More KISSing

An overloaded system II is the main reason for system I to hold back itself from learning anything. So the first thing to do is to calm down the hysterical system II a bit. Since system II isn't able to cope with complexity, we must simplify matters into absurdity. Only when system II has no longer the urge to sabotage the learning process, we can hope that system I kicks in to show off its magic. So let's simplify matters to the bone and beyond.

There are only three tactical principles that can win anything.

• Lack of space
• Lack of time
• Immobility due to function

There can't be no other ways, logically. In fact all three principles boil down to the same: lack of time. Lack of space means you don't have the time to make an escape square AND to skedaddle at the same time. Immobility means you don't have the time to relieve your piece from its defensive function(s) and to bring itself and or the piece(s) it is defending into safety in one go.

Lack of space
The tactical theme that belongs to lack of space is the

• trap

Lack of time
There are three tactical themes related to lack of time:

• Double attack
• Discovered attack
• Skewer

I coined these three as the duplo attacks. You attack two targets in one go.

Immobility due to function
There is one theme associated to this:

• Pin

You focus either on attacking the pinnee or what it is defending.

Disclaimer
I have the following presumptions:

• I consider mate to be a special case of a trap (lack of space)
• I consider promotion as a special case of gaining wood
• I don't allow quiet moves to upset my system II, so I ignore them for the time being
• I consider castling to be a potential double attack in special cases (two moves in one go)
• I consider a skewer and a roentgen attack to be the same

 And a whole bunch of preparatory moves
For the sake of simplicity I hypothesize that you can only win by one of the five themes I mentioned

• trap
• double attack
• discovered attack
• skewer
• pin

 Besides these five themes there is a whole bunch of preparatory moves. They lack the two purposes in one go element. What they have in common though, is that they maintain the initiative. Which means, it are all moves which require an answer. It are moves with tempo.

I spent some time to order them. I found the following categories, all with tempo:

Activate an attacker

• bring attacker to the attacking square
• clearance of the line of attack
• loading a battery

Activate the target

• chase the target towards the target square
• put the head piece of a pin in place
• put the tail piece of a pin in place
• put the target in place by a magnet move

Exploit function

• annihilate the defender
• chase away the defender
• lure the defender away from its task
• interfere the defender

Solve your own problems first

• exchange a hanging piece
• safe a problem piece
• bring your king into safety
• defensive move

 That's pretty much it, I believe. I will add the missing themes later. Remember all preparatory moves only work with tempo. I'm focusing on the five winning themes first.