How Deep Do You Calculate?

It is rare that I see more than three moves deep, but it happens. Thanks to tactics training, the depth of my calculations is improving.

I saw eight moves deep from this position yesterday during a thirteen minute think in an OTB tournament. Can you see what I saw? (http://chessskill.blogspot.com/2013/10/calculation.html)

Until the point of quiessence - however many moves deep that is!

I got this far:

this would depend on the position. even most high rated players usually don't calculate any more than 3-4 moves (which would be 6-8 half moves, some people don't seem to realize this) in most positions. they only do it when they feel they have to really. 

GMs Tisdall and Aagaard have written books on the subject of calculation and visualization. they do a good job at explaining it all.

Everyone is different; I am very strong in endgames, relatively strong in positional play and above-average in strategic play. My achilles heel is calculation (Note: this is not the same as "tactics!" My tactics are relatively good). I tend to calculate very lightly during games with good results; if I get into a position where lots of calculation is needed, it's a bad sign.

It depends on the position, but usually I know which 2-3 moves I should be considering based on general principles. To decide between those moves, usually a short calculation of 3-4 full moves is enough.

If I have to do a long calculation (say, more than 5 full moves), it is often a "straight-line" calculation. I rarely deal with a big "tree of variations," though other players regularly do this.

“I look one move ahead... the best!”
(Siegbert Tarrasch)

Andre_Harding, you describe my own strengths and weaknesses well. Tactics motifs are a strength, but I often falter in calculation. Sometimes it is due to laziness. I have been trying to improve calculation by doing tactics training with Chess Tempo, Chess Informant's Anthology of Combinations, and Chess Quest (iOS), but not so much with Chess.com's Tactics Trainer. This training helped when I reached the position in the diagram yesterday.

Follow the link in the original post. I give my move, my analysis, and my opponent's response.