26 March, 2021

Antenna Alert #1

 A lovely problem....


As one commentator at ChessTempo remarked, the tactic is so simple to see, but it doesn't work. 

The trick ( or perhaps more accurately, the skill ) is to find the moves that make it work !

A recent purchase ( Nieman - "Chess Tactics Antenna" ) would classify this as either "Unprotected Piece" or more likely "Alignment", two of the 'Seven Signals' that he uses to describe patterns/situations that should trigger your 'tactics antenna'.


White to play


24 March, 2021

Remember your thinking process : Reminder #271

The title says it all. 

Practising tactics ( or any element of chess ) is helpful and, usually, productive.

It improves your ability to see patterns, and hopefully to see them quicker or more accurately.

However, if you do not practise a thinking method or process when playing, then you can fail to obtain the maximum benefit from your training. 

I succeeded in gaining material in my solution, but I failed. Why so ? 

Simple.

Top of the thinking process should be the King : the safety of your own, and the vulnerability of your opponent's.

I missed the mate.

I'm sure, reader, that you won't , but that's either because you are better at tactics than me ( highly likely ) but you also have a clue that material is not what is a stake here.


White to play and Mate



23 March, 2021

Missed this....

 Sad to say, but in the position below, I missed the winning move in this blitz game, even though I had registered and played a variation of it a few moves later.


Proof, not only that you should always be looking, but that however much you are practising, you can always do more.


Black to play and win