What are some ways you can trick your brain into reducing blunders?

I'd say I do three techniques to help with my blunders: writing down each move before playing, tactics training, and post game analysis. I can't seem to improve my Elo, even with these three methods. In fact, last game, my opponent blundered his queen and I didn't even see it. Literally no tactics involved- I could have recaptured with no reprisal.

The common answer to reducing blunders is to do a "blunder check," but it sounds a lot to me like "just stop blundering bro!"

What do you guys do to minimize blundering? I'd love to stop missing moves in front of me so I can begin to enjoy more sophisticated levels of tactical maneuvering in chess.

I did 30 minutes of puzzles everyday for 3-months. I dont mean 1 or 2 move puzzles, more like 3 to 4 moves ones where it takes several minutes of calculation and visualisation to find the answer. After 3-months of this, I found calculation in my games had become a habit. I dont even think about blunder checking now, it just naturally happens. I'll cast my eye across the board and think through my opponents likely replies and resulting position. I think it's just a case of training the brain to automate it. For me, puzzles worked well.

Was this on chess.com?

Yes. I do the rated puzzles. The trick is to find the solution in your head before moving any pieces. Ignore the clock and aim to get them right first time. As they get harder you will have to spend more time calculating. The other way is solving easy puzzles quickly but I think this develops fast pattern recognition rather than calculation. My experience was that solving hard puzzles slowly trained my brain to calculate better and my blundering stopped. Give it time, months, the brain needs time to automate it, but it will happen.

Tainted LOVE

1. Look at the whole board

1. Look at the whole board

One thing I noticed is that whenever I make a really bad blunder, I'll usually see it almost immediately after I've made the move... too late to prevent disaster, of course, but...

Here's a trick that I used to use in over-the-board tournaments.

After I've decided on a move but before I actually play it, I will first compose a little mental image of myself reaching forward, making the move on the board, writing it down on the scoresheet, and then sitting back in my chair. 

Quite often, I will suddenly spot the blunder at that point... in that little moment of relaxation that comes with the dissipation of tension "after making my move". Although of course, since this is just a composed mental image, I haven't actually made the move yet... or even touched the piece. So it is easy to wipe away that mental image, recalculate, and decide on a different move to play.

Take up Sudoku. It's the best non-chess mental training I ever did. I got to solving 5.0 to 6.0 SE rated puzzles, and the occasional puzzle rated over 6.0. But I could solve anything rated up to 5.0 for sure.

Decide on your move, then imagine that your piece is on its new square and quickly look at all your opponent's pieces and see what each move with each piece does. This won't help in blitz games or when you are in time trouble but it will eliminate those mistakes you see as soon as you make your move.

Sameee

The basic suggestion would be to check for ‘check’, captures and attacks.
One thing I picked up from watching streamers is to analyze ‘for both sides’, not just playing my own game. Multiple times I’ve seen streamers ask the question “Whose position do you like better?”, prompting an evaluation of both positions. The answer will be something like: "piece x is undeveloped, his Bishop has a lot of vision on this diagonal, his pawn structure is …, my double pawn is a weakness, etc". If you make it a habit to evaluate not just your own position but also your opponent’s position you start to understand their plans. It’s less likely you blunder a piece if you realize they have been eyeing your piece for a while.

That is a great plan to approach moves.  I appreciate you taking the time to explain it that way!  I now realize that I'm just looking for 'good' moves...

This statement is your problem right here.  Can you articulate what would constitute an actual blunder check?  If not, why are you dismissing the "most common advice" without even trying to figure out what it is?

"How can I pass this final?"

"Study."

"Yeah, right...study...that's what everybody says...really, what should I do, though?"

[...]

Your title is the clue.  You don't need to "trick" your brain into blunder checking.  Just buckle down and do it.  If you don't know how, then change the title of this thread to "How do I do a comprehensive blunder check?".  Are you playing blitz/bullet?  Stop playing blitz/bullet.

Not much more can be added here. There is no real escape from "blunder check". You have to calculate what will happen after you play that move. Chess is a game of calulation, if You can't/ don't like calculating, you schould play some other game.

But there is another important factor, that can make Your life easier. Use prophilaxis. No, not the Petrosian's big "P" Prophilaxis, but merely the most basic one.  Study opening and internalise ( You probably arleady know them) opening rules.  Blunders happen most often, when pieces go to wrong ( postionaly bad, strategicaly unsound) squares. Squares where they don't belong to.  Putting them on such squares is asking for trouble - either immediate or in few moves. Also, remember the "undefended pieces die" principle, which iI  think is an opening principle. If you move You piece to where it is undefended, it is most likely a bad move, unless You have double blunder-checked it can move there AND can be defended soon. If it can't be defended on a given square, it is most likely a strategically bad square for that piece.

Prophilaxis alone won't eliminate blunders, but it will clearly cut down on them. 

Probably one of the best tips hands down.

It is forbidden to write the moves in advance, unless the player is claiming a draw according to Article 9.2, or 9.3

Its amazing that often see blunders immediately after making them.....but not before🤔

Read more carefully.