Solving tactics
On Chessity I found the blog post winning search strategy for intermediate level . After reading this blog post I started to ponder. Is this really how chess players think about tactics? Do I think this way to search if a tactic is possible?
Janton, the author of the blog post, did a wonderfull job descriving some of the tactical devices. Devices which are in my eyes, and I do not want to offend anybody, are the basics a beginning chess player must learn to recognize tactics and not an intermediate player. But maybe our difference in thinking of appropriate level is how we define the level beginner and intermediate.
Let me explain my point of view. If one doesn't know about the building stones of tactics like double attack, pin, removing of the guard, trapping pieces, röntgen attack, … and others then their is a big chance one would miss many tactical possibilities because not knowing they are in the position.These basic building stones of tactics one must learn as beginner by solving many puzzles on Chessity and/or going over many well anotated games.
An intermediare player must know the basic tactical devices and recognize them when possibel during a chess game. But he must go a step further, (s)he must also recognize patterns.But let me make myself clearer by giving an example.
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Diagram #1
Like you can see in the diagram there is no basic tactical device possible. However, if one knows the patern of Boden's Mate the solution is already a step closer. Boden's mate is a mate of a castled king by two bishops and usually involves a queen sacriface. Knowing this its not difficult to come up with the first move.
1.Bf4
Diagram #2
The bishop isn't only attacking the black queen but also takes away two more squares of the black king
1... Qxg1 2.Nb6+
Diagram #3
The black king is in check and doesn't have any squares to go to. So the only move for black is taking the piece that gives check.
2... axb6 3.Qxc6+
Diagram #4
The queen sacriface! Again the black king is in check and has no squares to go to. Once again the only move for black is to take the piece that gives check
3... bxc6 4.Ba6#
Diagram #5
Once again the black king is in check and has no squares to go to therefor he only solution for black's problem is to capture the piece that gives check. Oh wait, this is not possible, in other words, black is checkmated. The Boden's mate isn't the only pattern in chess. More checkmating patterns one can find at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Checkmate_pattern
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1 Comments
Doirse1 19:53 - 8 Oct 2014 You must first "see" (visually, with your eyes) that there is something on the board that you need to pay attention to right now (or perhaps several moves in the future if you are calculating a variation). That could be alignment of several pieces on a file, rank, or diagonal...it could be the proximity of a knight to targets on the same color square...it could be open lines to the king, or a loose piece.
Next is the logical or "thinking" element. Once you have visually identified something, say three pieces on the same file, then you have to start deconstructing the details of what you're seeing. Do you have a possible pin or skewer? If not, why not? Is it worth trying to force the pin or skewer, perhaps by removing a defender?
To succeed in tactics you have to have both elements -- the visual and the logical part.
My interpretation of the original article you referenced is that the author is focusing purely on the visual part in your "search" for tactical shots. And I agree with you, too, the "search" won't matter if you don't know how to exploit something once you find it, or if you don't know what to look for in the first place.
