Middlegame Tactical Thinking

Don`t look at the answer until you read the next part, please, but feel free to try and solve it. 

 

My thinking process, for any non-forced or non-obvious position, in long time control games that I play, begins with positional analysis. I do this because it can frequently help with tactical understanding, the second step, whereas tactical flailing rarely does much to help positional understanding. Also, if you are unable to find any tactics, it`s very annoying and psychologically disconcerting to restart. So, here`s my train of thought for this position:

 

First I look at the pawn structure. We`ve got a very closed center, with the pawns all fixed on essentially one color complex for each side. White`s pawn breaks, if the position remains the same, are actually singular: g4, but there`s no reason to do so. Black`s are b4-b5 (again, insane), but more reasonable in the future is g4-g5. This could open up lines against the white king, so I put it in the back of my head for later. If this was an actual game, I would write it down. White`s doubled pawns are not especially weak, though it is clear the position is more complicated than it seems.

 

Next minor piece interplay: Non-tactically, white is rather boxed in. His bishops are quite awful and it would take several moves to break them out. I see no immediate way to do so (again, without considering tactical moves), but I note this. White`s knight is more active, but it cannot jump to the g5 square as it would just be kicked back. Black`s Knights have mixed feelings: the b7 knight is inactive but it can move to more active squares quickly. The other is pinned, and it appears that it will stay that way. Here, the positional analysis has provided us with our first tactical idea. I note this with a star. Black`s d7 bishop is bad, but the a4-e8 diagonal seems to be the best it can do. Notice that I haven`t actually come up with any moves, but I am systematically finding as many ideas as possible. The more thorough you are, the more confident you can be with your moves. No side has a significant advantage here.

 

Next key files/squares/diagonals. With no easily accessible holes for either side, the things that pop out are the A and B files. White has a large control there, and a pin - very good, ideas will emerge there. I also like to do diagonals in this step - they tend to be easier to open than files. I mark the pawns that are blocking me in, and will look for ways to move them later. They are f4 and d5, and I put a star next to d5 because if it moves the bishop will be hitting an important target - the black king. Also this combines with the presence on the A file, so I put another star next to it. 

 

Space is usually a minor concern. I tend not to waste much time thinking about it unless pawns are close/can become close to the enemy king. The e5 pawn is very strong, and I note that it could become passed and undermine the black pawn chain if I could get rid of e6. I note this, but without a star.

 

The opening is long gone, so I do not consider development at all. If it is not the opening, I spend this step looking at which side of the board play will be conducted on; here it is clearly the queenside. Also  only now do I note that white is down a pawn. Worrying about that during the other steps of analysis can impair. 

 

So now the most important part, king saftey, which in this example is quite complicated. I tend to switch into tactical analysis at this point - other stuff if the Kings are safe, and Attack/defense if they are not. There are a lot of white pieces aiming at the black king. I conclude that I should open up lines, especially the center, to bring my f2 bishop into play. I base this on my positional observations and now will try to make it become a reality. 

 

First I note theoretical tactical resources that I have. If I am able to deflect one of the defenders of a4, I will clearly be winning because the queen will have to move. This poses even more problems if the knight is still on g7, because after Rxa4 (if the bishop is gone), there is the threat of Rxa7#. With this in mind I look for 2 things: A way to get another attacker into the fray (to remove a defender), or to open the center. The first moves that I considered (this step I begin doing moves) were Ng6(which comes to nothing and should be quickly eliminated, for after Ng6 Rh6 the knight must return to h4), and Rxd5, which I considered because I believed that the f2 bishop would have a far greater influence on the queenside than the c5 rook. However I eliminated this line because after Rxd5 exd5 Bxd5 Rc8, and the line is dead. Black has got another defender close to the king, and I have no good way to attack the g7 square. 

 

However this move was complicated, so I do not decide to kill the idea of opening up the center. Here is where I consider the move Nxf5, opening up the center from the other direction. This part is all about calculation: Nxf5 exf5, and the first move I considered was Bxd5, which certainly "looks" like a natural move, bringing another piece closer to the king (and on the same diagonal, too!). I took a note that Rxd5 looks also completely plausible, and I will go back to it. I spent the largest portion of my time spent on this puzzle on this move. I should have killed it faster, but I concluded after about 3 minutes that after Nxf5 exf5 Bxd5 Rc8, there was no good way to continue the attack, especially after Bc6 on the next move. 

 

The next step is to analyze the other line, not anything weird. So Nxf5 exf5 Rxd5, threatening some discovery ideas while also attacking the defender of a4. First move to consider is Bc6, but this is very quickly eliminated after Rd6, pinning two pieces to the queen and winning material and the game easily. The only other option with a chance is Be8. So we continue, and here is where my line deviated from the actual game, though mine and the book`s is better. I did consider first Rd6, but i considered it to be too murky after Qa5. I don`t really have a good way to Attack the g7 pawn while preserving the pin, and there is no crushing defeat. I`m not an amazing tacticain, so I tend to eliminate murky lines like this and come back later if I have found nothing. 

 

The other logical option is Nxf5 exf5 Rxd5 Be8 Rc5. Not only is the rook still rather unable to be captured because of the pin, but the other idea with a star, checkmate on g7#, can also be used. If Nxc6 I can play dxc6! and the queen cannot run. The immidiate threat here is to put the rook on the 7th rank ( which did not exist with Rd6), which cannot easily be prevented. There isn`t really a way to prevent this, so the best line is Nxf5!! exf5 Rxd5! Be8 Rc5!! Nxc5! dxc5 Qxa2 Qxa2. Satisfied, with a c6 idea to come, I "played" the move.

 

I know this was a bit long, but thank you if you read it! I hope it gave you some ideas and, if not, I would greatly appreciate process on my ordering/method of analysis. It`s a bit long in writing, but I managed to complete the puzzle in about 10 minutes so it works better in practice. I feel confident with my move when I use it to the best of my ability. Thanks again!