how to improve in SPOTTING tactics??

solving tactics puzzle for me is easy, I KNOW there is a tactical motif in it, I didnt spot it, i just know there is one, so whether i can find the solution its just depends on my calculating abilty

but when i was playing normal chess game i didnt know when there is a tactical trick in it, sometimes the tactical trick is just two moves ( while my puzzle books can up to 4,5 or 6 moves ) , but i failed to spot it when playing!!

so how to improve in spotting tactics???
did anyone experience this type of problem as me before??? 
help me pls~!!!
i have really no ideas on how to improve my " vision " on that 64 squares...


 

Look at the common themes and elements in the position and ask yourself what your opponent plans to do.  If you have pressure against a square and see elements in common with the problems you do you'll find the tactics and even learn to defend against them.  You need to calculate forcing moves first and ask yourself if you can get away with doing certain things.  If he holds after the sacrifice and is simply up a piece you know not to play it, for example. 

it comes with practice. You need to do thousands and thousands of tactical exercises until they will be burned into your chess vision.

You know how when you started you needed a couple of seconds to figure out what's the next square a knight can jump to, and now you see it immediately?

Well, with time you'll see immediately a multi-move combination.

Just simply look at position more thoroughly, and you will see something interesting.

Before moving a piece, must see and think of tactical motifs or themes such as basic skewer, pins, fork etc. And also before the game solve 10 basic tactics puzzles. It will help you warm up your tactical vision. :D:D

@myLsel: oh, u mean before we make a move, we need to REMIND ourselve of all the tactical motifs ( skewer,fork, TRAPPED PIECE!  -i always miss- , pin) like BLUNDER-CHECKING through the whole board??? 

yeah i tried that too, but wouldnt it take too much time??? or... practice makes 'fast'???  

  Yes, like "Blunder Checking" but you will not see all of the tactical motifs, just look at tactic themes where can happen on position.

For example:

By looking on a position and reminding basic tactics in heart, this will help you think much faster on tactical vision. 

Wow~ great reply @myLsel~!! thank you very very much~!!! 

by the way, does STUDYING tactical themes ( explanation for those tactical themes ) followed by some exercises which related to that tactical theme help ( actually is this neccesary in improving tactics? ) ???

im planning to buy a book like Learn Chess Tactics by John Nunn, does anyone has a better recommendation?? or anyone recommends me to just solve tactics puzzle??? 

Train your chess eye to look for them.

Get to know tactical motives that you have seen and understood.

With that, more and more of these tactics pictures will be in the back of your head, popping out when you consider a position in which they might be applicable.

One great way to achieve that  can be doing a lot of tactics trainer here, of course, because a LOT of this is about learning by practice and experience

Your welcome! By the way, it nyLsel 

Sure, this does help you improve your tactical vision. I don't know Learn Chess Tactics by John Nunn yet, but I had red and recommend the book How to be a Deadly Chess Tactician by David Lemoir.

The internet also has a lot of free resources according to this tactics.

Wow thks nyLsel  !!! cool~ 
really thks for all the advices  so lucky that i met you 

@paulgottlieb : yea thks~!! I have included unprotected pieces too when reminding of all the tactical motifs ( skewer, pin ,fork ) 

More themes:

Overloading piece, mating net, clearance sacrifice, and "GEOMETRY OF CHESS (An interesting tactic that I learn)"

Here are examples of it:

Of course Black can play 3...Qd5 but that just show the geometry of chess. :D

Find your own strenths and the weaknesses of your opponent and try to work out tactics that take advantage of your opponents weaknesses using your strengths.

Hey I am not a pro but I have read in a book and learned with little bit of my experience that you should look for a combination when;

1.some piece is hanging.

2.some piece is inadequately defended.

3.enemy king is vulnerable or has no squares to go.

4. If you have a lot of checks or forcing moves which drives the king or piece  to some bad square(where you can fork skew,etc).

5.When you have a move like attack with check!

There might be more factors but this is a little bit information I can share !

Unless the opponent has blundered badly, you won't find any tactics unless you already have the advantage. Tactics flow from a superior position. Combinations are NOT a way to gain the advantage... they don't even exist unless you already HAVE the advantage. Combinations are a way to CONVERT an advantage from one form into a more readily usable form.

In simple words: you won't find a winning combination unless you are in a winning position.

play longer time controls and try to figure out if you have a capture or a check or a threat and calculate them. If they reach a winning position play it. does this mean you can't play lower time controls? Well of course if you do your play will be less efficient but your mind will automactially recognize the patters that you practiced while playing the long time controls