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improving tactics

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How can I improve my tactics, other than playing a bunch of games?

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Originally posted by Dance Master MC
How can I improve my tactics, other than playing a bunch of games?
books

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Originally posted by Dance Master MC
How can I improve my tactics, other than playing a bunch of games?
Playing just a few games... but using your brain...

1 edit
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Originally posted by Wulebgr
books
those would be tactics books. better is, at your level, the software called "personal chess trainer." if you don't want to spend any money though, try "chess tactics server".

http://chess.emrald.net

solve tactics questions daily and you'll get better.

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Originally posted by ih8sens
Playing just a few games... but using your brain...
that's stupidly arrogant.

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Originally posted by diskamyl
that's stupidly arrogant.
... it did sound bad... 😞

I'll try to rephrase it 😛.

Take the time to think about your moves... in the words of Tal every time your opponent moves think about these things (in the following order, according to Tal).

1. How to sacrifice your queen.
2. How to sacrifice your rook.
3. How to sacrifice your bishop.
4. How to sacrifice your knight.
5. How to sacrifice your pawn.

Anyways, what I'm saying is this: The moment I took the time to look into a position, rather than making the move that looked 'right', I got better and fast.

Try studying grandmasters games too... I found that helped.

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Originally posted by Dance Master MC
How can I improve my tactics, other than playing a bunch of games?
CT-Art is fabulous.

http://products.convekta.com/193/2/

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I think blitz will help. At first you will lose to many silly tactics, but eventually, you will notice them much faster. Solving tactics problems also helps. There are many books and programs for this.

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Originally posted by Dance Master MC
How can I improve my tactics, other than playing a bunch of games?
I recently met a "retired" FIDE Master who said that he used to solve 1,000 puzzles (mostly of the mate-in-two variety) per day... which took him about 2 hours.

Now that's dedication for you. 🙂

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www.chesstempo.com

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Everytime you take the board, assume your opponent has made a mistake and do a complete reevaluation

Look to see if you can sacrifice any piece to gain position

If there's an easy pawn on, work it through a few moves and see if it really is an easy pawn

Learn the major openings - games can be won and lost inside 4 moves

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Adaptive Tactics Server. You have weaknesses in a particular tactical motif? It finds them and serves you more of that kind of problem. Also shows you which motifs you are weak in.

http://www.snufflenose.com/ats/index.php

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Originally posted by stbrie
Adaptive Tactics Server. You have weaknesses in a particular tactical motif? It finds them and serves you more of that kind of problem. Also shows you which motifs you are weak in.

http://www.snufflenose.com/ats/index.php
I'm weak in all tactics. It wouldn't know what to do - I'd crash the program. 😛

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Originally posted by stbrie
Adaptive Tactics Server. You have weaknesses in a particular tactical motif? It finds them and serves you more of that kind of problem. Also shows you which motifs you are weak in.

http://www.snufflenose.com/ats/index.php
I went to that site and it is confusing. I mean it doesn't even tell who is to move.

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Originally posted by tomtom232
I went to that site and it is confusing. I mean it doesn't even tell who is to move.
I also found it unsatisfactory - it has some good features but overall chess.emrald.net is much better. There's a new one at chesstempo.com which I'm trying out too.

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