Next Step

I am now nearing 1800 USCF, going up 250 points in the last year and about 400 points in the last 3 years. I am still riding a wave from the work I have put in but i know that soon I will start to level up. What are some of the next steps to move towards 1900 and 2000 over the board?

Well I have used a couple coaches in the past, have yet to find a new one that I like. And I am rated 1782 uscf so its established. Im wondering from others at and above this level what the best way to proceed is

I'm not as high rated as you but if you continue to play stronger players and do what you have been doing you should get better .

Ok so, I always wonder with these questions

1) Have you stopped improving in spite of working on your weaknesses?  Or otherwise keeping up with some kind of study routine?

2) Improvement is unique to individuals.  Maybe you know tons of theory or are a good tactician already.  Maybe you've spent the last 3 years solving endgames studies.  We don't know you at all!

3) Is 1800 such a high rating that you need specialized training?  I'm (not much) above that, and I clearly have areas of big weakness, so it would seem strange to me if you felt like you're very knowledgeable and capable in every aspect of the game.

1) No I am still improving and everything over the board is very clear right now, I am student teaching so I have been able to do very little study. 

2) True, ut certaintly their are commonalities that people see at this point

3) haha of course not, hence why i am asking for direction. Before this point I felt I had very clear weaknesses, but recently I have felt very balanced in my games which makes me more unsure of how to proceed study wise. So I guess I am equally weak in many areas but unsure of what to focus my very limited time on at the moment

Go over your lost games in depth . Determine why/when you are losing them and you must be very objective in this .  Find the reason you are losing most of your games and then concentrate your work/study on eliminating this weakness first . Try entering " up " in some of your tournies so you will play stronger players . This experience against better players is invaluable and will make you better but it may be a humbling experience in the beginning . 

Maybe there are commonalities.  I guess that's better for someone much higher rated to comment on... and they'd probably say "you all suck at tactics!" heh.

I know it's cliche advice, but recently I've felt like I've gotten better by going over annotated games... but only from openings I play.  I try to figure out what they're trying to do, and then how they're trying to do it, and then also for the opponent.  I also pause at decision type moments e.g. when there's a capture available and figure out what I would play.  If I really believed in my move that wasn't played, I'll use an engine to see if my move was at all playable.

I find going over them by myself to be less than effective unfortunatly. I do not think I always understand why I lose per say

Probably great advice, I hear it a lot.  I don't get to go to many tournaments though :(

hmm that could be useful, perhaps something to try in a few weeks when I have time to study again

I have een in the open section a few time in last couple of months and i know it has been a big help, but I can not quite pin point where I am going wrong. I will need to post my game in the next week or so perhaps

When I got to between 1900-2000 USCF I got the most help from going over games from the masters and grandmasters. Try to guess what they will play and if your wrong see what the reasons they chose what they played.

Bernard P. Fife is always available. :) - - - See you soon Mike.