Tom (if i may call you), my first quetion to you is ...... do you understand the position or is it just memorising the book moves? If it is just memorising the book moves, i am pretty sure someone will play out of the book moves to test your position knowledge.
BTW, not always we can punish a playing for an error. Sometimes, we need to advantage in the long term.
However, i believe that your problem is not understanding the position. That is all.
I do understand why each move is played but it gets difficult when I think something like "well that also defends that piece/pawn but I know a different move was stronger like a rare example which shows what I mean is like after 1)e4 e5 2)Nf3 d6?! the reason I put it as questionable is it still defends e5 but it dosen't work as well as Nc6 or Nf6 in my opinion it is more passive but I know d4 is the move to play in that example but it was just a really simple version to try to explain what I mean
Hi Tom_Hindle--up to a certain level, it's more trouble than it's worth to put minor opening weaknesses under the microscope. Take your 2...d6 example; this is hardly even a "?!" move, but just a less preferable opening at the master level which still gives black a playable game. If you sit there trying to find the forced win against it, you'll lose on time because there isn't any. By all means plug it into a computer or run it by a top-level player after the fact, but during the game itself, remember that each side has some leeway, white moreso than black, for a "?!" move here and there. Don't overcompensate and if you fail to see an obvious reputation, maybe it isn't there. Develop normally and keep hacking away in the middlegame; sooner or later, any obvious blunders by your opponent will come to light.
In the d6 example you will get a nice bit of space advantage and black's dark squared bishop will have little impact on the game for a bit if you reply with 3.d4. You will have a more comfortable game but you are far from winning. Complete your development normally and play a regular game.
You were right on the money when you called d6 passive. That is the big problem with it. Black wont be asking you any hard questions for a while.
Just like moving first gives white a tiny advantage that only ends up showing by few percentage points above a 50% score, a passive move like d6 or a random a/h 3/6 will only give you a teensy practical advantage.
If you understand the moves you are playing and what your aiming for in them then when they make an out of book move the question to ask is how does that move deviate from the book move and does it make your plan easier to accomplish or does it warrant a new plan based on the opponent's last move. Sometimes you continue with your "book" move plan because they are making your plan easier to accomplish or more effective but other times it calls for a new plan altogether. You have to ask that question first to find out which one it is though.
Does anybody know any ways I can work out why a move of my opponent is bad because it happens sometimes (normally the opening) where I'd see an error in my opponents play because I look for everything I can think of like pins, forks, skewers, loose pieces, etc... but sometimes it seems the move which was played wasn't an error despite straying from opening lines and I often lose by targetting "non-existent" weaknesses? and I often feel if I keep playing as if nothing happened and follow the book it'd be giving them chance to rectify their error