Never Say “I Missed A Chess Tactic” Again!
It's always disappointing when you miss multiple tactics in a chess game you should’ve won. You look at the game review tool on chess.com and see 54 missed wins, 12 inaccuracies, and 10 mistakes. This is exaggerated of course, but it tells you the same result. The good thing about being at the bottom is you have room to improve. Depending on the mistakes, you can improve rapidly if you take this seriously.
Trust me, you're not a lost cause. I've been there before and I still underperform sometimes.
This is not a black-and-white subject but, I can give you some tips to make sure you're not missing out and it's fairly simple.
The advice is to solve tactic puzzles every day with this system. There is a difference between short puzzles and long puzzles that require more time. Lower the difficulty to the easiest level and solve the puzzles until you’re super proficient at finding the best move within the first 5 to 10 seconds. Yes, a beginner is going to need more time, but that’s the learning process of the game of chess.
If you’re professional, it shouldn't take long to complete this exercise. Next phase, accomplish this exercise for longer periods and increase difficulty if it is easy. There is a difference between finishing 100 push-ups with no time limit and finishing 100 push-ups with a 30-second break only. The brain can stop functioning after playing chess for a while so practice makes perfect. Especially, at a chess tournament, where classical games can last all day.
I remember attending a tournament and having to play three classical games on Saturday. In the last game, I accepted to draw within 20 or 25 moves of the tournament because my brain wasn't thinking correctly anymore. Specifically, my brain stopped calculating. I wasn’t noticing my opponent's plans in the position anymore. So, I took the coward option because I didn't have that Fighting Spirit behind me.
It’s good to focus on solving multiple puzzles while timing yourself each day. This will not only help with never losing to silly tactics but, will also help with faster time control. Whenever you're in a critical position, please THINK. You have more chances of playing the best move. With this advice, you can avoid missing tactics. Setting the foundation of your knowledge will help tremendously as you improve in chess.
Keep on fighting til the end, staying focused in chess, and real life too! PEACE
For more information on my chess content, you can follow the links below.
www.youtube.com/@ChessKnowledgewithH1
https://open.spotify.com/show/6AefOx7Atzw3bgyfHG2bjR?si=6cca1bf3ba35459c
