One of the most important things in chess is pattern recognition: the ability to recognise typical themes and images on the board, characteristics of a position and their consequences.
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[Event "rated untimed match"]
[Site "?"]
[Date "1966.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "Littlewood"]
[Black "Rot"]
[Result "1-0"]
[Annotator "David Hayes"]
[BlackElo "0"]
[FEN "5r1k/p1p1R2p/5p2/1p6/q1BQ3P/8/PPb2PP1/6K1 w - b6 0 1"]
[SetUp "1"]
[TimeControl "0"]
[WhiteElo "0"]
{ It looks like white's pinned bishop on c4 is doomed, or is it? } 1. Re8 Kg7 ( { Black dare not try: } 1... Rxe8 2. Qxf6# ) 2. Rxf8 Kxf8 3. Qxf6+ Ke8 4. Bf7+ { The doomed bishop leaps into action. } 4... Kd7 ( { Black can try: } 4... Kf8 5. Bd5+ Ke8 6. Bc6# ) 5. Qe6+ Kd8 6. Qe8# 1-0