#1 Always sacrifice my queen
lol! This might quite often be the case for puzzles, but I wouldn't recommend it for your own games! 
Things I've learned from the chess.com tactics trainer
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Feb 24, 2008
0
#2
oliebol wrote:
It is more in the recognizing of certain patterns or position of the pieces. Since the seconds provided barely suffices any attempts in trying to figure out what the puzzle is all about. That is how I seem to solve some of them. Maybe somebody else has a different approach.
I have been doing a lot of them this weekend, I like it. I am only at about 50% correct but always go back and solve the ones I miss. I am hoping this just beats into my brain these type of positions where combinations might be possible. And when I play OTB and have time to look for them I will recognize them or the chances to make them appear in my games.
I have noticed that the tactics often require queen sacrifices.
It just goes to show that sacrifice can force a checkmate.
You shouldn't sacrifice anything if it doesn't give you an advantage.
Feb 24, 2008
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#6
oliebol wrote:
#1 Always sacrifice my queen
I laughed out loud over this one. As a beginner, my mantra was "hold on to my queen." Then, I go into the tactics trainer and somehow find myself slamming her right between two rooks and a bishop.
I am all for sacrifice - just make sure it is your opponent's pieces that you are sacrificing.
Mar 16, 2008
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#8
"There are two types of sacrifices, sound sacrifices, and my sacrifices." - Mikhail Tal
Mar 16, 2008
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#9
The tactics do seem to be skewed toward the dramatic. I find myself starting by considering the flashiest possible sacrifice, then dialing it down from there.
Mar 16, 2008
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#10
Yeah, sometimes it catches you out though. You get used to looking for something special, then the actual move turns out to be a simple pawn move, or working towards a stalemate. The stalemate ones always catch me. I do beleive that it helps. I remember when I first started at chess, the most frustrating thing was not knowing what to do. I learnt some strategy, and used that to angle my moves towards certain goals, but now I look for certain tactical patterns aswell-something I could never recognise before. My biggest new acquistion is creating a mating net, something that is, well, commonsense I guess, but something I had never done before. You feel like a hunter laying a trap.
#1 Always sacrifice my queen