The best way to improve your chess game? To play of course, and also to play over the games of the best players. Play over 2,000 games and you're a master. That's what my uncle told me nearly 40 years ago and, for whatever it's worth, it worked for me.
In the 1950's and 1960's to find such games and to read the comments of masters, it was essential to read Russian.
In the 1970's, the Chess Informant Series from Yugoslavia, and then the New in Chess series in the 1980's brought chess to the masses by removing the language barrier. The moves in every game used figurines representing the pieces rather than the Russian alphabet.
By 1990, Chess databases further improved access to master level games. ChessBase, NICBase, Chess Assistant, TASC, Rebel, and Bookup permit players to view enormous collections of games that are organized by opening, middlegames, and endgames. As an early adapter, it frustrates me to know that you can now purchase a CD-ROM with 1 million master games for under $30. Times have certainly changed.
For many of us, the World Wide Web offers an even more important step forward. On the web, you can gain access to master games without necessarily having to acquire a chess database. You can follow the latest chess news and results in a free weekly publication, The Week in Chess. There's even a daily chess newspaper! You can read a chess magazine. You can listen to chess radio at Chess FM. And most exciting of all, you can play chess on the net, day or night, against players from all around the world. Those of you who prefer a slower, more thoughtful approach to chess will be able to locate opponents for games played via electronic mail. And for those who prefer face to face competition, you can learn about the United States Chess Federation and all of the events they offer.