Originally posted by masscat
Your rating increase is a real accomplishment, but I think you can do better. My experience was for years I read all the books and was a perennial 1650 (postal and OTB) player until I discovered the key, and my rating started to reflect what I discovered. OTB (which I no longer play peaked at 2095) and my current correspondence rating is 2020. Believe m ...[text shortened]... . Most of what I learned I got from the rare Masters who were willing to share what they knew!
I take lessons from masters, and an occasional GM.
I tried to impart my knowledge to the masses here, but get flamed, or snide post from trollers.
Seems like some people cant stand to see other people win in life. It seems to make then scared.
Want to improve fast?
Get a database, make smaller databases with games from openings and systems you play.
Then study pawn structures, and play the openings that are similar to your pet lines, and their pawn structures.
Looking at games by masters is a good way to get better fast as well.
look at 20-30 a day or more if you can.
Games of your openings, or similar is good, but not totaly nessasary.
Study endgames. This seperates the weak from the strong.
The fish from the master.
Games have tactics and middlegame concepts in them that you can learn from.
Chess is mostly ideas. The one with the better plan often wins