Tempo posted about his attempts to transfer his pattern recognition into OTB play. I also are trying to do this. But in a different way. Instead of making a checklist or some other stuff like that, I just play games and every game that I play, I make it a point to look for combinations, or any kind of tactics for that matter. Now, if I see one, I play that *even if it means I will have a worse position* if it is parried correctly.

You see, sometimes I see tactics, and I see the refutations to it, but still I play it. The point is to make combinations, for the sake of making combinations. Sure I lose sometimes, but sometimes it works too. But winning is not the important thing right now - the important thing is that I am training myself to setup tactics, and how to correctly execute them.

The effect of these "style" of playing is rather strange. Most of the time, my position is indeed worse. I feel like hanging by a thread, that if my opponent trades down, I am completely lost. But then I lay down a trap, and they fall for it - and so I can exhale again.

I feel my understanding of tactics grows deeper and deeper. Not that I'm a tactical monster now or anything, but the mere fact that tuning to the tactical possibilities of the board - allows me to see what I would otherwise miss by thinking about outposts or weak squares, etc..

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Current Program
1. 300 easy tactics from Dehasacchi server
150/300
The goal is to work through these 3x. Then I will print the 300 medium level tactics and work through it 3x, then print the next 300 etc.. etc.. until I worked on all the tactics contained on the server (Up to medium only). A total of 1200 easy-medium tactics.. After that - Ill try to think of something else

2. Winning with the sicilian by Mark Taimanov

Normally, I dont like working on openings. I feel like its a waste of time. But this book is different. Mark Taimanov's annotations are really very good. It contains loads of "strategic" ideas. It discusses the Rauzer, Bonderavsky, Paulsen, and the Taimanov variation. I dont study all of them of course - I have settled for the paulsen. I've only went thru three games but feels as if I understand it (the opening). Cant wait to spring this on an unsuspecting opponent =>

To Takchess:
Sorry havent seen the 300 most common positions. The 300 easy exercises are taking up my time right now.