Decision Making Drills (Fast Exercises to Choose Better Moves)
Want better decisions without grinding endless games? These drills train the move-choice process directly: safety scans, candidate moves, recognizing forcing positions, and choosing simple conversions. Each drill is designed to be fast, repeatable, and realistic (especially for 0–1600).
- Safety Scan (2 min) + Candidate Moves (4 min) + Forcing Alarm (4 min)
- Or: Time-Pressure Drill (10 min) if you play blitz/rapid
- Or: Simplification Drill (10 min) if you struggle converting wins
Consistency beats intensity. Ten minutes daily is enough to change your results.
Drill 1: The 10-Second Safety Scan
This drill reduces blunders by training your “threat radar”. You’re not trying to calculate deeply — just to notice what matters.
How to do it:
- Use 10 positions (from your games or any study source).
- Give yourself 10 seconds per position.
- Answer: What is the opponent threatening right now?
- Then: What checks/captures/forks exist immediately?
Drill 2: Candidate Move Listing (2–3 Moves Only)
Candidate moves stop random play. If you always create a short list, your calculation becomes cleaner and faster.
How to do it:
- Pick a position.
- Write down 2–3 candidate moves (forcing moves first).
- Pick your best move and write one reason.
- Optional: check an engine later and see what candidate you missed.
Drill 3: The “Forcing Alarm” (Calculate or Don’t)
Many players waste time calculating quiet positions. Train a fast switch: forcing → calculate, quiet → improve safely.
How to do it:
- Look at a position for 10 seconds.
- Decide: forcing or quiet?
- If forcing: list the forcing moves (checks/captures/threats).
- If quiet: name one improving move and one prophylactic move.
Drill 4: The Blunder-Check After Your Candidate
This is the simplest “conversion” of training into real games. You practice the exact moment most blunders happen: after you’ve chosen a move.
How to do it:
- Pick a position and choose a move.
- Now pretend you played it.
- Ask: What can they do now? (checks, captures, forks, pins)
- If your move fails to a tactic, reject it and pick another candidate.
Drill 5: Simplification Choice (Trade Map)
Many winning positions are thrown away because the player trades the wrong things. This drill trains you to recognize favorable exchanges.
How to do it:
- Use 5 positions where one side is better.
- Ask: Which trades reduce counterplay?
- Ask: Which trades improve my pawn structure or king safety?
- Write one “trade plan” sentence for each position.
Drill 6: Time-Pressure Decisions (15 Seconds per Position)
If you play blitz/rapid, train how you want to play. The goal is a reliable shortcut: safety scan → 2 candidates → choose.
How to do it:
- Set a timer: 15 seconds per position.
- Do: safety scan → pick 2 candidates → choose the safest simple move.
- Repeat for 10 positions.
Drill 7: “Explain Your Move” (One Sentence Only)
This drill is deceptively powerful: it stops aimless moves. If you can’t explain your move in one sentence, it’s often not a good decision.
How to do it:
- Choose a move.
- Write one sentence: “I played this because…”
- If you can’t, go back and generate better candidates.
How to Organize These Drills (Simple Plan)
Pick a weekly focus:
- Week A: Safety scan + blunder check (anti-blunder week)
- Week B: Candidate moves (stop random play week)
- Week C: Forcing alarm (calculate correctly week)
- Week D: Simplification choices (convert wins week)
Bottom Line
These drills build the exact habits that decide games: noticing threats, selecting candidates, and calculating at the right moments. Do one drill daily for a week, and you’ll feel your move choices become calmer and more consistent.