What do higher player ratings think before they make a chess move?

What do higher rated players, i.e. 1800+ players think before they make a move?

@ninjaswat (coach), said that he looks for the following:

• checks
• captures
• threats
• hanging pieces
• weak squares
• bad pieces
• good pieces
• king safety

What do you higher rated players think? What tactics and defensive strategies do you look for to help us minor players out? (100-1400ish)

Really? I thought their thought process was "How do I destroy this low rated player's hopes and dreams"

position good stuff

N/A I just punish mistakes in the opening or I lose

wow ninja looks at all that?

on chess.com I just play natrual moves in rapid

in blitz i actually try..

otb I think a lot tho

the technique i still use

natural moves = you doing that... we have very similar playstyles actually, except your intuition is more fine-tuned and my calculation/concious understanding might be better.

I can think 10 ply deep when I want too, can you? I was especting you to think 8 ply tbh Im proabaly slighlt better at calulcating

Nothing different than any other chess player; what is a good move is still a good move - regardless of the rating who played it

The only difference I'd say is that 1800+ players probably are looking at positional considerations more often during the game (more often than players under 1800 because they generally understand position better) and the tactical stuff is lessened to a glance or quick calculating. Scanning for checks, hanging pieces, potential counterplay from opponent and so on is done more on a subconscious level and this is what stronger players tend to call "intuition." The mind still scans for these things, but they barely (if at all) have to consciously "think" on those things much - this is how someone like GM Hikaru Nakamura @Hikaru can evaluate a position and have a strong move almost instantly.

I'm not 1800+ but I just try to get my pieces to better squares and use pawns to scare off opp pieces. I have a trouble making good queen moves tho

Also, When I am winning I look if my opponent has perpetual checks and when I'm losing I try to make perpetual checks 😂

I just have a good intutiuon lol

I probably need to work on my tactical pattern recognition lol. I'd say my positional understanding is pretty good (e.g. what pawn breaks are good/bad, when to trade, etc.) although I still need to work on it

I can calculate like 3 plys if it's not forced lol, the only reason I'm 1800 is position understandings

me who's only 2200 in blitz because I can calulcate fast

I think I can, my calculation is getting better but your middlegame is scaryyy

yes but I suck at endgames

tetrafishygm's alt says with years of practice it just comes to him. However I agree with the post.

I might be better but I suck too...

me who is 2500 in bullet and can calculate even faster

lmao you've played two bullet games 

plus if this is tetra I already beat you lol