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Tactics


  • 12 months ago · Quote · #1

    cubnoble

    Hello Everyone! I have used Tactics Trainer and other chess tactics sites before and I can usually solve them but then when I get to a game where I am seeing the position the entire time I cant see a tactical problem anywhere in it (particularily in an OTB tournament). Is there a way to piece the two together so that I can see tactics in my own games? Thanks!

  • 12 months ago · Quote · #2

    rocketbrainsurgeon

    Be aware of common tactical themes: pins, skewers, discoveries, clearances, deflection, interference, forking, etc.  Once you can identify all of the themes and how each piece performs them, seeing tactics becomes much easier.

    Sit down and look at the tactics that have happened in your games (for and against).  Try and identify common factors and the situations where they occur.  For example, pins and discoveries often occur when a queen/king is opposite a rook/bishop.  Upon seeing your opponent leave his K/Q opposite your pieces, look to see if anything is there.  If not, try and see if adding any deflection or clearance ideas will work in addition to the pin/discovery.  

    Another common example is if the enemy king has no 'luft': typically the back-rank can be weak and vulnerable to clearance and deflection tactics.

    Another: forking with knights can only occur if two enemy pieces are on the same color square.

     

    Pretty soon, you won't be looking for specific tactics per se.  You'll be scanning the board and noticing features of the position which give rise to certain types of tactics.


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