The book Chess For Zebras by Jonathan Rowson has much interesting information on chess thought processes, but is mostly an overall view and not dealing with tactics.
Avoiding mistakes - List of thinking processes ?
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Lists can give some useful tips, but they're not very practical to strictly follow during a game. During a game intuition will help narrow or widen the type of thinking necessary. Anything from calculating many variations to thinking more philosophically.
Actually, instead of a list actually I think it's better to think of these as good habits. At first it's difficult but eventually they become automatic (and you'll be much better because of it).
1. Notice every square your opponent's last move affected. Attacked, uncovered attack, and the square they leave undefended. Scan the position for very basic tactics by using these squares (and undefended pieces and moves that capture or give check).
These tactics may be for you or your opponent. In a position where he's attacking you'll probably look for his first. In a position where his move was more defensive you'll probably look for your tactics first.
Example
After black's move the bishop now influences b6, d4, e3, f2 and no longer influences f6 and d8. Because of this move the rook now influences e6 and e5.
So white immediately sees the attack on his e5 knight, his f2 pawn, and that he can capture on f6. He sees capturing on f6 defends e5 and f2 so he considers Qxf6.
Also, after every move, update your list of undefended pieces / moves that give check (for both players).
The next part is a bit unorganized, but it has some useful info so I'll just post it without trying to organize it with the above. It's not so much a checklist as general thought process when deciding on a move.
So when you're imagining your intended move as if it's been made ideally you'll consider a few different types responses from your opponent. First look at his moves that are forcing like a check or capture or threatening an undefended piece. If he plays any one of those do you still like your move? (Guards against 1 move tactical blunders)
Now find a move that's purely defensive. Whatever you just attacked find a move for him that defends it. Do you still like your move? (Guards against misplacing pieces in hope that the opponent misses a threat)
Now find a move for your opponent that basically ignores your intended move and just continues to do what he was doing (maybe he's been busy developing or attacking or moving his queenside pawns or something). If he doesn't directly challenge or defend against your move but just keeps doing this do you still like your move? (Guards against misplacing a piece while assuming a response. E.g. beginners often assume a capture or defensive move will be played)
In the last two parts I say "misplacing pieces." This not only leads to tactics for your opponent but will weaken your position in general. At the very least you'll have to spend time moving it again after your opponent responds with a type of move you didn't consider.
And when I say misplaced a piece it can mean a few things. Moving away from the center without any real purpose is one. Moving to a square that can be attacked or is otherwise risky is another. For example lining up your king and queen on a file or diagonal... you'll probably have to move one of them again to avoid a tactic in the future.
Knowing these types of moves your opponent may try isn't just a defensive checklist, it also helps you find moves yourself. For example:
After they move can you use any checks or captures to punish it?
If you simply defend whatever they are attacking is their move bad afterwards? (They put a piece on a decentralized or weak square).
Can you ignore their move / threat and play somewhere else unrelated to what they're doing?
I did quite a bit of research on thought process and came up with a summary of what I learned.
In general, here's what I've come up with. I don't know if it's right, but it's way better than what I was doing. If you have ideas to improve it, let's do it together and beat everybody! 
1. Identify all reasons for your oponents last move. All reasons, not just some.
2. Is there any move (not any good move, any move) that your oponent could make, if you skiped your move, that would put you in check, capture a piece of yours, or threathen to capture a piece of yours. If you were playing the other side against yourself, can you find any positive tactics? If the answer to any of these (in order) is yes, can you defend against it when your opponent makes the move, or do you need to defend against it now. This decision affects step 4. Well, maybe it effects it. Definitely one of the two. Also, is there a limit to the number of comma's you can use in a paragraph?
3. If there is no threat, then decide what your opponents general goals should be. Is he playing for a kingside attack? Trading her bishops for your knights and closing the position? Knowledge is power.
4. Now, is there any move you can make, in the following order: Can you check the opponents king in any way? Can you capture a piece? Can you threaten to capture a piece. Identify the answers to the questions, even if they're bad answers, because maybe there is another move you can make now that will make it a great answer on your next turn. Note, if there is a threat you have to deal with from step 2, then limit your candidate moves to only those than defend against the threat, or set up an attack that makes up for it.
Using the king of the hill method, the very first move you consider is your king of the hill, even if it costs you a queen, two rooks, a bishop and two nights for a pawn. It's the best move you've found so far because you haven't looked at any others. Now go through the checks, captures, threats and tactics, comparing each candidate to the king of the hill. If it's better, it's the new king of the hill. IT IS NOT THE END OF THE PROCESS. If it's not better, throw it at your kid sister and move on. Also, don't evaluate the move. Evaluate the position following quiencience, which I believe is a french word for "the shit's hit the fan, but it's all over now."
5. Vision: If there's not a move you "have" to play, then evaluate the position and understand what it calls for. Defend and try for a stalemate? Sac your queen and rook for the initiative because you can mate with a knight and bishop afterwards? Just understand the overall requirements of the position.
6. If you've made it this far and don't see a move that you absolutely must play, then it's time for positional considerations. I've read that positional considerations should take place before tactical ones, but coach Heisman disagrees and I trust him.
7. (or 6a., I'm getting confused). Positional considerations would be: (I think in order of importance, but I'm not sure.)
- Any move that can improve king safety and needs to be played now. If you get checkmated, you lose the game.
- Any move than can increase the activity (current or future) of your pieces or decreases the activity (current or future) of your oponents pieces.
- Any move that can change the balance of space in your favor, either by controlling an important square in your opponents camp, or by contensting an important square your opponent controls in your camp.
- Any move that can increase your development, or hinder your opponents development.
- While considering positional moves, understand that sometimes it is better to block before you punch. Consider moves that limit your opponents counter-play just as much as you consider those that improve your position.
13.a.II.V.7.L: Finally, assuming you have some move in mind, check to see if it's a safe move. To do this, look at every move the opponent can make after your move that can check you, capture a piece, threaten to capture a piece or create any other tactical or positional advantage for your opponent. If it's not safe, rinse and repeat. Imagine that Bobby Fischer or Paris Hilton comes up to you and asks you to prove than the move you are making is wrong. Not right, wrong. Can you do it? If so, it's a bad move. If not, get 'er done.
@ waffllemaster
Wow, that`s great. Thanx.
I absolutely agree with Fear_the_Queen !!!
Great posts which will trigger (hopefully) other approaches to my game.
Thanx so much !
Hello Chessers,
I have been playing chess for about 1 year and lose so many games in a row due to the fact of making too much blunders and mistakes.
I learnt from my games that I might think often wrong in ceratin situations. To get a better grasp on how to think on chess have you any suggestions in terms of thought processes or agendas you have to play through in your mind before making next moves ? Possibly a step-by-step list how to think best would be great :-)