(p. 50)
In a complicated game this tree of analysis usually stays within a
depth of four or five moves--that is, four or five moves for each player,
(p. 51)
or eight to ten total moves. (We call these half moves: one move for
white and one for black equals one full move.) Unless there are special
circumstances--a particularly dangerous position or a key moment in a
game--I know from years of experience that's a safe, practical amount of
calculation.
Kasparov, Garry, and Mig Greengard. 2007. How Life Imitates Chess: Making the Right Moves, From the Board to the Boardroom. New York, NY: Bloomsbury USA.
In my teaching days, I often told my students that "the only stupid question is the one you don't ask."
With that in mind, I ask the following question:
I have a bad chess habit that I want to break; namely, the habit of not consistently calculating variations.
Just when do you calculate, and under what circumstances?