500-600 points increase in lichess blitz rating over one year!

I must admit..I am happy with how much I have improved over the last year. Never thought I'll move from 1000-1100 rating in blitz to 1600

me too I'll move from 1280-1700 rating in classical to 1770+ ( In 6 months)

@both of you:
Heartily Congratulations. You are of a rare kind.
I often look at the ratings graphs of my opponents and nearly all of them stay mainly flat over years.

So my questions to you, I hope you like helping other chess enthusiasts.

How did you train?
How much did you train?
When did you start with training chess?

Your Answers are very waited for.

from 1500 training to 1900!

@Alakaluf you read my mind. I really wish @MagicAce1988 and @sajdragon and @Mate_On_f7 would answer your questions precisely in that order for us....... struggling sub 1000!!

Please share your study plan if you don't mind. Thanks in advance.

@billy_ombima I started at 1000 a year and a half ago and greatly improved since then. I did this by analyzing every one of my games and actually trying to understand why the computer recommends certain moves. Also, studying openings is great because it not only allows you to play intuitively but it also helps you to understand how to play in similar positions. Most importantly though, have fun!

dont worry it only gets harder to climb the higher up you get. eventually it will get to the point where the next incremental improvement is too much effort that you just accept your current skill level

@EnergizeMrSulu
a 1600 is above average (lichess rating). Of course we all are patzers compared to titled players or even world class players. And they are patzers compared to chess computers.

I think we should be generous towards lower rated players because they let us be higher rated. And we all started lower and invested time and effort to reach somewhat higher levels.

Freely spoken: A chess player who has fun playing chess and enjoys the game and community is way more beneficial for our sport than any high-flying narrow-minded big-headed would-be grandmaster out there! ;-)

@EnergizeMrSulu if you're going to say that at least don't be an 1800

I'd like to answer by first replying to @EnergizeMrSulu :

I am considering myself a patzer...I will never be a chess professional...I play chess for the fun of it. Even so chess obsession has affected my life more than I wanted to ..since I spent way to much time playing blitz. I have bigger goals in life than not being a patzer in a game where I will never be a grandmaster...and quite probably neither will you.

As to the people who asked how I improved: I played a lot...
I didn't analyse all of my games...I played about 10000 blitz games at the moment on lichess...but I did analyze quite a lot of them....and since I mostly play the same openings I also try and remember why a certain move does not work once the other player made some move.... I also try and remember at least a few moves from the openings I play. I looked through different chess books but didn't finished a whole one...mainly checkmate patterns and tactics. Watched videos as well...But I don't consider that I studied a lot unfortunately....and I mostly play blitz...which is not a good idea ...wish I played more longer time controls which would make me understand the game better. But yeas there you go..I think my improvement came from doing tactics and playing a lot...which made me familiar with certain traps, openings, positions and patterns...I still drop pieces sometimes because I ussualy do more things at the same time....and not fully focus on the game all the time...even if its blitz...and my time management is not great...but I definetely got much better than I used to be...when I play chess with people I know...they think I am great at chess...when I know I am still just a patzer....but a patzer that has played more games.