Ways to improve further?

For low ratings, merely getting more experienced at checking for blunders + learning tactics basics helped a lot, but at 1000+ blunders happen much less often from both sides so strategical approach starts mattering more, and I'm not always winning in that part. Merely playing and doing puzzles won't really push me further.

I'm not into talking with people (so coaching might be not for me), and also really unwilling to spend money (so pls no chessmood spam). What other ways people use to improve? 

Play me, we are similarly rated. I can also analyse some games for you as I have premium

You can also try reading some chess books

It is absolutely a different game once the hanging pieces and obvious blunders disappear. It is true just playing won't push you further. Puzzles will, but you have to improve at the process of move selection and piece coordination and setting up tactics and not just recognizing patterns when they appear. So I'd say keep practicing tactics for sure, doesn't have to be through puzzles.

Also now is a good time to study some end games. Being able to convert a position into a winning end game becomes very useful, or just knowing how to survive the very common king/pawn and rook/pawn end games.

I've also hit that mid-900s tier, where I can no longer just play defense and wait for a hanging piece or some other blunder for a winning position. So now it looks like I will have to actually play chess. Just solving puzzles doesn't seem to move the needle for me either. I took a break and then looked at my most recent games for problem areas and noticed that my losses usually happen when I fail to exit the Opening at least even on points, not to mention position. Players who are aggressive out of the gate and don't blunder are going to handcuff me. For me, the next step might be to improve my understanding of my preferred openings (London, Caro-Kann, Slav). But a lot of experts advise against spending much time studying openings ...

Its probably the wrong term, but brute force them. In some situations it reaches a bit of a deadlock. Sacrificing a piece in such situations can be the correct call to break up their defence.

You don't need to spend money on chess. I spent almost no money without my premium account which is for game review. I believe anyone can reach over 2000 without spending money.

Improving means you get a better understanding of what chess is. There are two ways on improving :

1) Learning from your own games.

2) Watching how strong players play chess.

For 1), you can find where you made a blunder or missed a winning chance. Then you can think about why you made that mistake in actual game, and you will be able to find what you had to recognize to avoid that mistake. It will eventually lead you to a better board vision.

2) Watching strong player's play is one of the best way to learn. You can see how they read the position and find a best move. You can find good rating climb series on youtube. What I recommend is GM Daniel Naroditsky's speedrun and Chessvibes rating climb series. There must be other good series that I don't know, but I recommend to see series which contains a good explaination, so that you can understand what is going on that game.

I personally highly recommend youtube as a learning tool. I learned almost everything on youtube.

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond.....

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

I'm afraid your blog is very difficult to read due to bad coloring scheme. I think thats not the first time you were told that, either...

@vd2010g -

Toggle the dark/light UI icon on the main menu (next to the 'All Settings' icon) to change to light background.

My advice (as a chess coach and 2100+ player):

Learn and apply the most important principles of chess.
Always blunder-check your moves.
Solve tactics in the right way.
Analyze your games.
Study games of strong players.
Learn how to be more psychologically resilient.
Work on your time management skills.
Get a coach if you can.

Here’s a free ChessMood gift membership!
It’s only available until Dec. 20, so don’t miss out.

https://chessmood.com/imdavid

Alas, that solution does not work for the visually impaired ("low vision"). We cannot read anything against a light background.

GM Larry Evans' method of static analysis - Chess Forums - Chess.com

There are excellent books that explain how masters form and follow plans in the middlegame. For decades, I have recommended Chernev’s Logical Chess Move by Move and The Most Instructive Games Of Chess Ever Played.

Fred Reinfeld’s Complete Chess Course also is good for players at your level.

if your opponents are no longer just handing you games through blunders, you have to learn positional principles that allow you to build up a good position from which you can achieve winning tactics.

GM Larry Evans' method of static analysis - Chess Forums - Chess.com

Great thread 👍

Do puzzles, play rapid games

https://www.chess.com/club/chessvibes-community/join/6f5bbd My club where you can ask a lot of questions I will answer

https://www.chess.com/play/arena/3828751 Join 2|1 arena