Threat Perception

Not all threats are created equal. This is something I had figured out on my own, but seeing it put in writing was very reassuring, especially since it was a grandmaster that had written it. Sometimes your opponent will mount a threat, but the damage will be minimal, or even nonexistent. For example, if they are setting up an attack on your pawn with several pieces, but you never make the move they are looking for, all of their pieces will be pointed in one direction, while you can attack in another. Losing a pawn is not a big deal. If you can find a hole in their defense, taking advantage of it can pay off more than the pawn or two you might lose.

This goes both ways. You need to make sure that your attacks, when real, are legitimate. Setting up a decoy play is fine, but when you are making an honest effort toward an attack play, you need to make sure that you are fully prepared. If possible, you need to account for the moves that your opponent will be making, and you cannot count on them falling for your tricks. Again, if you are going for a ruse of some sort, this is okay, but once you realize that they are not going to fall for it, you need to change your tactics. If you don't, you can lose pieces, and the game.