review, I guess im not picking up on my mistakes. I try tactics trainer, Im getting better at that but its not even affecting my standard rating.. I try watching chess videos.. I watch chess videos/chess game analysis/ play chess games for several hours each day. Is there anyway I can get improvement?(Besides spending an extravagant amount of money on chess coaches.)