The desire to be a champion

Hi all,

I am 14 years old with about 1700 rating USCF. (I am going to school in US, ( but my english still suck)

I have a passion for chess, and I'm pushing for a US  national master rating before senior year.

I learned how to play last year. Any advice?

At my level, I'm drilling tactics and endgames. One of my Chinese friends became NM (in the US) in two years, and he advise me to practice for 2 to 3 hours a day without distraction.

I don't do many activities so I'm willing to put a lot of times into chess

My school also takes me to scholastic national events such as grade nationals and super nationals. I am hoping to win an award at one of these events! I also play in smaller tournaments, I am studying in Connecticut. Looking for advice from more experienced players

谢谢大家！

I'd just say Good luck on your journey! If you can afford a coach it could help a lot.

Some advice based on interactions with many scholastic players/parents. 

- If you are serious about chess, a private coach helps a lot;

- At the very least join a non-school chess team (tournament oriented scholastic team); most school teams don't seem to be competitive outside of reserve sections.

- Playing in too many tournaments doesn't up your game as much as studying with a coach.

- You'll need 20-30 hrs/week of studying, which you already have it.

- Your coach/team will likely require you to buy chessbase software; so you can get that right now (if you've not already done so).

- 祝你成功。

Possibly of interest:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/can-anyone-be-an-im-or-gm
What It Takes to Become a Chess Master by Andrew Soltis
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093409/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review857.pdf
100 Chess Master Trade Secrets by Andrew Soltis
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094523/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review916.pdf
Reaching the Top?! by Peter Kurzdorfer
http://www.thechessmind.net/blog/2015/11/16/book-notice-kurzdorfers-reaching-the-top.html
http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Reaching-the-Top-77p3905.htm
What It Takes to Become a Grandmaster by GM Andrew Soltis
https://www.chess.com/article/view/don-t-worry-about-your-rating
https://www.chess.com/article/view/am-i-too-old-for-chess
https://www.chess.com/blog/smurfo/book-review-insanity-passion-and-addiction
http://www.nytimes.com/1988/09/26/books/books-of-the-times-when-the-child-chess-genius-becomes-the-pawn.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexknapp/2017/05/05/making-a-living-in-chess-is-tough-but-the-internet-is-making-it-easier/#4284e4814850

https://www.chess.com/news/view/is-there-good-money-in-chess-1838
"... Many aspiring young chess players dream of one day becoming a grandmaster and a professional. ... But ... a profession must bring in at least a certain regular income even if one is not too demanding. ... The usual prize money in Open tournaments is meagre. ... The higher the prizes, the greater the competition. ... With a possibly not very high and irregular income for several decades the amount of money one can save for old age remains really modest. ... Anyone who wants to reach his maximum must concentrate totally on chess. That involves important compromises with or giving up on his education. ... it is a question of personal life planning and when deciding it is necessary to be fully conscious of the various possibilities, limitations and risks. ... a future professional must really love chess and ... be prepared to work very hard for it. ... It is all too frequent that a wrong evaluation is made of what a talented player can achieve. ... Most players have the potential for a certain level; once they have reached it they can only make further progress with a great effort. ... anyone who is unlikely to attain a high playing strength should on no account turn professional. ... Anyone who does not meet these top criteria can only try to earn his living with public appearances, chess publishing or activity as a trainer. But there is a lack of offers and these are not particularly well paid. For jobs which involve appearing in public, moreover, certain non-chess qualities are required. ... a relevant 'stage presence' and required sociability. ... All these jobs and existences, moreover, have hanging above them the sword of Damocles of general economic conditions. ... around [age] 40 chess players ... find that their performances are noticeably tailing off. ..." - from a 12 page chapter on becoming a chess professional in the book, Luther's Chess Reformation by GM Thomas Luther (2016)
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/LuthersChessReformation-excerpt.pdf

@kindaspongey  I don't think the OP wants to become a chess professional.  He's an overseas student in the US for high school and likely not living with his parents and outside of his normal circle of friends back home.  In other words, he's going to have lots and lots of free time.  His situation is perfect for setting a NM goal.