how to SEE/notice "invisible" threats better
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It's been a minute since I played chess, and I understand things like pins, discovered attacks, and attacked squares, etc...but I am having trouble noticing them.
I'm reading through problems in BFischerTeachesChess, and they're mostly really easy, but I keep making the same stupid mistakes. I keep missing pawn and Knight attacks, and the various pins.
I know that I need to log more hours, but is there any tip that can help me check for these threats before making hasty decisions that I know I shouldn't be making? I keep missing these "invisible" threats.
meaning that I'm not spending enough time on each move?
cct=checks captures threats. simply list all your opponents captures and your reply before each move. I do this as part of my tactics training. Be patient. It takes time for study to work into game play. For me it has taken 6 months for cct to become more natural and habitual. And play longer time controls of course.
Play 30 minute games. Whenever you make a move, check whether you left a piece or even a square undefended, especially pawn moves because they neutralize pieces. You make a move with a pawn and the next thing you see is a knight forking your king and rook because that pawn you moved was defending a potential square for the opponent's knight. Look at the position of your pieces. Is your Queen positioned on the same diagonal as your king? Might get pinned/skewered. Always ask why your enemy made that move. If there is a threat, prepare to defend or counterattack. If none, then check if your opponent left something undefended and punish.
