Greetings to all chess fans. I post chess puzzles on snaps that I like. They're puzzles from lichess.org that offer unlimited chess puzzles to users. This is one that set them apart from chess.com that only have a certain number of puzzles to non premium members. Solving them has definite advantages in practical play.
You develop an instinct for when a critical moment arrives, prompting you to search for a hidden tactical blow. Sometimes the solution will take several moves but as you solve more puzzles, the easier it gets because of the next item.
Chess positions often repeat or the familiar elements will show itself like in the Greek Gift Sacrifice or Arabian Mate. You instantly spot tactical motifs like forks, pins and discovered attacks because your brain matches the live board to positions seen in puzzles.
Having practiced solving tactics, you will be more aware when you are about to be on the receiving end of tactics. You will avoid positions where you will be open to sacrificial attack by your opponent. I'm often on the lookout for pins, forks and discovered attacks and avoid those.
Here is a quick game where I saw the winning tactical solution.
There is a fork on e2, winning White's queen but it's defended by White's bishop on d3. So, 14. ...Bxd3 removes the defender. White can move 15. Qb2 but after Bxf1 Black is already ahead in material.
Here's another one where I found the winning sacrifice.
Sacrificing the knight lead to strong King side attack and soon Black had to resign. It didn't take long for me to make the move because I immediately recognized the pattern. The bishop on c4 will support the queen's excursion on the f7 square and even win Black's loose bishop on f5.
Winning by tactics is not only flashy but is also fun. It feels rewarding that the time spent training on solving chess puzzles has practical benefits and translates in actual games. If you want to sharpen your game, there are a lot of chess sites out there that offer unlimited puzzles like lichess.org or chesstempo.com.
Playing chess is great for the mind but let's not forget about physical activities. I recently committed to exercise and to keep me motivated, I joined actifit.io
