Anyone with a methodical way of spotting/solving tactics? • page 2/3 • General Chess Discussion • lichess.org

I recommend How to Choose a Chess Move by Andrew Soltis, this book explains excellently how chess masters' mind work, how they choose the best moves and avoid mistakes.

Ashkaom

#12

بقفاتنمخهعغفلادئنخه876فغلاتنخ98765فغغغغغل

Sholmes49

#13

rated more than 2300 as you are is however a good level !

ericmsd

#14

I think I'm better at tactics puzzles than in real games. Partly, I have an advantage looking at a tactics puzzle. I know there's something there. Otherwise it wouldn't be a puzzle. So I know to keep searching until I find something.

Furthermore, the vast majority of tactics aren't "do something now that will benefit your endgame." They are "here's a short exercise that will be wrapped up in a couple moves with an undeniable advantage. Maybe 5 moves at tops. And more than just a pawn or a positional edge."

Most puzzles rely on forced moves. If a candidate move has several decent possible responses, chances are that isn't the solution. Can toss prophylactic moves right out.

Can you put the king in check? Can you put in the king in check after a combination? Can you create a fork? Can you threaten mate, and the only response or two hang a piece? These are all good questions to ask during a real game, but I don't always go through them. I should. I should really go through them from my opponent's viewpoint. :)

And then just start playing tactics. If you don't get the solution right, do you understand why not? I'll often spend 10 minutes with an engine on really tricky positions that I just missed to better understand what I didn't see initially. With time, you learn to recognize patterns. That really helps with the tactics problems. And, every so often, I see a pattern in a real game that just pops out with a little neon sign. "This looks like a sacrifice, but you can recapture with a check and then take that hanging piece over there."

If you still don't succeed, post a lot. The captcha will make you feel better about tactics. :)

I think I'm better at tactics puzzles than in real games. Partly, I have an advantage looking at a tactics puzzle. I know there's something there. Otherwise it wouldn't be a puzzle. So I know to keep searching until I find something. Furthermore, the vast majority of tactics aren't "do something now that will benefit your endgame." They are "here's a short exercise that will be wrapped up in a couple moves with an undeniable advantage. Maybe 5 moves at tops. And more than just a pawn or a positional edge." Most puzzles rely on forced moves. If a candidate move has several decent possible responses, chances are that isn't the solution. Can toss prophylactic moves right out. Can you put the king in check? Can you put in the king in check after a combination? Can you create a fork? Can you threaten mate, and the only response or two hang a piece? These are all good questions to ask during a real game, but I don't always go through them. I should. I should really go through them from my opponent's viewpoint. :) And then just start playing tactics. If you don't get the solution right, do you understand why not? I'll often spend 10 minutes with an engine on really tricky positions that I just missed to better understand what I didn't see initially. With time, you learn to recognize patterns. That really helps with the tactics problems. And, every so often, I see a pattern in a real game that just pops out with a little neon sign. "This looks like a sacrifice, but you can recapture with a check and then take that hanging piece over there." If you still don't succeed, post a lot. The captcha will make you feel better about tactics. :)

Sholmes49 edited

#15

How I miss tactical problems...

I don't consider at first all the chechmates and the check possibilities for each piece
then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat
If no check is possible, I don't look at all capture options, even those that look like a sacrifice.
then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat
if no check or capture is viable I don't consider all possible threats
then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat
I don't think at least on 1.5 moves
I have visualization problems (pinned pieces), or when there are a lot of pieces in the same corner of the board
I forgot to consider all the pieces on the chessboard.

May be instead of "puzzles", we may use the world "drill" (=a repeated exercise that teaches sth) to illustrate the interest of these puzzles when, at least, we meet tactical positions during a game.

How I miss tactical problems... - I don't consider at first all the chechmates and the check possibilities for each piece - then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat - If no check is possible, I don't look at all capture options, even those that look like a sacrifice. - then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat - if no check or capture is viable I don't consider all possible threats - then I don't look at how the opponent may respond with checkmate, check, capture or threat - I don't think at least on 1.5 moves - I have visualization problems (pinned pieces), or when there are a lot of pieces in the same corner of the board - I forgot to consider all the pieces on the chessboard. May be instead of "puzzles", we may use the world "drill" (=a repeated exercise that teaches sth) to illustrate the interest of these puzzles when, at least, we meet tactical positions during a game.

NM oberschlumpf

#16

Exercise puzzles regularly, and you'll get more and more aware of potential tactical weaknesses (pins, unprotected pieces, potential forks, exposed king and so forth). For instance in the following rapid game with White before making the move 8.Qd3 (to cover the bishop on c4) you'll realize: "That would leave bishop c1 unprotected, wait!"

https://lichess.org/q574WeGr#14

Exercise puzzles regularly, and you'll get more and more aware of potential tactical weaknesses (pins, unprotected pieces, potential forks, exposed king and so forth). For instance in the following rapid game with White before making the move 8.Qd3 (to cover the bishop on c4) you'll realize: "That would leave bishop c1 unprotected, wait!" https://lichess.org/q574WeGr#14

Sholmes49

#17

such an evidence : unprotected pieces (or with insufficient protection) are the seeds of tactics ! (same thing about king's security). So easy to say and so uneasy to see.

acercamp

#18

I'm big on working on checklists for chess...But as I'm a walking enigma, I never use them... Below is one for tactics which I cobbled together after reading a review on amazon about 'Chess Tactics from Scratch' by Martin Weteschnik...

Feel free to use it if you think it might help you in your chess...

Analytical Process for finding Tactics

(Finding Tactics)

Identify Targets...

King
Undefended piece
Pieces whose attackers equal its defenders
Defenders of targets
Pieces that are trapped
Pinned pieces
Pieces bound by a crucial duty
Pieces that otherwise have few moves
Squares
Checkmate threats
Squares from which other tactics can be launched

Problem Solving...

This is a process of removing, pinning, blocking, or otherwise drawing away whatever is keeping your tactic from working. Or you can threaten two of the above targets at once.

Find your opponent's best response to your threat...

Can the combination be interrupted with check?
Can it be blocked?
If it's a dual threat, can one threat be defended with a counter threat?

Automatically consider all "forcing moves."

Capture checks
Checks
Captures
Any other forcing move

Repeat the process for the new position after the forced moves have occurred

I'm big on working on checklists for chess...But as I'm a walking enigma, I never use them... Below is one for tactics which I cobbled together after reading a review on amazon about 'Chess Tactics from Scratch' by Martin Weteschnik... Feel free to use it if you think it might help you in your chess... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analytical Process for finding Tactics (Finding Tactics) 1) Identify Targets... - King - Undefended piece - Pieces whose attackers equal its defenders - Defenders of targets - Pieces that are trapped - Pinned pieces - Pieces bound by a crucial duty - Pieces that otherwise have few moves - Squares - Checkmate threats - Squares from which other tactics can be launched 2) Problem Solving... This is a process of removing, pinning, blocking, or otherwise drawing away whatever is keeping your tactic from working. Or you can threaten two of the above targets at once. 3) Find your opponent's best response to your threat... - Can the combination be interrupted with check? - Can it be blocked? - If it's a dual threat, can one threat be defended with a counter threat? 4) Automatically consider all "forcing moves." - Capture checks - Checks - Captures - Any other forcing move 5) Repeat the process for the new position after the forced moves have occurred

NM oberschlumpf

edited

#19

And to answer to original question: Don't look for recipes, that always work. If you treat every position like a tactical puzzle, you'll just get into terrible time trouble. And if you look for checks and captures in every move, you'll obviously are gonna miss strong quiet moves more likely.

jomega edited

#20

If by "methodical ways" during a game, that is not what you want because it is way too slow. You want to have something about the position that triggers in your mind that there might be a tactical pattern you've previously learned. Your subconscious will simultaneously provide possible candidates (moves and plans).

You can internalize these tactical patterns by only doing a lot of them, but I believe a more efficient way is to do deliberate practice. I made a study to explain this type of practice applied to tactics. I gave as an example the back-rank mate because almost everyone already has this pattern internalized and hence will not be distracted by the tactic while reading about what the deliberate practice method is.
See:
Deliberate practice and the Lichess puzzle system
https:// lichess . org/study/SaEris47

Looking at various sources, I've found that the most common tactics in games are in order:
Forks
Pins
Remove the defender
Discovered attacks
Tempo moves
Hanging pieces

A necessary foundation for tactics is basic visualization and the ability to construct the attack/defense network (Dan Heisman refers to this ability as "counting".)

Some references:
https:// lichess. org/training/themes
https:// www. chess. com/article/view/chess-tactics
https:// chessfox. com/chess-tactics-list/
https:// chessfox. com/how-to-solve-chess-puzzles/

[Edit: Arggg! Trying to fix a typo, and then the submit will not work because the links are recounted, and reach the max. So you'll have to remove the spaces from the links.]

If by "methodical ways" during a game, that is not what you want because it is way too slow. You want to have something about the position that triggers in your mind that there might be a tactical pattern you've previously learned. Your subconscious will simultaneously provide possible candidates (moves and plans). You can internalize these tactical patterns by only doing a lot of them, but I believe a more efficient way is to do deliberate practice. I made a study to explain this type of practice applied to tactics. I gave as an example the back-rank mate because almost everyone already has this pattern internalized and hence will not be distracted by the tactic while reading about what the deliberate practice method is. See: Deliberate practice and the Lichess puzzle system https:// lichess . org/study/SaEris47 Looking at various sources, I've found that the most common tactics in games are in order: Forks Pins Remove the defender Discovered attacks Tempo moves Hanging pieces A necessary foundation for tactics is basic visualization and the ability to construct the attack/defense network (Dan Heisman refers to this ability as "counting".) Some references: https:// lichess. org/training/themes https:// www. chess. com/article/view/chess-tactics https:// chessfox. com/chess-tactics-list/ https:// chessfox. com/how-to-solve-chess-puzzles/ [Edit: Arggg! Trying to fix a typo, and then the submit will not work because the links are recounted, and reach the max. So you'll have to remove the spaces from the links.]