Always Question A Move

    The longer I have played on this site, the more I have become aware of my opponents' moves. Sometimes it will just seem like somebody is giving up a piece for no reason, but when that happens, you have to ask yourself, "why would they do that?" Often times, it is not a blunder, but rather a baited trap. It could be a set-up for a king-queen fork or even checkmate, and if your attention is drawn away from the real deal, you will not be happy with the result.

    I like to analyze games of more advanced players, and I have noticed that most of the time, these players delay the capturing of any pieces for at least ten moves. What it comes down to is that they see some sort of weakness in capturing a piece that would leave them vulnerable to some sort of assault.

    When I'm at the top of my game now, I always try to see beyond the veil of an opponent's move. I remember getting caught once where my opponent forked my king and queen with a discovery check that I did not see coming. I was forced to resign that game, but every mistake is a learning experience. Now  I keep a keen eye on my king and my opponent's king, because that is where the essence of the game takes place.

    Use your time wisely and try to see the board from your opponent's perspective as well. I often use the convenient analysis board in many of my games to try and depict my opponent's best response to one of my moves, which tells me what flaws I may have in my plan. Always be on guard, especially when it comes to sacrifices and what look like full-out blunders. Things are not always what they seem.