Chess Tactic is vital to be able to convert your positional advantage into a material advantage.
If you don’t see any combinations to win material then how can you win?
Train your mind to see tactical solutions to your positional chess problems. Tactics has to be guided by strategy, don’t forget that.
Chess tutorials will help you to understand that tactics in chess is short-term and should support your long-term Chess Strategy.
Chess tactics is the use of combinative motifs to improve your position in gaining material, getting strong attacking chances or giving checkmate or stalemate.
The elements of tactics are: double attack, discovered attack, pinning, interception, blocking, overloading, intermediate moves, deflection and decoying.
Tactics uses space and time. Time is measured in moves. Space is measured in squares. Tactics tries to achieve a short-termed objective. Positions that are rich in tactical variations are called tactical positions.
I recommend Polgar – 5334 Problems, Combinations & Games. This book is written by the father of the Polgar Sisters, who all became grandmasters. It is one of the best chess books on tactics, which organizes 5,334 unique instructional positions! This book is widely known and has excellent reviews!
Compared to tactics, chess strategy is long-termed. Tactical combinations are used to reach long-term strategic goals. Always consider first what your strategic line of play is. After that apply tactical operations to support your long-term strategy.
If you do not consider your long-term plan (strategy) then you might apply tactical operations on the wrong side of the chess-board which might split up your forces. Or you are chasing pawns or running after irrelevant tactical combinations which have nothing to do with your long-term strategy.
Chess Tactics
If you don’t want to run around in chess like a blind duck then study the following chess lessons.
Often you have to destroy the defender that is holding the position together or defends the opponents kingside.
Study the pinning of chess pieces. Pinning happens very often and can be deadly.
Defend against the Pin! See it coming on time.
See the dangerous threats if it’s your turn to move and do something about it on time. Don’t run blind into the open knife. It is like going to the dentist. Get your teeth checked before they get holes, not after they got big holes already. Then it is too late. Chess is Life, remember?
Strong mixed Cocktail
Checkmate Patterns you should know
Calculate till Mate
Chess Video Course by GM Smirnov – Click here!
Read more about Grandmaster Smirnov
Visualize Chess Positions
Another challenge for you my friend! Things are getting a bit harder now.
In the next chess tutorials please try to visualize the variations in your mind. This is hard but necessary to train your visual abilities. Take your time because they are pretty difficult.
The Discovered Attack
The hidden Chess Sacrifice
The Deflection
Tactical Positions and Combinations
1001 Tactical Positions to study from Fred Reinfeld
Your Training
Chess Tactics from Claude Kaber
Tactical Positions and Solutions
Grandmaster Checkmates Collection from Tom McCormick
Grandmaster Checkmates
Get some good chess books.
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How Chess Grandmaster Igor Smirnov developed his chess teaching system.