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Intermediate player: How can I improve my game and go further?

#1

Hello everyone and this great chess community. I create this post to try to understand how I can improve my game, I am currently at level 1523 and it has been an incredible improvement, considering that almost a year ago I was at my lowest score ever which is 739. I definitely consider myself an intermediate player because I know the basic rules of chess very well, I generally know the Italian and Spanish opening (but not that much because the openings interest at much higher levels), I generally know the tactics but the thing I notice is that I don't understand the exact moment to "hit" my opponent and above all I have poor calculation skills and general vision of the board, sometimes I have no patience and I lose a piece because maybe I have not seen the bishop at the bottom of the board. I consider myself a defensive player but as soon as he has the opportunity to attack, I try to finish the game quickly. What I ask you is: what should I do to improve my game and raise the level? Recommend everything, videos, books, whatever. Also on what I have to practice and for how long I have to do it.

Hello everyone and this great chess community. I create this post to try to understand how I can improve my game, I am currently at level 1523 and it has been an incredible improvement, considering that almost a year ago I was at my lowest score ever which is 739. I definitely consider myself an intermediate player because I know the basic rules of chess very well, I generally know the Italian and Spanish opening (but not that much because the openings interest at much higher levels), I generally know the tactics but the thing I notice is that I don't understand the exact moment to "hit" my opponent and above all I have poor calculation skills and general vision of the board, sometimes I have no patience and I lose a piece because maybe I have not seen the bishop at the bottom of the board. I consider myself a defensive player but as soon as he has the opportunity to attack, I try to finish the game quickly. What I ask you is: what should I do to improve my game and raise the level? Recommend everything, videos, books, whatever. Also on what I have to practice and for how long I have to do it.
#2

For how long? Until you get better. :)

For how long? Until you get better. :)
#3

@Epko99
Technically your rating isn't of a intermediate player irrespective of how much you know.
You should play games regularly and solve thematic puzzles cause chess is most of tactics.
Analyse your games well and understand the area where you falter.
Apart from that, watch games at YouTube as an activity.
Also study endgames cause it's still crucial.
Not much to do at this stage nor it would lead to super rating gain.

@Epko99 Technically your rating isn't of a intermediate player irrespective of how much you know. You should play games regularly and solve thematic puzzles cause chess is most of tactics. Analyse your games well and understand the area where you falter. Apart from that, watch games at YouTube as an activity. Also study endgames cause it's still crucial. Not much to do at this stage nor it would lead to super rating gain.
#4

Here’s how I progressed from ~1500 rapid to ~1800:

Significant blunder reduction: solve tactics, primarily hanging pieces, forks and skewers.

Playing higher-rated players. Go to the lobby and seek challenges from 1700 rated players. In your post game analysis, look for your opponent’s good moves that you didn’t predict.

In longer time controls (10+5, 15+10) make a mental checklist before you move: am I currently threatened? Will my next move change something about the position? How will my opponent respond?
Review and study fundamentals (are there any items on this list you haven’t mastered yet)?
K+Q vs K checkmate
K+R vs K checkmate
K+P vs K
Opening principles
When you’re up material — Simplify
Down material? — Keep things complex
Know how to counter common lower-level tricks: the Queen Wayward Attack, the Fried Liver etc.

Solve at least 20 “healthy mix” tactics per day. Don’t guess, solve. If you don’t know the answer, view the solution and try to understand it. Review failed puzzles every week.

Visit the “Staff Picks” page on lichess and check out the wonderful middle- and endgame studies by NoseKnowsAll — they are perfect for your improvement (they certainly helped me).

Use the chess insights feature and your personal opening explorer to identify your strengths and weaknesses. In games, strive to reach comfortable positions for you personally (if you fare better when you trade queens, all other things being equal, trade queens).

Visit chess.com once a week to complete a lesson. The lessons there are great.

Consider learning d4 and c4 openings. Stronger players sometimes use them with precision. Especially QGD, QGA, and the English.

If you methodically do all these things, over a period of time, you’ll eventually reach your coveted goal (be it 1600, 1800, 2000 and beyond). Challenge me to a rapid game if you want and good luck!

Here’s how I progressed from ~1500 rapid to ~1800: Significant blunder reduction: solve tactics, primarily hanging pieces, forks and skewers. Playing higher-rated players. Go to the lobby and seek challenges from 1700 rated players. In your post game analysis, look for your opponent’s good moves that you didn’t predict. In longer time controls (10+5, 15+10) make a mental checklist before you move: am I currently threatened? Will my next move change something about the position? How will my opponent respond? Review and study fundamentals (are there any items on this list you haven’t mastered yet)? K+Q vs K checkmate K+R vs K checkmate K+P vs K Opening principles When you’re up material — Simplify Down material? — Keep things complex Know how to counter common lower-level tricks: the Queen Wayward Attack, the Fried Liver etc. Solve at least 20 “healthy mix” tactics per day. Don’t guess, solve. If you don’t know the answer, view the solution and try to understand it. Review failed puzzles every week. Visit the “Staff Picks” page on lichess and check out the wonderful middle- and endgame studies by NoseKnowsAll — they are perfect for your improvement (they certainly helped me). Use the chess insights feature and your personal opening explorer to identify your strengths and weaknesses. In games, strive to reach comfortable positions for you personally (if you fare better when you trade queens, all other things being equal, trade queens). Visit chess.com once a week to complete a lesson. The lessons there are great. Consider learning d4 and c4 openings. Stronger players sometimes use them with precision. Especially QGD, QGA, and the English. If you methodically do all these things, over a period of time, you’ll eventually reach your coveted goal (be it 1600, 1800, 2000 and beyond). Challenge me to a rapid game if you want and good luck!
#6

It's worth noting that you can say chess.com in the lichess forums, so all the people on other threads using weird spellings don't need to do that. Of course chess.com banned the word lichess because they are stupid.

It's worth noting that you can say chess.com in the lichess forums, so all the people on other threads using weird spellings don't need to do that. Of course chess.com banned the word lichess because they are stupid.
#7

Where is the "staff picks" page? Thx

Where is the "staff picks" page? Thx
#8

@bobflanagan1 said in #7:

Where is the "staff picks" page? Thx
Learn -> Study -> Staff Picks

@bobflanagan1 said in #7: > Where is the "staff picks" page? Thx Learn -> Study -> Staff Picks
#9

@Epko99 said in #1:

I have poor calculation skills and general vision of the board, sometimes I have no patience and I lose a piece because maybe I have not seen the bishop at the bottom of the board.

Play Puzzles, Puzzle Storm and Puzzle Streak every day.

@Epko99 said in #1: > I have poor calculation skills and general vision of the board, sometimes I have no patience and I lose a piece because maybe I have not seen the bishop at the bottom of the board. Play Puzzles, Puzzle Storm and Puzzle Streak every day.
#10

@IndianDefense said in #6:

It's worth noting that you can say chess.com in the lichess forums, so all the people on other threads using weird spellings don't need to do that. Of course chess.com banned the word lichess because they are stupid.

There’s nothing bad about chess.com. I prefer Lichess not only because of the free, adless and open source credo but because some of its features are state-of-the-art (unparalleled analysis, a huge database to learn from, many puzzle features, tournaments etc.)
However some features chess.com offers are very useful (the lesson sequence is the primary one). That’s why the rivalry is stupid — lichess has never purported to compete against a commercial site. The chess.com people are justifiably afraid from their perspective though, because the lack of ads, a huge budget and exposure is the only thing that makes lichess smaller in size.

@IndianDefense said in #6: > It's worth noting that you can say chess.com in the lichess forums, so all the people on other threads using weird spellings don't need to do that. Of course chess.com banned the word lichess because they are stupid. There’s nothing bad about chess.com. I prefer Lichess not only because of the free, adless and open source credo but because some of its features are state-of-the-art (unparalleled analysis, a huge database to learn from, many puzzle features, tournaments etc.) However some features chess.com offers are very useful (the lesson sequence is the primary one). That’s why the rivalry is stupid — lichess has never purported to compete against a commercial site. The chess.com people are justifiably afraid from their perspective though, because the lack of ads, a huge budget and exposure is the only thing that makes lichess smaller in size.

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