Game analysis
Candidate moves
Candidate moves are the few serious options you calculate before deciding. A useful shortlist combines forcing moves with position evaluation: checks, captures and threats matter, but so do an essential defence or a quiet improvement.
A practical example
Your opponent threatens mate. You examine a king move, a defensive move and a check of your own. An attractive pawn capture is not a useful candidate if it neither prevents mate nor creates a stronger forcing attack.
A common mistake
Playing the first plausible move immediately or calculating only your own attacks. A candidate has not been tested until you have searched for the strongest opposing reply. Too many branches can also waste limited time.
Try this in your next review
Name the opponent’s threat first. Choose two or three realistic moves and calculate the strongest reply to each. Compare the resulting positions before making your decision.