Tactical Vision

Hi everyone. I do tactical problems and can solve them but mostly because I know that I'm actually supposed to be looking for some sort of tactic. Also if I know that I'm supposed to be looking for a knight fork then it is even easier to spot the tactic. But the problem is that during games, no one is there telling me, "you have a double attack!" Or "look for tactics now!" So my question is, how to know when to look for tactics? Should I just keep doing many problems and hope that my tactical pattern recognition improves? Thank you. 🙂

Keep doing them.
Of course the best ones are those that don't give a hint of what to look for.
You see certain signposts in your games that tell you when to STOP! and
dive into the think tank.

It is called spotting a critical position, it a skill without which all the problem
solving in the world won't help. It comes natural to some others a bit slower
but in time you should be able to skip though a game and suddenly you will
know when to stop as there is a shot on, an idea, something......

Have faith, most have the ability to play a combo, but some never see it.
To play it first you must see it.

If you go here:

http://www.redhotpawn.com/blog/blogpostedit.php

You will see a link to 6,200 RHP from the 2012 RHP Championship.
Download these and skip though the -1500 v -1500 games looking for missed
shots and cute wrap up's. Do it failrly quickly your 'inner eye' your 'gut' will
tell you somehting is on.
(I know that is a lousy explanation but you must trust yourself to be able to
spot these things.)
Sometimes there is nothing, sometimes there is.....just like a real game.

But before you go there you might like to look at two drawn games on here
you played in. Game 8141893 and Game 8695029 and spot the missed shots.
Drawn games at this level often contain missed ideas.

I'll give two hints.

In the first game look to recall a well known opening trap. Black to play.


In the second Black screwed up his attack by trying to be too sure.
He had you by the knackers but let you slip away.
(some nice clumsy end game play from you in that game that Black took advantage of.) 🙂

And don't use a computer to guide you to look for missed shots.
This is a skill you must build up yourself. It will come.

( and I also saw Game 8497269 😉 I am not too sure if weaker players
learns anything from these type of games except how far behind they are to you.
Good Game though. )

Thanks for answering greenpawn. I look back at my old games and see many mistakes and improvements now. I was 14 at that time and was just getting into studying chess. I am stronger now. Also I used to usually always play lower rated opponents (big mistake if you want to improve in chess) but no more of that now. In the first game, after my opponent played Bf1 i almost immediately noticed ...Rxb4 Pxb4 Bxb4+ Nd2 Nd3+ Pxd3 Bxd1 Kxd1 Qa5+ Kf2 Qxa4. Maybe there is something even better? i will go back again and look. 🙂 Ugly endgame play by me in the second.. 😛 I should never have allowed my king to get boxed in like that.. Thanks for your help! 🙂

Raymond

P.S. watch out for me on the chess scene. Hopefully I will become a master one day! 😀

I meant Qh5+ and Qxh4. Sorry about that mix up 😛