3 Tips To Study Tactics
A famous saying goes "chess is 99 percent tactics." Here are three tips for studying tactics:
- Practice calculation and solve puzzles at least three times per week. Your ability to spot tactics successfully during a game will depend upon pattern familiarity, which is built up over time when you consistently solve tactical puzzles.
- Review the solution to every problem you attempt to solve, in case you missed anything. By reviewing the solution, you will be exposed to many different ideas at once, adding to your tactical intuition later on.
- Look for tactics during analysis. There doesn't have to be a mate-in-one in front of you for you to study tactics. Look for potential tactics during analysis of your own games and when playing through master level games. If a tactic you spot wasn't played, try to figure out why.
The best way to train your tactical ability is to practice on Chess.com's Tactics Trainer, which provides you with thousands of exercises for all levels ranging from beginner to grandmaster. Be sure to also check out Chess.com's videos and articles about tactics to improve your understanding. Happy solving!
