New answers tagged tactics
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When working on tactics I like to make a distinction between working on improving visualization and improving pattern recognition. For me, when I'm working on pattern recognition I work on problems that are simple (combinations that are 1, 2 or 3 moves - mostly forced lines) and I use the computer or a tactics app. I expect to be able to solve these problems ...
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Here's a very good one. Make sure you pause the video when you are prompted to do so. Try to find the decoy tactic yourself: https://youtu.be/Ib05HINpMsI
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Yusupov is very clear in his books that all the positions should be set up on a board. I often find that problems I'm unable to solve in a book/on a screen are solvable once I've set them up on a board.
Also, many trainers/coaches state you should replay games on a board, rather than clicking through them on a site.
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Chessables has a lot of Kings Indian Defence material and much of it is free. Would strongly suggest having a look there first. Also have a look at the modern defence as its quite similar conceptually (I quite like the modern defence and have quite some success with it).
A Chessable Course I would recommend thats free Short & Sweet: The King's Indian - ...
34
The material balance is only temporary. After White goes c4, Black will lose a piece. If Qf5, White has f3 trapping the bishop. All alternatives to Qf5 leave a piece unprotected (for instance c4 Nxc4 Bxe4 Qxe4 Qxc4 +-)
[Event "Chess Calculation: Chapter 1"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/VFtoodiL/uG0A42Q9"]
[Date "2021.09.12"]
...
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It's really a bit of both but labeling it "tactics" or "endgames" is what can get confusing as they are a means to an end.
Both of these teach you patterns that you can re-use in your own games but an often neglected aspect of this training is how you deliberately exercise your visualization muscles (being able to see moves in your head ...
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I suggest "Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna" - know when (and where!) to look for winning combination. It aims to precisely improve knowing when to take more time for specific tactics. Also covers thought process generally.
The chapters get a good sense of what to look for
King Position
Unprotected Pieces
Alignment
Knight fork distance
Trapped ...
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It is said that good players (not me! :-) have an intuitive sense of when a position is brewing with tactical possibilities. But if you want some heuristics to guide you, some factors that are often mentioned are:
weak or exposed king;
loose pieces: pieces that are not protected, even if they are not attacked, or even pieces where the attackers and ...
2
Every position after the first few moves of the opening requires a certain minimum level of tactical attention. Even in a quiet position the first questions you should ask your self after your opponent has moved are:
"What is my opponent now threatening?" and
"What is my opponent trying to achieve with that last move?"
These questions ...
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Here is a practical answer from a long-practicing youth trainer.
Of course you need all, as others already stated. The interesting question is: which order would I recommend.
For example, I often see that kids in other clubs are funnel-fed with opening theory. Big short time effect, but I clobbered more than one of these robots by my creative openings!
For ...
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First things first, I think it's critical to distinguish between "theoretical" and "practical" endgames. They are two different stages of the game that require different skills and knowledge to be played correctly.
At a beginner stage, if you're capable of delivering the basic mates, plus know the basics of king+pawn-vs-king and rook+pawn-...
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Look at your own games, check what caused you to get in bad positions or maybe even to lose, and work on that. It's not rocket science.
If you never get close to endgames, improving them is going to have marginal effect.
If you regularly get endgames but don't know what to do in them, you need to work on endgames.
If you fail to win because you didn't go to ...
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You’ll never get to the endgame if you don’t know your tactics. I’d recommend working your puzzle rating up to 2000 on either site before looking at anything beyond the de la Villa book.
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Knowing vancura's defence, concept of corresponding squares ,Steinitz rule, Botvinnik's principle of Knight endgame, Bahr's rule, Two Knight checkmate with pawn on board etc etc and etc are in vain if you overlook a 3-4 move long tactical variation and lose the game.
In practical terms this loses can really hurt your enthusiasm to study chess more and in ...
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