Experience quality versus quantity, with a top seven list

Experience playing chess is important for improving at the game, but not all experience is created equal.

Tonight, extremely tired, I jumped onto ICC to play a quick blitz game. Got one against a 748-rated player who has played four thousand blitz games. Not to pick on this chap in particular, as this is quite common. For all I know, he doesn't even want to improve at the game. I have no problem at all with that. He is probably more sane than we are. My point is that those that do want to improve need more than just playing time.

This is sort of obvious, I know. But sometimes I get the impression that people think you can build up GM-level intuitions just by playing a ton of games. It is a kind of natural reaction against that other horrible fate: becoming a chess scholar. One who knows more than anyone else about the game's history, strategy, the names of all the mating motifs, but who simply sucks at the game. I'd rather kick the chess scholar's ass at chess than have his book knowledge.

So, how do we navigate between the Skylla of the hyperexperienced patzer and the Charybdis of the ineffectual chess scholar? It must be the quality of the time spent with chess as a whole. Am I using my chess time in a way that will promote improvement? Given my present level, what should my improvement priorities be? These are hard questions to answer, but they should be answered for oneself periodically in the quest for improvement, at least every six months (my own suggestions, geared toward the beginner, are here).

On to the list. If I have missed any please add them in the comments.

Top seven ways to get the smallest possible return on your chess investment
1. Never perform a postmortem analysis of your games. Don't think about them at all once the flag has dropped.
2. Do not get a chess coach or advisor and go over your games with her, or seek advice about ways to improve.
3. Play only blitz.
4. Play only lower-rated players.
5. Never study chess when you are not playing. Don't study the endgame, tactics, go over annotated master games, or read the chess improvement literature on the web.
6. Do not try to optimize how you select moves in games. The first move that pops into your head is probably best anyway.
7. Spend your chess time blogging.