How to Get Better at Tactics ?

Based on my experience, doing a puzzle streak on Lichess was a game changer for me.
Within just a few weeks, I became much stronger in blitz chess and gained a lot more confidence in my classical chess games.
To really benefit from this, it’s important to practice puzzle streaks for about 20-30 minutes each day.
When combined with a consistent training program, puzzle streaks are like a perfect diet paired with a great fitness training routine.
Here’s how this practice helps you improve:

1. Improve Your Tactics: Solving puzzles lets you practice different chess tricks, like forks and pins. The more puzzles you solve, the better you get at spotting these tricks in your own games, helping you take advantage of your opponent’s mistakes and protect your pieces.
2. Build Your Instincts: When you solve lots of puzzles, you start to notice good moves quickly. This skill is very helpful in real games when you need to make decisions fast.
3. Practice Calculation: Puzzles ask you to think ahead and figure out what will happen next. By practicing this, you’ll get better at predicting moves during a game, which is super important, especially in tricky positions.

Tactics and Verifying Moves

Being good at tactics is really important when you are checking a move during a chess game.
Here’s how it helps:

1. Check Your Moves: Before you make a move, you need to make sure it’s safe. This means looking for threats from your opponent, like forks. If you are good at tactics, you can quickly see if your move might put your pieces in danger.
2. Spotting Opportunities: Good tactical skills help you notice not just your threats, but also your opponent’s plans. This means you can come up with moves that stop them while also improving your own position.
3. Avoiding Mistakes: When you’re in a game, it’s easy to overlook things, especially if you’re in a hurry. Knowing tactics helps you double-check your moves against possible threats. This can help you make fewer mistakes and play better overall.

In short, doing a puzzle streak on Lichess is a fun way to improve your chess. If you practice for 20-30 minutes each day, it helps you learn tricks, make decisions faster, and think ahead. Combined with a consistent training program, puzzle streaks create a winning formula for improvement, just like a balanced diet and regular fitness training do for physical health.
By practicing tactics, you’ll be ready to check your moves carefully and become a stronger chess player!