Plateau?

Having played a bunch of games, my rating seems to be hovering somewhere in the mid-1400's (when I'm not getting timed out by people) and has been there for some time. I feel like my end game technique has gotten pretty good, and I'm comfortable with several different opening systems. However, I don't feel like my game is improving that much, I seem to have hit a plateau where I more or less consistently beat most 1300ish players (and lower), and usually lose to 1500ish players (and higher) and split games with players in the 1400's.

Does anyone have any suggestions on things that I can do to try and improve my game? I don't feel like I've gotten any better in a while and I'd like to. Maybe learn a few new openings? Read books? Take lessons? I try to analyze the games that I lose, and can usually pick out the poorest moves, but that doesn't seem to be preventing me from making them again in later games.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks,

-mike

Study tactics,tactics,tactics,tactics and when you have some spare time,study some more tactics😉

www.chessclub.com has free online lessons. Also stay away from addictive substances🙂

the general concensus is that below 2000 tactics is the key to improvement. my studying is geared 75% towards tactics and checkmate patterns with the rest shared out between strategy/openings/endgames. Playing long games of 90 minutes against chessmaster 9000 is also improving my game.

I agree tactics is the way to go. Chess Middlegames by Lazlo Polgar has over 4000 middlegame tactical situations to solve, plus solutions. organised into 77 tactical categories.

Probably the best tips to improve your rating is to lower the amount of games you play and set upon yourself a min. amount of time before pressing the move button. Really think to yourself what is the best move. I often find myself in positions where there are 2-3 moves of similar calibar but I can't be bothered to think for 3 mins about which move is truly best. Remember move order is important so think which move in a series should be made first. This all coming from someone in a rather similar positions to yourself who never heeds his own advise. 😉

Originally posted by Hentschel
Probably the best tips to improve your rating is to lower the amount of games you play and set upon yourself a min. amount of time before pressing the move button. Really think to yourself what is the best move. I often find myself in positions where there are 2-3 moves of similar calibar but I can't be bothered to think for 3 mins about which move is t ...[text shortened]... coming from someone in a rather similar positions to yourself who never heeds his own advise. 😉