u/BlurapL

I went from hardstuck 1700 uscf for 5 years to 2000 uscf in the span of 1 year after I changed a few things about how I viewed the game. I’m sure many has figured out these tips but for those who haven’t, I hope this helps you. Add their own advice if you have any!

1. Play your own chess.
   I used to always worry about my opponents style and age. I tried to play more solid when my opponent is young since I believed this is what you do to beat the kids. When I decided I will start playing tactical every game, as according to my style, my results improved drastically.

2. Stick to what you know.
   Similar to 1. I have pet opening lines that I somehow avoided playing for any, bad reasons. At an amateur level, no one knows what they are doing. Just play what you are best at and you’ll know more than most of your opponents.

3. Value time more.
   I always got into time trouble because I believed ‘good moves win games’. Well yes, but at some point I realized the simpler solution for a fraction of time spent is much better than trying to solve every position. This is especially important when trying to navigate the late middle and endgame. The precious minutes you have saved will be immensely helpful!