Advice sought. I can't break 1100-1200

I've been playing a long time, since 1972 but I took 40 years off.  I play mostly the same folks on daily chess (3 days) and even on puzzles I can't seem to get any better than 1200 consistently.  I make mistakes that upon reflection seem stupid, but I still make them.  I might be hurrying I suppose, but still it happens again and again.

So since I have a Diamond membership here at Chess.com, I want to start making the best use of what's available to me here.  So then, does anyone have any suggestions as to a good path, series or anything really that will help me progress to the next level?

Unfortunately I don't know a lot about the various diamond features (when I was new and improving this site didn't exist) but it sounds like you're playing and doing puzzles, so I would think the next step is studying strategy. Playing and puzzles are good, but studying is its own activity and necessary for improvement.

And also, after being around questions like this and players for 10+ years, I'm starting to believe that one of the most important differences between people who improve and people who don't is the way mistakes are treated. You say (more or less) that you're making the same mistakes over and over, but you seem to shrug it off... if the mistakes are "obvious upon reflection" then that's something worth focusing on. Look at your games -- the moments where you blundered, and think about how you were choosing your moves. Think about what you might do differently next time to remove a certain type of blunder from your play.

Maybe something like this:
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/the-most-important-concept-for-all-beginners

That was a great read, and very informative. I think my biggest problem may be patience or more correctly a lack of it. That and laziness to do the things that article recommends. I try to avoid speed cheese because it is all reaction based on my opinion preferring a longer game. But if I am going to bother with that, I ought to stop playing as of I am playing speed chess 😐

It seems like you’ve put some time into the game and enjoy it. Without playing you, I cannot really see what your weaknesses are that your opponents are exploiting. I would suggest that you spend 10 minutes reviewing each of your games and see what the computer thinks about your moves. Try to avoid and eliminate blunders, then mistakes. On the flip side look at your best moves (marked with a star) and look at the patterns that lead to them. You can also, for both blunders and best moves, look at how the computer would have played and defended. Lastly, find a few openings, usually classified under the moves e4 or d4 and get to know the different openings. For 1200 play I would recommend focusing on a general knowledge of openings and what to do defending each.

My advices:

1. always set up your positions on a real chess board. The computer screen in NOT good for concentration.

2. go through the interactive Lessons here on Chess.com and on a real chessboard.

3. select a simple positional opening repertoir: 1.d4 London System as white, the Rubinstein French ( later perhaps Fort Knox too) against 1.e4, the Dutch Leningrad with g6 against 1,d4,1.c4.1.Nf3. You then have your own way in the opening, you learn how to select moves and goals in these openings and you are not ambushed by new very tactical openings.

4. formulate a few questions to yourself to be used for EVERY move before you make it:

a. is my opponent threatening something? If so, take care of that immediately.

b. is my development complete? If not select a suitable development move for this opening position.

c. when development is finished: select a move that improves a piece placement or improves the pawn chain. After a while you will find your own threats.

Good luck with your improvements!

 

Tactics

GM Aman Hambleton started a series called "building habits to improve chess" where he focuses on certain rules to follow to play better chess. Unlike many rating climb videos from masters he plays in a fashion which is more common for that rating.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUjxDD7HNNThftJtE0OIRFRMMFf6AV_69