[binarymax]

The thing about watching chess that’s different from other games, is that it’s not obvious to inexperienced players when important things happen and why.

The only way is to increase your skill level. I played for years before I could appreciate a live game played at the IM or GM level.

At tournaments there’s typically a watch room with a board and a proctor that tries different lines and variations on the position. If you didn’t understand something then playing out the line would help understand the motivation.

Not sure if there’s a good proxy for that now, since honestly I haven’t played much since the advent of chess AI started offering far better analysis than a kibbitz room. But maybe there’s some software that can help with the explanation now.

But practicing is the only way to understand it. So if youre interested, keep at it!

[xapata]

I think many games have important events that aren't obvious to inexperienced players/spectators. In football/soccer, for example, off-the-ball movement is very important, but usually ignored by inexperienced players.

[binarymax]

Yes, but the subtleties in games other than chess or go typically don’t impact the game hours later.

For example, understanding why the placement of a piece on move 12 can have serious repercussions on move 42 doesn’t really translate to other games.

[xapata]

How about tactical choices like which players to put in which positions, who to guard whom or which zone, etc.? These choices are often made before the game and may only have effects towards the end, when the speed difference between two players becomes larger due to tired legs.