This course will help you bridge the gap, as it contains mixed puzzles: https://www.chessable.com/fundamental...

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00:00 Introduction
02:45 Why This Tactic Works
03:26 Do You Think There is a Tactic?
05:15 Is There a Tactic Here?
09:16 Is There a Tactic Here? #2
13:33 A Retrieval Practice
16:07 When Tactics and Strategy Combine
18:55 Homework Position

Why do you find the solution when presented in a puzzle but not in an actual game? How can a player have a very high puzzle rating but a very low over-the-board playing strength?

When the only thing you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So if you only rely on solving tactical puzzles with chess training, you may lose on time in actual games, searching for (non-existent) tactics on every single move. Moreover, you fail to distinguish a tactical position from a positional one, where the best move may be to simply improve a piece. To me, the solution to bridge this gap is solving mixed exercises where positional and tactical puzzles are mixed - so you do not know whether a tactical solution exists. This approach has several benefits:

- This trains the ability to recognize tactical situations and critical moments.
- It simulates a real game environment where nobody tells you whether a tactical solution exists.

Magnus Carlsen once said in an interview that he does not like solving tactical puzzles and he is not very good at those. But he is arguably the greatest player of all time. This does not obviously mean that tactical puzzles are not important for chess strength. It implies it is not a sin qua non to become a powerful player.

Tactical vision remains paramount, yet equally vital is the capacity to identify opportunities in live games. This proficiency not only sharpens time management but also acknowledges the symbiotic relationship between strategy and tactics in chess—wherein tactical maneuvers often serve strategic objectives. Balancing both facets cultivates a comprehensive skill set essential for success on the board.