30 May '10 04:28>
Over the past few months I've spent a good amount of time practicing tactics on ChessTempo.com. I've put in 44 hours of practice and attempted over 2,000 problems. My tactics rating is 1740, which I'm proud of because I've improved at solving tactical problems without question.
The hangup is that solving problems and winning at chess are two different skills; and despite their overlap, I doubt that tactical training alone can take me much further. I'd like to learn how I can better create the types of positions I see in all those great chess problems!
So what can I do to learn to create more and better tactical shots?
A final note: Compared to my over-the-board opponents, my knowledge of openings seems to be relatively equal -- and sometimes greater -- so improvement in that aspect is probably not the answer to my dilemma. Thanks for reading and all responses are appreciated!
The hangup is that solving problems and winning at chess are two different skills; and despite their overlap, I doubt that tactical training alone can take me much further. I'd like to learn how I can better create the types of positions I see in all those great chess problems!
So what can I do to learn to create more and better tactical shots?
A final note: Compared to my over-the-board opponents, my knowledge of openings seems to be relatively equal -- and sometimes greater -- so improvement in that aspect is probably not the answer to my dilemma. Thanks for reading and all responses are appreciated!