When You See A Tactic...

You see a tactical combination on the board and you have the opportunity to play it…you become excited, after all this is your moment to play like Tal, but chances are that you do not play  like Tal. While you have spotted a tactical opportunity,  it may not be the best move, it might even be a bad move.  Chances are that your opponent has a refutation for the tactic you have spotted that may either weaken your position or cause you to lose the game.

When you see a tactic, there is no better moment to stop, and thoroughly analyze your combination. If the move is winning, then the time spent analyzing is well spent since you will be a in a winning position. If the move is not winning then the time spent on analysis will at least maintain the status quo of the position an will not leave you worse off.

It seems to me that the majority of the time that I see a tactic and quickly rush to play it, that one of the following negative things occur:

1. The opponent has a killer in-between move that causes me to lose material or the game.

2. The combination or sacrifice is flawed, and the opponent can easily refute it,usually at a material cost to me.

3. The move is easily parried, and all it has a achieved is a positional weakening of my position, which my opponent if they are stronger will exploit for a win.

So when you see a tactic, don’t rush to play it. Stop for a moment, and analyze the position as you would any critical moment .

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