Stagnating at 1600.

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TheSlipperOfDarkness

Hello,

I've been stagnating around 1600 for quite a while. The problem is that I do not know which part of my chess I should develop more. It is certainly not tactics since my rating of chess.com tactics is 250 more than my live chess and neither do I think it is endgame, which I think is a strength and I don't lose much in the endgame, just in the middle game and sometimes in the opening. Please help.

Also please provide tips to develop that specific area you mention.

Thanks.

kindaspongey

Some possibilities for reading:

50 Essential Chess Lessons  by Steve Giddins

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf

Chess Strategy for Kids by Thomas Engqvist

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Strategy_for_Kids.pdf

Starting Out: Attacking Play by James Plaskett

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101549/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review467.pdf

Simple Chess by Michael Stean

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf

Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf

Chess Secrets: The Giants of Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092313/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review620.pdf

Chess Strategy for Club Players by Herman Grooten

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101926/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review696.pdf

Chess Training for Post-beginners by Yaroslav Srokovski

https://web.archive.org/web/20140712013538/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review945.pdf

Chess Strategy: Move by Move by Adam Hunt

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093249/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review890.pdf

How to Reassess Your Chess (4th ed.) by Jeremy Silman

Winning Pawn Structures by GM Alexander Baburin (1998)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140718055446/http://chesscafe.com/text/wps.txt

Understanding Pawn Play in Chess by GM Drazen Marovic (2000)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708110136/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review249.pdf

Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess by GM Drazen Marovic (2001)

http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/books-of-many-flavours

Winning Chess Middlegames, An Essential Guide to Pawn Structures by GM Ivan Sokolov (2009)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708091955/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review676.pdf

Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andrew Soltis (2013)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101523/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review908.pdf

Chess Structures - A Grandmaster Guide by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (2015)

"There is also masses of stuff in the book that made me go 'Oooh!' and 'Aaah!' so I think it will have the same effect on you! In particular, I loved Rios' exposition of White's plan of exerting queenside pressure against Hedgehog systems. I'd seen one of the games he quotes in his chapter but I'd never remotely made any link to a structured way of fighting the Hedgehog structure, so this chapter was a real eye-opener for me ...

In conclusion, warmly recommended. Lots to learn!" - GM Matthew Sadler

The Power of Pawns by GM Jörg Hickl (2016)

"The didactic concept of the book is admirable. Each chapter defines the structures, explains the typical characteristics and shows the plans for both White and Black. The reader participates by assessing positions and invariably receives useful tips for practical play." - FM Harry Schaack

Python Strategy by Tigran Petrosian

http://sagarteacheschess.blogspot.com/2015/09/python-strategy-book-review.html

Petrosian’s Legacy by Tigran Petrosian (1990)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103409/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review309.pdf

Petrosian: Move by Move by Thomas Engqvist

"Engqvist gives us a rare treat and a genuine, sympathetic understanding of one of chess' greats who nowadays tends to gets lost in the shuffle!" - Michael Ciamarra (2014)

Grandmaster Chess Strategy by Jürgen Kaufeld & Guido Kern

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093410/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review812.pdf

blueemu
Canyounotquit wrote:

Hello,

I've been stagnating around 1600 for quite a while. The problem is that I do not know which part of my chess I should develop more. It is certainly not tactics since my rating of chess.com tactics is 250 more than my live chess and neither do I think it is endgame, which I think is a strength and I don't lose much in the endgame, just in the middle game and sometimes in the opening. Please help.

Also please provide tips to develop that specific area you mention.

Thanks.

Time to get a better understanding of Pawn structure and its influence on middle-game planning.

Pawn Structure Chess - Soltis

Pawn Power in Chess - Kmoch

My System - Nimzovich

Chess Praxis - Nimzovich