Lately, I feel like I’ve completely forgotten how to play chess. I had reached 700+ and stayed around there for quite a while, slowly improving my game and feeling comfortable at that level—it felt like a fair reflection of my actual skill. But over the last couple of weeks, I’ve just been losing game after game. It’s not a matter of fatigue since I don’t play that often—maybe one or two games a day, and sometimes none at all. Still, my rating has dropped close to 500. I keep making silly blunders and missing obvious plans from my opponents. Has anyone else experienced a slump like this? If so, do you have any advice?

I enjoy doing puzzles. But, often, i find myself not sure what is the goal of the puzzle. should i check, capture, gain material? i feel this is something i would like to work on for a while as a side quest on my chess journey. So, any books, video's, courses that can help me improve with this puzzle issues?

Here's the board from a game I've just played (and lost, it seems that I'm on a tilt). I got into this position, and thought "What's next"? in term of keep developing and attacking. in this stage of the game i just improvise. no plan. I'm deferentially having trouble when i versus other solid players that also keeps up the basic principals of the opening. i feel that my openings are okay and my openings are solid for a 700 ELO. but I'm struggling with this. how can i improve my middle game? (I'm a reader, so books recommendations are welcomed).

I'm 600-700 ELO Player. sometimes i go beneath 600. when i play and not thinking on the game, i just lose and lose, I've read that most chess players over evaluate themselves. 500 ELO player's are sure that they play as good as 800's.I'm sure that higher rated player are probably thinking "500 or 800, what's the difference?" but for players at my level, it is a Hugh difference. anyway, i must confess that i too, believe I'm a better player than my ELO is showing. I have my shortcomings as a chess player. being impatience is one of them. not always applying the basic principals is another one. but, sometimes i am patient, and i do play according to the basic principals and guess what? My game is so much better. i feel like I'm at least an 800! I played 14 games today, i won 12 of them. some of them because my opponents just blunders at critical game moments, some i won because i was just better. the only two games i lost was 1. I wasn't focused and lost to a Scholar's mate after 6 moves or so. you know, sometimes this things just happening. the other game i lost because I've started thinking about ELO, and about how much of a good day i have in chess and that I'm going for a new best ELO. but i wasn't thinking of the game. so, i lost. I'm one game away from reaching a new High ELO, and on the top of the cake, i had a brilliant move that lead to Mate in my last game before I'll try and go for a new personal best. so, today was a good day to chess:) anyway, I've just wanted to share my thoughts, thank you for your patients.

One of my long terms chess aspirations is to play some local club OTB tournaments. but I'm not sure how to approach this goal. playing OTB is different from some random mindless chess gaming online. Actually, i got to play OTB not so long ago after years of online playing and it's just felt like a different game to me, i forgot all my theory, blundered, etc... after that i actually got a board to practice at home. So, for my question how one's can tell if he's ready (if there is such a thing) to go for club playing? I know i can just show up and try, but personally, i want to give a respectable performance and not loose every game.