Does correspondence chess really improve your game?

Does it? I will stop playing live chess for a few weeks... Can't improve by playing live

Of course it does. How could it possibly not?

Playing chess can improve your game but studying and analysing will improve it more.

No problem to stop playing live for a few weeks, but it helps to improve too. I think the ideal is to play OTB as much as possible (and of course analyze every standard game).

yes it does

Youre asking if playing slow time controls, and spending days to analyze a position will help your game?  The answer seems obvious.

My first ever correspondence game finished yesterday. I think it could definitely help to improve your game, working through all the various possible lines on the analysis board is quite fun.

yes

Yes, but avoid overuse of the analysis board, do analysis in your head as much as possible.

I do that

I know there are many people who argue that correspondence is an excellent way to improve one's chess. 

I'm beginning to doubt that. I think correspondence has the potential to help if a person is willing to spend at least twenty minutes looking at every non-trivial position that arises. If a person is really diligent, takes copious notes, and spends a tremendous amount of energy on correspondence chess, it can indeed be helpful. 

But, there are easier ways to improve, and correspondence chess is no substitute for solving problems in real time. If you had to choose between spending an hour a day on correspondence and an hour a day playing a g/30 against an evenly ranked opponent, play the game 30. 

I never use analysis board and will never do. I thought for about 45 minutes for a knight sacrifice. But a 1376 drew with me using that tool.

Correspondence can be helpful IF YOU DON'T AT ALL USE ANALYSIS BOARD.

Well, it depends what your mean by "improving your game".

My experience is that by playing OTB only, combined with book study, I reached 1850 ELO, then got stuck.

I took up correspondence chess, and after about 2 years, reached 2200 at both CC and OTB. I loved CC, the best way to really appreciate the deep beauty of the game.

But playing live blitz chess back here, I still suck (1500 ELO!).

 Crikey, if you broke 2200 OTB, you can get your CM title. That's worth free membership here, so it's actually worth the investment. 

Thanks, SmyslovFan, I didnt know that. I might try - but I'm wary - I waste waaayyyy too much time on chess already! Also, a "CM" with a blitz rating of 1500 - it's a bit embarrassing! 

I gotta admit, I use an analysis board too. But then, in the pre-computer days, I would set up correspondence games on an analysis board too. One of the most constant problems back then was making sure you actually analysed the right position!

Yeah, good thing that chess.com doesn't ban cheaters who admit their mistakes:

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  umesh_konduru
  16 days ago
  Hey Everybody!If you think that I cheat in slowchess it's misunderstanding because I used to ignore my games and lost due to timeouts which caused lower rating or else I should be some where near the 1600s.:-)
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I've seen a lot of nonsense like "don't use the analysis board".  Obviously you people have no clue what correspondence chess is about.  Trust me, ask every Correspondence World Champion if the moved pieces about on a board, or did all his calculating in his head, he would say the former.

You're right, but the comment wasn't about how to become a better correspondence player, it was about how to use cc to become a better OTB player.