A how to guide on how to improve your chess rating:1. Start playing more over the board chess. Playing online certainly helps, however your character is tested when you play in tournaments. When several people surround you and look over your shoulder, whispering on every move you make, you can feel the pressure rise. And when youre short on time, you tend to make more mistakes. Playing in these kind of situations can certainly help; the more you practice, the calmer you will remain in these kind of situations and make better and more logical moves.2. Practice your tactics. By just playing, you will get nowhere; it is important to incorporate tactical knowledge into your game to gain a decisive advantage. By incorporating these tactics you will become a better player and improve your chess rating considerably as well. 3. Study your openings. It is important to know how to punish bad openings. By having an advanced knowledge of the opening theory, you will be able to understand why certain moves are made and how to take advantage of bad moves. Learn e4 openings, d4 openings, and c4 openings. Main lines such as the Ruy Lopez, Scotch Gambit, Four Knights Game are common examples of e4 openings. For d4, learning about the Queens Gambit Declines will be beneficial. Learning the English opening is helpful as well. By knowing the opening theory, you can punish your opponents when they make bad moves or fall for certain gambits. A knowledge of thus as well as tactics well help you get into a favourable position in your endgame.4. Learn your endgame well. A lot of times, people get into good positions but dont know how to finish these games off. For intermediate level players, there are various instances of Queen vs Rook endgames where the player with the queen is unable to finish the game off due to lack of proper endgame theory as well as precise play from opponents. Practice pawn endgames as well. There are certain pawn endgames where once can gain a decisive advantage based on whos turn it is to play and where your pieces are located on the board. While you cannot rely on the opponent on making mistakes, you can make sure that you are well prepared for these kind of situations. On the off chance that your opponent makes a mistake or hasnt learned their endgame theory, you will know how to capitalise on a losing situation and turn it into a draw or even a winning one. I hope this helps