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Improving rating

TarkusTheRock

Hey, I'm struggling to improve my rating beyond 1250-1300, my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, as I'm still losing/gaining around 10-20 Elo per game due to the lack of quantity. any advice, tips, or really anything?

Hey, I'm struggling to improve my rating beyond 1250-1300, my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, as I'm still losing/gaining around 10-20 Elo per game due to the lack of quantity. any advice, tips, or really anything?
TheDifferenceOfTier5

Spam puzzles, play rapid, that's all you need until like 1600

Spam puzzles, play rapid, that's all you need until like 1600
ChessPriyomeedited

Step 1: Look at your last 20 losses and evaluate and log why you lost.
Step 2: identify why you lost into categories. Endgame? Tactic? etc.
Step 3: Work on the highest count categories. Keep playing while working on your game.
Step 4: As more games get on the list, drop off the older ones. This makes the list useful to work with.

All along work on themed tactics, Endgames, and a simple opening repertoire. The top-3 for your rating, in order.

Be patient! Keep at it. You now have a built in feedback loop based on your last 20 losses. Work on those areas. You should improve. If you are playing blitz I'd drop it. Especially bullet. Dump that trash. You are no Hikaru.

Step 1: Look at your last 20 losses and evaluate and log why you lost. Step 2: identify why you lost into categories. Endgame? Tactic? etc. Step 3: Work on the highest count categories. Keep playing while working on your game. Step 4: As more games get on the list, drop off the older ones. This makes the list useful to work with. All along work on themed tactics, Endgames, and a simple opening repertoire. The top-3 for your rating, in order. Be patient! Keep at it. You now have a built in feedback loop based on your last 20 losses. Work on those areas. You should improve. If you are playing blitz I'd drop it. Especially bullet. Dump that trash. You are no Hikaru.
NotMagnusCarlsen42

At that level, simple tactics decide most games, improve your tactical vision, and then after work on positional awareness. If you do this well, you should get hundreds of rating points better, it might seem hard now, but if you learn something well, it will become as if you invented it yourself.

At that level, simple tactics decide most games, improve your tactical vision, and then after work on positional awareness. If you do this well, you should get hundreds of rating points better, it might seem hard now, but if you learn something well, it will become as if you invented it yourself.
RemRusedited

You solved problems. 8 is correct. 32 is wrong. THIS WILL NOT INCREASE THE RATING!!! You must learn to think about every task! It is forbidden to move at random like in a casino!
Select 10+5

You solved problems. 8 is correct. 32 is wrong. THIS WILL NOT INCREASE THE RATING!!! You must learn to think about every task! It is forbidden to move at random like in a casino! Select 10+5
tpr

Stay away from blitz and bullet.
Play 15+10 rapid and use all your time.
I this 10+5 game you lose with 5 useless minutes left on your clock.
...Re8? is a mistake, as it loses a pawn to Qb3: double attack on b7 and d5. You had to play ...Nc6.

https://lichess.org/0FcFNLoO/black#23

Stay away from blitz and bullet. Play 15+10 rapid and use all your time. I this 10+5 game you lose with 5 useless minutes left on your clock. ...Re8? is a mistake, as it loses a pawn to Qb3: double attack on b7 and d5. You had to play ...Nc6. https://lichess.org/0FcFNLoO/black#23
JustAChessPlayer177

@TarkusTheRock said ^

Hey, I'm struggling to improve my rating beyond 1250-1300, my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, as I'm still losing/gaining around 10-20 Elo per game due to the lack of quantity. any advice, tips, or really anything?

As a 1.D4 knowledge player, you should always watch out for Qb3... or E4 attacks, also If you want to do less mıstakes, you gotta study Openings youre gonna play

@TarkusTheRock said [^](/forum/redirect/post/aQHqPdbK) > Hey, I'm struggling to improve my rating beyond 1250-1300, my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, as I'm still losing/gaining around 10-20 Elo per game due to the lack of quantity. any advice, tips, or really anything? As a 1.D4 knowledge player, you should always watch out for Qb3... or E4 attacks, also If you want to do less mıstakes, you gotta study Openings youre gonna play
kindaspongeyedited

@TarkusTheRock said in #1:

... my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, ...

"... Most internet players think that 30 5 [(30 minutes with a five second increment added every move)] is slow, but that is unlikely slow enough to play 'real' chess. ... Many internet players are reluctant to play slower than 30 5 so you might have to settle for that as a 'slow' game." - NM Dan Heisman (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627010008/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman12.pdf
That was back in 2002. These days, you might have to settle for 15+10.
I am not aware of a general belief in a necessity for more than one game per day.
"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf
"... I am not a big fan of weaker players memorizing lots of opening lines they will never play. However, it is quite a different issue to spend a small amount of time learning how to play your openings a little better each time they occur. A long journey begins with a single step. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2005)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627023809/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman50.pdf

@TarkusTheRock said in #1: > ... my primary focus is Rapid, but I find myself unable to find the time to play multiple games a day, and I worry about not playing enough, ... "... Most internet players think that 30 5 [(30 minutes with a five second increment added every move)] is slow, but that is unlikely slow enough to play 'real' chess. ... Many internet players are reluctant to play slower than 30 5 so you might have to settle for that as a 'slow' game." - NM Dan Heisman (2002) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627010008/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman12.pdf That was back in 2002. These days, you might have to settle for 15+10. I am not aware of a general belief in a necessity for more than one game per day. "... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf "... I am not a big fan of weaker players memorizing lots of opening lines they will never play. However, it is quite a different issue to spend a small amount of time learning how to play your openings a little better each time they occur. A long journey begins with a single step. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2005) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627023809/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman50.pdf
TarkusTheRock

thank you for everybody who has responded, I also wanted to maybe add a few more details: The reason I struggle to play a good QUANTITY of games in rapid is mostly due to school. I've started college, so I can't play as much as I'd like, and longer time controls, especially increment ones, sometimes frick up how I budget my time. also, @RemRus, I uh..... yeah its bad. even if I set it to "harder"... thanks.

thank you for everybody who has responded, I also wanted to maybe add a few more details: The reason I struggle to play a good QUANTITY of games in rapid is mostly due to school. I've started college, so I can't play as much as I'd like, and longer time controls, especially increment ones, sometimes frick up how I budget my time. also, @RemRus, I uh..... yeah its bad. even if I set it to "harder"... thanks.