The original post queried why one would even think of a tactical candidate in the first place. We agree that "checks, captures, and threats" is a good maxim, but my point is that the tactical analysis of K mobility leads one to expect that something violent will work.

<Out of curiousity, as black would you have discarded 17...Qxa4 as a candidate because you see that it loses to 18.Qxe5 and decide on something like 17...f5?>

Now, black has a choice between 18...Be6/Be7 leading to 19.Qxh8 winning or

18...dxe5 19.Rd8+ Ke7 20. Bc5#

I think these puzzles train us to look for sacrifices, which is probably a good thing. It seems the answer very seldom involves a quiet or developing move.

Apologies - was meant to be a reference to "Bones" McCoy of Star Trek (original series) fame. Or was it Spock? Or maybe both. Whichever it was, they would turn to Kirk and pronounce - "It's life, Jim, but not as we know it."

Fritz has this lovely little feature. In one of its training modes, it flashes a little red light when a tactic is possible. That makes you slow down, treat the position like a chessgames puzzle and really look for those dazzling queen sacrifices.

Wouldn't it be great to have something like that for OTB play? As it happens, I think we can build our own version of Fritz's red light. Whenever a position starts to look "juicy", we ought to think - "hey, this looks like a chessgames.com puzzle! I wonder if there is a brilliant tactic here?"

What makes a position juicy? Try these:

1. A vulnerable enemy king, especially one that is either stalemated or stuck in the centre of the board.

2. My pieces are strong - eg doubled rooks on an open file or adjacent bishops.

3. The opponent's position looks artificial - behind on development, too many weakening pawn moves, a lack of mobility.

4. I can spot part of a mating or piece winning tactic, but it's not quite there.

I dunno about anybody else, but for me the hardest part of chess is actually GETTING to one of these positions where a decisive move finishes off my opponent.>

That's where those quiet developing moves come in!

A combination arises when we have some form of positional superiority - ie better posted pieces. In today's puzzle, white had the deadly pawn on c7. the rook controlling the d file, both bishops on tasty diagonals and a stalemated enemy king. We need to accumulate those sorts of advantages in our games and then combinations will appear as if by magic.

I reckon the process goes something like this:

1. understand the positional features of a position that give you an edge - eg control of open files/ diagonals, king safety, weak enemy pieces, outposts, etc.

2. Try to get those into your position (and deny them to the other guy). You won't know what you are going to use that open file or outpost for, but that doesn't matter just yet. If you can, put increasing pressure on the opponent, so that he has to misplace his pieces to defend.

3. Recognise when the pressure you have built up makes the position so juicy that a combination is likely.

4. Switch to puzzle mode to look for those flashy moves that just scream out Monday or Tuesday on CG.com.

White to play (18.?) "Easy"

If it's Tuesday, it's time for a queen sac!

18. Qxe5+!

♗07: ♙irc Defence: Miscellaneous Systems

1. e4 d6 2. d4 Nf6 3. Nc3 g6 4. f3
c6 5. Be3 b5 6. Qd2 Nbd7 7. g4 Nb6 8. g5 Nh5 9. b3 e5 10. O-O-O Nd7 11. d5 b4 12. dxc6 bxc3 13. Qxc3 (13. cxd7+ Bxd7 14. Qxc3 Rc8 ) 13... Nb6 ? <dubious> (13... Nc5 14. Bxc5 Qc7 ) 14. c7 Qd7 (14... Qe7 is no salvation 15. Bxb6 Bd7 16. Be3 ) 15. a4 Nxa4 (15... Qe7 does not win a prize 16. Bxb6 Bd7 17. Be3 ) 16. bxa4 a6 17. Bh3 (17. Qc4 keeps an even firmer grip Ng7 18. Qd5 ) <+ 5.47> 17... Qxa4 ?? <blunder terrible, but what else could ♗lack do to save the game? (<+ 2.01> 17... f5 18. f4 Qxa4 19. fxe5 d5 20. Rxd5 Be6 ) 18. Qxe5+ dxe5 (18... Be6 hoping against hope 19. Qxh8 Bxh3 20. Nxh3 Rc8 ) 19. Rd8+ Ke7 20. Bc5# 1-0