What topics to work on and how to improve [1200 Rapid]

Hello fellow chess friends,

during Covid I got into chess. I reached 1200 rapid and then hit a wall. I lost motivation and just play endless blitz games without improving. The issue: I don't know what to work on, and how to train it.

My thoughts:

- I don't know many openings (and deep lines). Im horrible at memorizing and I believe that on that level openings are not deciding games (I generally come out on top until the middle/late game)

- My puzzle rating is 1900, so I assume that should exceed or at least pair a 1200 level in playing?

- Generally after developing my pieces and applying principles like king safety, free lanes for the rooks etc. I feel like I have no gameplan to convert. Im often ahead in games, but cannot push that for a win. What is it that I can train? Strategy? If yes, how? 

What I often find myself in that is that I have an advantage, try to trade everything to make the game easier, and then get caught with stupid mistake when my opponents just make it complicated long enough. I don't put pressure on them, I seldom mate in the middle game. 

I hope those thoughts help to understand my general issue, and you might be able to give me some specific guidance what to work on? 

Thank you!

I think your not improving because of 3 reasons.

Reason 1 - Incorrect Openings!

You have a 1,900 puzzle rating which means you Tactical/Attacking Chess Skills are very good.

The problem is your not playing an Opening which compliments your attacking chess skills.

You need to play openings which are aggressive!

Reason 2 - Lack of Middle Game Plans

I looked at a few of your games.

You seem to play London Opening as White & Caro Kan Opening as Black.

These Opening are Positional which is why your struggling to figure out what to do.

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Attacking Openings - Attack (Kings, Pieces, or Pawns)

The Middle Game plans are very simple!

The plan is to do a Tactical Shots to win material.

A winning plan for Attacking play style is to Checkmate Enemy King.

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Positional Openings - Control Square

The Middle Game plans can be more complex!

The plan can be to gain more space, limit the opponents space, or restrict the opponent piece mobility.

A winning plan for Positional play style would be to Queen a pawn which usually causes your opponent to resign game.

Learn and apply the most important principles of chess. - (core of my teaching)
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.

Looking at your last couple of loses in rapid games the first, and biggest issue you have is you move way too fast. Your last loss you finished with 14:50 left on the clock, and you played 28 moves. In the loss before that you played 55 moves, and still had 9:30 left on your clock. That is way too much time left on the clock (for the number moves you played in the games) to make plans in your games let alone execute them well. Also in order to make well thought out plans you need to know how to evaluate positions, and how to exploit your advantages and your opponents weaknesses. Also this will help you identify your weaknesses and your opponent's strengths in the position. This also will help you figure out how to mitigate them in the position. Of course being able to identify these and knowing what to do based on them are different, but both are needed to execute gameplans well. Evaluating position, making plans, and figure out which move is best in the position (based on your evaluation) takes time.

When it comes to tactics your puzzle rating is within a normal range for your rating. You should still work on tactics. This is something that every player needs to work on, and 1100s are no different. You may notice though as you get better you will need to work more on tactics, and increase your tactical, and calculation ability. The main issue in games with tactics is that as I mentioned already you are playing to fast. You will miss tactics left and right when you play as fast as you are. Players tactics rating are typically 700-1000 rating points higher than their rapid rating. This means that you are not better tactically than your average opponent you are typically around the same level. The other thing to focus on in this area is not blundering as is still common at this level, and happens regularly until you become a much stronger player.

Chess Vibes How to Blunder Less Video

Chess Vibes Why You Keep Blundering

There are two things it sounds like you have neglected in your development as a chess player. The first is working on endgames, and the second is strategy. These two areas are not unique for players around your rating. The other thing about it is that players just above your rating start focusing on learning these areas. So you start running into players that know a little bit more than you in these areas, and that can a big difference in the game. You describe trading off all your pieces to simplify the game. This will work for players under 1000, but when you start playing players around 1200 it starts to become less effective. This is because not all advantages call for trading off pieces. Some (like a space advantage) you actually want to not trade pieces. Trading pieces in those situations actually lessens that advantage.

For the endgame in order for you to get to the 1200-1400 range you will need to know the following:

1. Overkill mates (I am assuming based on your rating that you know these already)

2. The basics (and a little beyond) of king and pawn endgames

3. The principles of the endgame

4. The basics of rook endgames (you will start to encounter these soon so you will need to have some idea in how to navigate these)

Knowing these parts of the endgame, and being able to navigate the endgame will help you to not just win games, but also save lost games. In addition to that knowing what direction to go in helps immensely when in time pressure (which you often will be when in the endgame).

Resources for the endgame:

Chess Vibes Endgame Course (videos 5-9, and 15-18 are the most important for you)

Chess Vibes Endgame Book Walkthrough (They are going through Silman's Complete Endgame Course which is a great book on endgames)

Principles of the Endgame Article

When it comes to strategy there are many parts, and there will be a lot of things to learn. First is learning how to evaluate a board, and then learning about how to play with the different types of advantages, and disadvantages. The other thing about strategy is using all your pieces (or as many as possible) to accomplish your gameplan in unison. It is much easier to stop a threat when only having to deal with one or two pieces rather than most of your opponents pieces focusing on that one goal. One last thing when it comes to advantages and disadvantages is that you will need to learn which one are shorter term advantages that need dynamic play to take advantage of or use, and which ones are static that will present long term advantages that may not be able to be used right away, but later in the game they can be. Tactics grow off of good strategy and positions, and this is the best way to put pressure on your opponent (you mentioned not being able to putting pressure on them).

Chess Vibes Strategy/Tactics Playlist (There is a lot great videos that can help you strategy, and how to use them in conjunction with tactics)

Chess Vibes Book Study on Logical Chess Book (This should also help in this area lot)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/good-and-bad-pieces

https://www.chess.com/article/view/strong-and-weak-pawns (goes over some of the basics on pawn structure)

Article on planning

Article on Evaluating Positions

When it comes to the opening you don't need to memorize lines. That will not work long term. You need to know what the ideas are behind the moves in your opening. This will help you with any situation in your opening (along with the opening principles). Your opponents are at the skill level where they can start taking advantage of smaller mistakes in the opening (typically not well enough to win the game) that can make it uncomfortable for you in the opening, and into the middle game. Also know the ideas what your opening is trying to accomplish will help you with middle game plans especially in the early middle game.

Chess Vibes How to Learn Chess Openings

Here is my analysis of a couple of your games:

Hope this helps.

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond

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

Hi there.

I am rated over 2400 online (https://www.chess.com/member/ppandachess). I created a free course that will teach you a training plan to improve. Feel free to check it out: https://www.panda-chess.com/daily-improvement-plan