Analyze your own games as well as games of stronger players. This helps you understand your mistakes and learn new ideas.
Solve a variety of chess puzzles. This helps with pattern recognition and improves your calculation abilities.
Be consistent with your study routine. Daily practice, even if it's for a shorter duration, is more effective than occasional intense sessions.
Regularly review your study plan and assess your progress. Adjust it based on your evolving needs and weaknesses.
@1
"What should a study plan consist of?"
++ 4 tactics puzzles as a warm-up, play a 15|10 game and use all your time, if you lost it, then analyse it thoroughly for as long as the game itself, else study an annotated grandmaster game.
"How long should I study for?" ++ Depends on what time you can spend. Preferably 2 h / day.
"How often should I study?" ++ Depends on what time you can spend. Preferably each day.
I suggest studying with your own pace.
Try to play a game first.
After that look for the things that you don't understand.
In those scenario, try to play against a computer until you give up.
If you haven't learned anything, try to look lessons on other sources that describes those scenarios.
After that, try to play against the computer again to test if you learned something from those lessons.
If you succeeded, try next problem.
If not, try to seek out help from other players or a coach is better.
If you can't. Try to study GM games with the same opening of your game. (You can imitate their moves, if you want. I know for sure you can learn a lot from them.)
If you ran out of inspiration or feel that your game is going stale, try to Watch Computer Championship and try to predict all of one of the engines moves or watch Chess Recap from World Chess Championship.
You can also try to listen to music while playing if you are bored playing chess.
Answer to all your questions, it all depends on you. Since I cannot afford to hire an expensive chess coach, I tried so many ways of studying chess and routine plans. If I find it very stressful, I change it. Very stressful for example training in all aspects every day. If I find it very light, I change it. Very light for example only training simple tactics every day. By the way, I am training chess again staring Nov 10 I just got back from a long break. I am playing some games first..
A lot of higher rated players tell me to implement a “study plan” into my daily chess routine. Numerous 2000+ elo players have told me this when I ask them how to improve my chess game. Most of them have failed to mention what I should do when I study. So, with that in mind, here are some questions that I have for people who have them:
What should a study plan consist of?
How long should I study for?
How often should I study?
If you want to limit expenses do the following:
If you want to optimize your time and are ready to take some money into your hand:
A lot of higher rated players tell me to implement a “study plan” into my daily chess routine. Numerous 2000+ elo players have told me this when I ask them how to improve my chess game. Most of them have failed to mention what I should do when I study. So, with that in mind, here are some questions that I have for people who have them:
What should a study plan consist of?
How long should I study for?
How often should I study?