Why You're Stuck at 1200 Elo
The 1200 plateau is one of the most common in chess. You see basic tactics, you don't hang pieces, your openings are decent, but you can't break through. The reason: you need strategic understanding. Tactics win individual games; strategy wins rating points.
What's holding you back
- No understanding of pawn structures.
- Poor planning, reacting instead of creating plans.
- Trading pieces without reason.
- Ignoring piece activity.
The fix
- Study middlegame strategy.
- Learn 3-4 pawn structures deeply.
- Study one opening with White and one with Black thoroughly.
- Continue tactical training but add positional puzzles.