Right, here goes.
my rating is between 1350-1400 and I cant seem to progress past that. Is there any like common mistakes or tips/ways of thinking that take you from a 1400 to a 1600 or is it just a case of playing lots/learning/studying etc?
The first thing to say is that, like poker, there is no substitute for studying, playing, studying, playing, studying, playing, studying and playing.
It's also difficult to give you a proper answer to your question without seeing some of your games. Say I approach you for some MTT advice one Saturday night at the Broadway. "I never seem to do any good in these $5 180 man comps. Any suggestions?" You could spend all day discussing GTO play, three bet percentages, VPIP and pot control and it turns out I can't fold a pair pre.
I'll have to resort to general principles, as it stands, then, to give some overarching themes of mistakes players of your level often make. You'll need to select which, if any, apply. I'll give you one opening, one middlegame and one endgame that spring to mind.
1. Poor developmentThere can be no simpler maxim than "get your bits out and castle", yet it is easily forgotten, while pursuing an errant knight or attacking the enemy king. Having control of the centre, all the minor pieces out and working and His Majesty safely out of harm's way is massively undervalued by novice players. The pieces have huge amounts of power in them but they need to be activated and, if left at home, can even get in the way.
2. Swapping off too easilyWhen faced with an exchange, decide whether it works for you. Having fewer pieces on the board might be what your opponent wants, so why give him that? You don't check-call against a nit; you punish their weaknesses by raising wider and putting them under pressure.
If the exchange gives you a tactical edge (say you can win material) or a positional advantage (like a queenside majority in the endgame, double his pawns, good bishop against bad knight), then go for it, but keep the pressure up if you can and do things only on your terms.
3. Accepting drawsA neat parallel with chopping heads up, lots of players (even at county level) will shake hands after 20 moves when little of interest has happened in the game or where they reach a level endgame. There's no reason to do so, because there's plenty of life left in the game. How many games has Magnus Carlsen won from a dull position against elite players?
Keep pushing, working on your positional and endgame technique and grind out the wins. They really help your rating. You don't have to attack like a madman. Just keep slowly improving your position and quietly build up your situation. The other guy may not cracking but let him earn his half.
Do any of these ring any bells?
thankyou for the reply and yeah sorry my initial question was very vague lol.
I think im pretty good at "gettin my bits out and castling" lol, id say its rare that ive made 10-12 moves without castling (too long still?)
I feel like people want to exchange with me all the time, so I'm guessing I'm making some pretty big positional errors early on?
I am also significantly better as white than as black (or my opponents are) id guess I overextend as black too much, is that a common mistake?
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