Middlegame tactics, unlabelled
A themed puzzle tells you half the answer in the title. These do not.
- 120 positions in the course
- Difficulty 607–2326
- Section: Attacking
- 5 levels
Why mixed practice is different
Solving twenty fork puzzles in a row trains you to find forks in positions you already know contain forks. That is a real skill, and it is not the skill a game requires. In a game there is no label, and the first question is whether a tactic exists at all.
So the value of unlabelled sets is calibration. They tell you which motifs you actually recognise cold, as opposed to which ones you can find when prompted, and the gap between those two lists is usually much larger than people expect.
How to spot it
- Start with the same scan every time: checks, captures, threats -- yours and theirs.
- Look for loose pieces on both sides. Most middlegame tactics need one.
- Ask which enemy piece is doing two jobs. Overloaded defenders are the commonest single ingredient.
- If nothing forcing works, look for a quiet move that creates an unstoppable threat before you conclude there is nothing there.
Three middlegame positions
Three positions from the 120 in this skill, easiest first. The highlighted squares are the move your opponent has just played. Work it out before you open the answer.
Position 1
Black to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
28.Nd4 28...Rxc1+ 29.Kf2 29...Rxh1
The line wins a rook. No theme is given, so the first job is working out which pattern is present before looking for the move that uses it.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 607 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Position 2
White to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
20...b6 21.Qd5+ Qf7 22.Qxa8+
The line wins a rook. No theme is given, so the first job is working out which pattern is present before looking for the move that uses it.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1324 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Position 3
White to move. Find the best move.
Show the answer
24...Nh5 25.Bxf7+ Kf8 26.Bh6+
The line comes out 1 pawn ahead. No theme is given, so the first job is working out which pattern is present before looking for the move that uses it.
The position comes from the middlegame of a real game, rated 1904 for difficulty. The answer reaches a winning advantage.
Using mixed sets properly
Do them slowly and write down what you thought before you check. The value is in noticing which motif you failed to consider, which is information a themed set cannot give you.
Then go back to the themed skill for whatever you missed. Mixed sets diagnose; themed sets treat.
Questions people ask
Should I do themed or random tactics puzzles?
Both, for different reasons. Themed sets build the pattern; random sets test whether you can find it without being told it is there. Most improvers do only themed sets and then wonder why the tactics do not appear in their games.
How long should I spend on a tactics puzzle?
Long enough to calculate to a conclusion rather than to a guess. If you are moving because a move looks right, you are training the wrong thing -- but if you have spent five minutes and see nothing, look at the answer and add the pattern.
Nearby patterns
Middlegame Mixed sits in Attacking. The rest of that section: