How to create tactical possibilities?

I can recommend - Understanding Chess Tactics. It explains the elements of a tactic. I don't think it will suddenly turn you into a tactical monster but it will certainly help.

Lots of good posts here, and enough advice to fuel your efforts for a long time. One thing I would add regarding tactics. Seeing the possibility of pulling off a combinational zinger and then doing it is lots of fun. The number off times in your life that you actually have that opportunity is very small. There's somebody playing the other color constantly trying to prevent what you're doing. This is true for all players, even if they have titles in front of their names. On the other hand, the greatest enemy of the chess player, especially the class player, is the one or two move tactical shot. That's the one that played against you, after which you immediately lose (worse case), or the game has passed that turning point where you know things have swung in your opponent's favor and it's all down hill for you. This happens to all players, a lot. It's probably the most common root cause for losses. People who play practice games against computers learn this quickly.

One of the real values of tactical study, then, at least in my opinion, is to help develope the ability to recognize first when a tactical shot threatens you and secondarily, when you have a position where you can pull one off yourself. There's probably lots of players on this site that will disagree with my view, but the math doesn't lie. Recognizing tactical opportunities that threaten your position so you can defend against the threat is a much higher priority than creating a situation where you can pull off one of your own.

I got this advice a long time ago, and I ignored it for a long time before I finally woke up. People can be stubborn.

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
and that has made all the difference."

Originally posted by Tigerhouse
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 ...[text shortened]... robably not the answer to my dilemma. Thanks for reading and all responses are appreciated!

Read Znosko-Borovsky's The Middle Game in Chess.

Originally posted by Tigerhouse
. . .So what can I do to learn to create more and better tactical shots?

Two things, very simple:

(1) Develop your pieces to active positions (don't blow this off as something simple-simon that you already know).

(2) Each and every move, look at ALL checks, captures, and threats you have. You're looking for forcing sequences.

Don't forget to look FIRST at all of your opponent's checks, captures and threats, before looking at your own move options, otherwise you might end up on the receiving end of tactics. When you find a good move, look for a better one. When you finally decide on a move, look at all of the checks, captures, and threats that your opponent will have after you make the move.

Originally posted by Schach Attack
Two things, very simple:

(1) Develop your pieces to active positions (don't blow this off as something simple-simon that you already know).

(2) Each and every move, look at ALL checks, captures, and threats you have. You're looking for forcing sequences.

Don't forget to look FIRST at all of your opponent's checks, captures and threats, befo ...[text shortened]... l of the checks, captures, and threats that your opponent will have after you make the move.

Rec'd. So basic and true.

Originally posted by dkurth
There's somebody playing the other color constantly trying to prevent what you're doing.

So true. There was a point when just putting pieces on active squares and avoiding blunders won games; then finding basic tactics was the challenge, and it was difficult but it won games; now it seems like all the opportunity has dried up -- and worst of all, my opponent's defense is morphing into an attack in what seems like no time. This might be a new difficulty-level of chess for me; one of those tough leaps.

I played this game OTB tonight and wanted to share it here in case anyone would do me a favor and have look, see if you can point anything out. I had some simple ideas in the middle game, and though I didn't expect them to work out perfectly, I thought they might lead to something. Well, they lead to a counterattack that came too quickly and for which I just couldn't plan far enough ahead. Admittedly, I got a bit sloppy toward the conclusion, but I was already in deep, deep trouble by then.

I'm playing as Black. Far as I can tell, moves 15 - 20 were the crucial period where I had the best chance of mixing it up, but missed it. Please have a look and make suggestions. Thanks!

I've looked at that a few times since I played it, and it looked much better at the time of the match ... Momentary optimism, I guess. Hehe.

Originally posted by Tigerhouse
Originally posted by dkurth
[b]There's somebody playing the other color constantly trying to prevent what you're doing.

So true. There was a point when just putting pieces on active squares and avoiding blunders won games; then finding basic tactics was the challenge, and it was difficult but it won games; now it seems like all the opportun ...[text shortened]... Rxc5 Rxc5 33. Kf2 f5 34. Kf3 fxg4+ 35. Kxg4 Kf7 36. Rf1+ Kg8 37. b3 Kh7 38. Rf5 1-0[/pgn][/b]

Well,you went 12.... Qa5 attacking white's h-pawn a second time.Then at move 16 you could've taken it but didn't: 16.... Nxh5 17.c4 Qa5 18.Bd2 Qd8 19.Nxh5? Rxd4 and you regain the piece with two pawns intrest.

That's the only tactical thing I see.
I do have one other remark.You postponed castling until move 28.At that point I think it was better to abandon castling completely.Instead just go 28.... Bxe3+ 29.Rxe3 Ke7 and your king is right in the action and can support his troops.
The king is a fighting unit!

Think you played a good game until the Kg8-Kh7 maneuvre.Simply 36.... Ke7 or 36.... Ke6 seems ok for Black.At least,I don't see what White can do.

toet.

Originally posted by toeternitoe
Well,you went 12.... Qa5 attacking white's h-pawn a second time.Then at move 16 you could've taken it but didn't: 16.... Nxh5 17.c4 Qa5 18.Bd2 Qd8 19.Nxh5? Rxd4 and you regain the piece with two pawns intrest.

That's the only tactical thing I see.
I do have one other remark.You postponed castling until move 28.At that point I think it was better to a ...[text shortened]... 6.... Ke7 or 36.... Ke6 seems ok for Black.At least,I don't see what White can do.

toet.

agreed....Only other thing I wanted to mention is you played b5. You should have been striving for c5 or e5 (if you didn't want the free pawn ;D)

Good catch, toeternitoe. That tactic could have changed that game. Thanks to you too, erikido.

I haven't read it but this guy seems to adress the issue

http://www.chessville.com/Hortillosa/SettingupConditionsforTacticalCombinations.htm

toet.

If you are confident that you can spot errors by your opponent I would try to avoid offering exchanges. The more pieces on the board the more complex the situation and the more likely someone (hopefully your opponent!) will make a mistake.