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- Great Tactics Intro
- Chess tactics and combinations to make you a more powerful player quickly!
- Chess Tactics, Traps and Combination books - the best way to get better
- Another awesome book for fast improvement
- Aimed at children but good for adults too
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Chess Tactics for Kids
Murray Chandler
Manufacturer: Gambit Publications
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Binding: Hardcover
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![Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors [McKay Chess Library for Kids]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/081293511X.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors [McKay Chess Library for Kids]
ASIN: 1901983994 |
Book Description
Chess enthusiasts of all ages and levels will find this book an instructive delight. In a simple, easy-to-understand format it explains how to bamboozle your chess opponents using commonly occurring tactical motifs. The illustrative positions, all taken from real games, show the 50 Tricky Tactics that experienced chess masters use to win their games. Recognising frequently-occurring tactical ideas is vital to success in chess. One of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to improve at chess is by learning these thematic manoeuvres. Beginners will benefit from the clear explanation of basic concepts, such as how to utilise a fork, pin, or skewer. Advanced players will delight in the many devious middlegame tricks - some classified here for the first time - which can catch out even grandmasters. Chess Tactics for Kids makes improving easy and fun, and is full of helpful explanations on how to approach chess games with confidence - and success.
Customer Reviews:
Great Tactics Intro.......2007-01-10
This book is a very good introduction to a number of essential tactical concepts. For novice players looking to improve quickly, attention to the lessons in this book will be a big help. The lessons build from simple concepts to more complex motifs in a logical manner, which makes the material easy to grasp.
I recommend the book.
Chess tactics and combinations to make you a more powerful player quickly!.......2006-12-31
This is a great book that compliments "How to Beat Your Dad at Chess." It covers various chess tactics that come up or can be created to win material, gain positional advantages and impose checkmate.
Overall, the book is highly readable with good diagrams and easy to follow text. It is thorough in covering important and commonly used tactics, but not overwhelming for new players.
I think Chess Tactics for Kids is a misnomer in a sense since this book is appropriate for almost any adult and probably wouldn't be very useful to kids under 12 years old unless they have more than a casual interest in chess. However, younger kids could certainly grow into it as their interest peaks and they master more fundamental skills.
I've been playing chess for years and got a lot out of this book. I think it's perfect for teenagers and highly recommend it to adults who have not read seriously on chess and are somewhat intimidated or bored by move-by-move type chess books. I also recommend it to younger kids with more advanced chess skills or who are serious doing their homework to improve their skills.
I wish this book was available when I was learning to play chess. It would have saved me a lot of time learning things the hard way and wading through a lot of overly complicated move-by-move type books that I wasn't ready for.
Chess Tactics, Traps and Combination books - the best way to get better.......2006-09-15
When you are a beginner there is nothing better than studying books on Tactics, Traps and Combinations in chess. This is because the mind of a beginner can certainly understand 1 + 1 = 2. The value of the pieces is clear and coming out ahead can be calculated. This is a point that is a first step in learning chess! Tactics, at any point of the game are important to learn. Knowing what they are, how they work and recognizing them at a glance is necessary if you are going to become a good chess player. "CHESS TACTICS FOR KIDS" works on the most important starting tactics by showing you what they are and giving brief examples. This is not a tactics workbook where you will find hundreds of examples (a good book to get after this) or a traps book (a book also good to get) where you can see the tactics arise from the first move of the game. It is a book where you will learn the "mechanics" of the tactics. The brief chapter on each tactic is a great way to get started!
Another awesome book for fast improvement.......2006-06-16
A few years ago the author of this title wrote his How to Beat Your Dad at Chess, an original and popular book which taught checkmating patterns. In Chess Tactics for Kids the lessons are all about learning chess tactics which win material, for example winning a pawn or a piece.
The format is very similar to the DAD book and equally effective.
To improve at chess, the best chess teachers will tell you to study a variety of chess books. If you are interested in the opening stages, and are confused by all the choices, go for a book like Understanding the Chess Openings by Collins. This gives a useful overview of all openings.
If you want to study middlegames try a move-by-move book or study a collection of games played by a great player. But if tactics is your thing, you can't go wrong with Grandmaster Chandler's two books.
As a pair, How to Beat Your Dad at Chess and Chess Tactics for Kids cover all the basic tactical themes a chess player is likely to encounter. The motifs are grouped by, well, motif, and the concept of pattern recognition is introduced in a way that is easily understood.
There are several hundred diagram examples per book, including tests and puzzle positions to solve.
The best thing of all is how often these themes, tricks and traps occur. I found that I had been getting numerous opportunities to win in my own games, only I just didn't realize it! Chess Tactics for Kids teaches how to spot the patterns where a tactic is likely to be lurking.
It is amazing how quickly winning combinations can be found, once you know the patterns.
Aimed at children but good for adults too.......2006-02-25
This is Murray Chandler's follow up to his highly successful "How To Beat Your Dad At Chess". The book presents 50 common tactical ideas - pins, skewers, forks, stalemate and many more - each one explained and illustrated in a double page spread. Only themes which occur fairly commonly in practice are included, and there are six diagrams per double page. The explanations are in simple language, and each diagram is accompanied by a brief commentary pointing out the salient features of the position. The continuations are very short (usually only one or two moves) so they can be followed easily without the need for a board.
Three or four examples are given of each tactical trick, with the aim of getting the reader to recognise certain patterns, and hopefully apply this newly acquired pattern recognition to his/her own games. To test how well the patterns have been absorbed there are 54 test positions for the reader to try. If the reader is unable to spot the continuation, a hint is given by way of a reference to the number of the tricky tactic that is being tested. So you can refresh your memory by looking back at the illustrated examples and then hopefully spot the same theme in the test position. All of the illustrative positions and test positions are taken from actual play (though there are no game references given), and there are no artificially composed positions.
Although the book is aimed at children in the first instance, it could be used equally profitably by adult beginners who wish to sharpen up their tactical awareness.
This review first appeared in the magazine En Passant.
Customer Reviews:
Tactics Workbook - Nice and Big Format.......2006-09-22
I really like the "large" (about 8" x 11") workbooks that I have gotten on both very basic tactics ("Chess Tactics for Students) and on chess opening traps ("Winning Chess Traps for Juniors").
The print is big and easy to see with big diagrams. I don't like books with tiny little print and diagrams so small you need a magnifying glass (should be included with the book!). I don't have s seeing problem, but I just like my tactics and trap workbooks in the large print format.
"Chess Tactics for Students" was my starting tactics book. It is good for beginners. My only small grips are I found some printing mistakes and wish it had more puzzels to work on (but maybe that is a plus!).
This is a good book for a beginner after they learn how the pieces move.
Good Tactics Problems for Beginners but lots of mistakes.......2006-08-04
If it wasn't for the mistakes in both solutions and some obvous typos this would be a very good first tactics book for any age. It needs to be corrected and a couple of problems removed that do not work and replaced by some that do. A better quality control was needed!
Now I feel tactics are one of the most important things for students who are new to improve their game. Getting some tactics workbooks and opening chess traps books are a good way to accomplish improving over all tactics.
This book will still help you get started, but there are a lot of choices of simular books without so many mistakes.
Nice book but has flaws.......2005-10-19
This is a good book for students. My only complaint is there are a number of errors. It should have been checked by Fritz
The multiplication tables of chess.......2004-12-23
I won't repeat what other reviewers have said, but merely add my advice: please don't start by thinking you can read this book once and then move on.
Let me ask you a question. What's 4 times 8? What's 6 times 7? Chances are you didn't have to "think" about the answers. The numbers 32 and 42 just popped into your head. Right?
That's what this book should be to you.
To get the best value out of this book you need to MEMORIZE these positions until you are sick to death of looking at them. Although you may not encounter them at first: Trust me - these positions will occur in your games.
I suggest going through the book once in 10 days, then take 8 days, then 7, then 5, then 3, then 2 days and finally do all 400 exercises 1 day. By that stage, completing the book in one sitting should take no more than two hours.
This will increase a beginner's rating by 200 points MIMIMUM and cost no more than the price of the book and a month of 20 minute-a-day practice.
Try it if you don't believe me. Or forget my advice, and I hope to play you one day. Prepare yourself for a thrashing. ;)
Just ok.......2004-10-25
This book provides some good exersizes for kids to go over. I found a few mistakes in the solutions. Could use a little improvement there. Otherwise it is well organized.
Amazon.com
This is the second in Seirawan's four volumes, taking the reader from the very basics of chess through appreciation of advanced play. He does a remarkable job of discussing tactics that usually appear only in books for advanced players and communicating them to anyone with a grasp of playing fundamentals. The first part of the book deals with basic tactics and how they can be used individually and in combination. In the second part, Seirawan introduces some of the great chess tacticians and their games, further illustrating tactics as they work out in real-life play.
Book Description
The essential guide to the use of tactics, the watchdogs of strategy that take advantage of short-term opportunities to trap or ambush an opponent and change the course of a game in a single move.
Customer Reviews:
I'm a better player now ........2007-07-05
I used to lose almost every game I played. I never took Chess serious until I played a thirteen year old and was thoroughly beaten. I knew I needed help and fast. This book broke tactics down to a level I never got from other chess books. It was not hard to follow and I learned a lot in just the first few chapters.
A good introduction to the basics of chess tactics.......2007-06-25
It has been said that chess is 99% tactics. So studying tactics is a requirement for getting better at chess.
This is the 2nd book in Yasser Seirawan's "Winning Chess" series. It discusses all of the fundamental tactical tools which should form the foundation of a solid chess player's skill. In addition Seirawan introduces readers to some of the great attacking players in chess history and their games.
Overall, I think the book did a superb job explaining the different tactics and provided ample examples and exercises to drive the points home. The only problem I noticed was either a diagram was wrong (#77) or the analysis appears to be incorrect.
I would highly recommend this book as a first book on tactics.
A must read for all serious chess players.......2007-06-25
Nobody who calls themselves a serious chess player should be without this book. With every turn of the page, my game improved. HIGHLY recommended for beginners and masters alike. Very friendly, easy to read, easy to follow book that makes you go "Ohhhh...wow!" more than once.
EXCELLENT.......2007-03-12
I have been a casual student of chess for many years, and purchased this book during a more serious phase of my playing. While I was familiar with many things in book, It does an excellent job of teaching the different tactics with different examples and a very challenging problem solving section at the end; my rating has improved as has my confidence in my playing ability.
I would recommend it regardless of your level of expertise; also good for kids, as long as they are familar with basic chess rules, terms, and principles to begin with. Great for the casual player that would like to increase their skill level
One of the best books on tactics for advanced beginners through intermediate levels. A real gem!.......2007-01-27
This book is an appropriate tactics book for every class of player. It begins with more simple motifs and proceeds to the more complex in a logicall progression. There are detailed explanations for each type of tactic with good examples and descriptive high quality analysis.
This book is organized by tactical motif and is probably the only tactics book that most beginners and intermediates will ever need. If you are very serious about the game, you may want to add a book on traps in the opening and drill different positions with a computer program or problems book. However, this book in itself along with game experience will take you to the next level of play. It is ideal for advanced beginners!
If you advanced, then CHESS TACTICS FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS by Yuri Averbakh is a nice continuation at a higher level. I also like the ART OF CHESS COMBINATION by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky. While not related to tactics at all a useful book I stumbled upon that will help with "how to practice" is called RAPID CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Michael de la Maza. This is basically a methods book about how to take all of this information on various topics and internalize it in the most rapid possible way. This last book is geared primarily to competitive players.
Book Description
Why is it that most amateur chess players love opening and middlegame tactics but hate endgames? Why do you usually look at only a couple of pages in any endgame theory book you see? Sit back, forget about theoretical endgames, and enjoy the entertainment of real life chess in Endgame Tactics! There is no substitute for hard work in getting better at chess, as a wise grandmaster once said. But you always work harder at something you enjoy. Make the first step towards improving your endgame play (and beat more opponents) by learning to love the endgame. Endgames are fun, and the examples from everyday practice in Endgame Tactics prove it.
Customer Reviews:
A good book could have been better........2007-05-30
This book got the English chess federation's book of the year award. This book is not an exhaustive manual but focuses on endgames that occur frequently in practice. The positions chosen are entertaining and educational; the positions were checked using Fritz, a strong computer chess program; that's the good part about the book. Unfortunately, the positions with 6 pieces or less were not checked with tablebases which play endgames *perfectly*. For example, diagram 287 on page 135 gives white's move 1 b6? as an error. This is not true. The win is still there until 4 Kb3? which should be drawn but then black plays 4...Rh3+? handing the win back to white. The final position is still a white win which the book claims is a theoretical draw. Perlo says "I refer you to the manuals". He should have said "I refer you to the tablebases". If the editor Peter Boel had taken this one last step the book could have been even better.
Fantastic book.......2007-05-10
Still going through this book...interesting endgame situations that I had never seen before this.....highly recommended...I find myself setting up most of these problems on my board....
introduction.......2007-01-21
this book doesnt have inroductions it has only positional analysis likes a computer program. a good program gives better then its
The most enjoyable endgame book I've ever read.......2006-12-17
I'm well into this book, and it's great fun. I've always loved tactics books, and this is the first endgame book I've ever encountered with this approach. Middlegame tactics books like this helped me reach master level; I wonder how far an endgame tactics book could have helped me go? I never found endgames as much fun to study (til now). :-)
Probably one of the 25 best chess books I've seen in over 30 years. I highly recommend it to players and fans at any level!
PS - This book has been named the English Chess Federation Book of the Year 2006. There's a great discussion of Endgame Tactics on Mig Greenguard's Daily Dirt chess blog, if you search for the book title there, too.
Excellent & Amusing!.......2006-09-07
"Endgame Tactics" is an amusing romp through the part of a chess game that most of us agree is the most boring. Van Perlo presents many tactical positions, organized according to the remaining pieces, displaying tactical motifs. Van Perlo also engages the reader with a level of banter uncharacteristic for a chess book, making "Endgame Tactics" much more enjoyable that those typical dry chess tomes that we are all too familiar with. Although there are better books to read if you want to actually learn proper endgame technique, this book is still worth reading. You will obtain a tactical perspective into endgames that I have not seen anywhere else.
Customer Reviews:
Should be 6 stars........2007-09-22
As this title says, after reading ( for those exercises if you cannot solve, as suggested by the authors, just memorize them !!! )this book, definitely your tactics would be much, much sharpened !!! Anyone should buy this book. Especially concerning the low price rate.
This book will help you win more games!.......2007-01-23
Unless you are a tactics guru, this book is pretty much a gaurentee to help out with your game. My rating plateaued around 1650 for a while and I Eventually took a week and went through the first 500 puzzles in this book (This may sound like a lot, but depending on your strength of play, the first couple hundred puzzles can be very quick to go through). I did this the week before a tournament I was playing in and I found myself almost searching exclusively for tactics in the games, and not paying as much attention to position. It payed off nicely! Within less than a year my rating jumped from 1650 to 1850+. Also I found that my wins became a lot more exciting instead of the "grind it out" and outplay them in the endgame method.
As far as negatives about this book, I can't say that there are any. Remember, this is a puzzle book, puzzle after puzzle after puzzle, with the solutions in the back.
If there is any doubt in your mind that you may need to work on your tactics, I highly recommend this book.
My favorite collection of tactical problems.......2006-10-28
I've had this book a little over a month now and am about 20% of the way through. The book is nothing but problems, 1125 in all, with clear diagrams and highly accurate solutions in algebraic notation.
The goal of the book is to build up your recognition of tactical patterns. To achieve this, the problems are annotated not by motif, but by difficulty. The goal is to work through all the problems relatively quickly. If you get stuck, look up the answer and move on. In general the problems progress in difficulty, but the patterns built up working on the earlier problems help solve the harder ones later. Marking by difficulty allows one to decide when to "give up" and look at the solution, unlike the Reinfeld book for example, where you never know if you are simply being blind, or you've hit one of the really hard problems.
This book has no hints...no "spot the Pin", no "White has just opened the position, why was this a mistake?". So for general practice it is a little more realistic. This book does NOT explain the motifs. If you want that, try Nunn's "Learn Chess Tactics" or one of the similar books by Polgar, Littlewood etc. These books are also better if you find you have a weakness in a particular motif and want to practice just that one (my favorite here, is Muller's "ChessCafe Puzzle Book").
The key is, though they are not labelled as such, the problems are organized by motif and pattern. As you move through the problems you will come across a series of closely related positions. For example, you might get 10 back rank mates in a row, then 10 knight forks. I often find I will hit the first of these, struggle a bit (though usually the first in a series is one of the easier ones), then the second one is quicker because the pattern is starting to establish itself, and so on. So the book really does contain "hints", but my experience is that discovering the pattern yourself cements it more than having it explained and then exercising a series of examples.
For me at least, this approach seems to work better than that in the classic Reinfeld books, and "Sharpen Your Tactics" has replaced them at my bedside.
Simply amazing...very fast way to raise your rating!.......2006-09-13
All I have to say is that I was a 1300 ICC rated player for a long time, and recently started reading this book. I'm barely a quarter of the way through it and have already broke 1520!
Gradual gradation builds the chess nation.......2006-04-09
This is one important book that all aspiring chess players should master. It begins from humble beginnings and goes to higher levels. The star system while subjective is very good. The method of study should be different for most of the four star problems should be different than the 1-3 in that they are mostly processes rather than operations. (Like the Botvinik Gruenfeld game). I recommend doing all of the 1-3 stars, commiting them to memory and only then going back over the 4 star problems. All in all this is an excellant book and the authors should be commended for a first class tactics work. A must buy for everyone under 2300 and a good deal for some that are over it. Beginners will flourish from this book.
Customer Reviews:
Secrets in another cover.......2005-12-06
Superb book. I like books one can grow into and this is certainly one. I wish to point out that this title and the previous title, 'Secrets of Chess Training' are actually in print as Volume one and two of the four volume set School of Chess Excellance series.
Deeply profound and useful.......1998-12-04
IM Dvoretsky was known as the Soviet Union's top trainer, and this very personal and honest work presents much of his rigorous thinking on chess tactics. This book does not believe in simple divisions and guidelines; there is much to read about subjects like creating confusion to make it difficult for an opponent to press an advantage, the blurred line between theatrics and soundness, etc.
Book Description
`Chess is 99% tactics' is an old saying. This may be an exaggeration, but even the remaining 1% still depends on tactics. When Martin Weteschnik started working as a trainer in his local chess club, he quickly realized that even the stronger club players had great weaknesses in their tactical play. He also discovered that simply asking them to solve a huge number of puzzles did not fix the problem. These players clearly needed a good book, but when Weteschnik looked for it he found nothing suitable, so he decided to write it himself. But Weteschnik was not completely satisfied with the book and decided to restructure and rewrite it completely.
Customer Reviews:
excellent!.......2007-09-22
This is a gem. Its strengths are the highly interesting examples and its ability to improve your board vision. No chessboard or computer needed.
Good intention, but very few exercises. .......2007-09-22
Were not too few exercises I would give this book 5 stars. From the content of the book, Martin Weteschnik had in fact pay a lot of effort trying to teach us tactics. But unfortunately he forgot the proverb " practice makes perfect. " Just 4 exercise per chapter is not enough!!! I think any kind of this book should include at least 200 exercises, may not need to be from real games, but it should gives us more practice. May be in the second edition of this book, Martin Weteschnik can give us more examples. So for those one who has finished reading this book, they should buy, John Nunn's Learn Chess Tactics, another two books is one from Lev Alburt's pocket book for traing and most of all, " Sharpen your tactics, " in this book you would find 1125 ground - breathing exercises. ( Though I would say in fact most and not all 1125 exercise are all that exciting ).
Very good book..One complaint.......2007-09-18
This is a very good book. I've read MANY books on tactics, and have done countless drills and puzzles. This book is unique, however, because it made me look at tactics from a real game perspective. it didn't just say "find the pin", but it showed how to look through the clutter of the board and find all the elements that constitue a pin, and even how to create one where none exist. The one complaint I have is with the diagrams. they never indicate who's move it is, therefore, it doesn't give me the chance to see if i can find the tactic before he lists the candidate move. Otherwise, it is very helpful and enjoyable.
Great tactics book!.......2007-09-13
I found this book great in a way that explains and classifies group of different type of tactics clearly and short. It focus exactly on the motif. Visual explanations. It is a book that you can read on a train going to work.
Outstanding explanations!.......2007-08-01
In the last few years there has been an abundance of chess books in the market, and even though a large portion of those are related to openings, there has been a fair share of tactics books too. The typical recipe is to group the examples by tactical motifs and challenge the reader to solve them.
At first glance, it seems that Weteschnik follows the same pattern, but this could not be farther from the truth. The author dissects each example using clear diagrams to explain the ideas behind each combination. This is not only helpful for understanding the example better, but also for being able to find combinations in your own games. Knowing when to look for certain motifs is one of the most important factors in finding combinations when you do not have the caption "White to play and win" below the board. If nothing else, after reading this book you will feel that your creativity has soared, and that is the result of knowing just what to look for.
The book has a wide range of examples in terms of difficulty, but the clever use of diagrams allows the reader to go through it without the use of a chessboard. Don't get me wrong, doing this will require hard work, but the rewards will be immense.
I am looking forward to seeing more books from this great new author!
Book Description
Thinking methods are at the heart of the chess struggle, yet most players devote little conscious effort to improving their calculating ability. Much of the previous literature on the subject has presented idealized models that have limited relevance to the hurly-burly of practical chess, or else provide little more than ad hoc suggestions. Here, experienced trainer Valeri Beim strikes a balance by explaining how to use intuition and logic together to solve tactical problems in a methodical way. He also offers advice on when it is best to calculate `like a machine', and when it is better to rely on intuitive assessment.
Customer Reviews:
Great book but the title is misleading.......2007-02-21
This book should be called "Appreciation of Chess Tactics"
rather than "How to Calculate..." because this is not a chess tactics
workbook at all. The game examples are beautiful and the author's
commentaries about each game and essays about tactical themes
really convey chess beauty and excitement but you will not find
cookbook exercises or checklists of how to set up tactical themes here.
I gave it four stars because it did heighten my appreciation of the game
but it lost that last star because I feel that in a book whose title
is "How To Do Something" should actually teach you step by step
how to do that thing.
Tactics: Calculation and Evaluation for the Intermediate Player.......2006-09-17
A wonderful and different kind of tactics book for the Intermediate or even somewhat Advanced chess player. This is not a tactics workbook (that has lots of problems to solve - useful in its own way) nor a book on chess traps (useful for learning chess tactics during the opening stage - also useful in its way) but a book that:
1. Offers tactical situations and shows the thinking process to calculate to SEE AHEAD.
2. Helps you learn intuition and to evaluate the end result (this is a difficult subject).
Mr. Beim covers in this book what most other tactics or traps books do not! Very worthwhile to get if you are at least an Intermediate Player.
Book Description
Susan Polgar became the first female Grandmaster at age 15—and it wasn't luck that got her there. Her use of tactics, combinations, and strategy during her games gave her the critical advantage she needed against her opponents. In Chess Tactics for Champions, Polgar gives insight into the kind of thinking that chess champions rely on while playing the game, specifically the ability to recognize patterns and combinations. With coauthor Paul Truong, Susan Polgar teaches the tactics she learned from her father, Laszlo Polgar, one of the world's best chess coaches.
• Teaches players how to calculate the effect of a move in order to gain an edge over an opponent
• For intermediate to advanced chess players of all ages
Customer Reviews:
One of the best written books on tactics for beginner or more advanced beginner........2007-05-18
I like this book because it show many types of tactical themes which we usually meet over the chessboard. Even more important is that this books give hundreds of exercise for you to practice. Some book on tactics or similar features books called " how to attact, how to sacrifice etc ", they just choosed games from grandmasters for illustration and neglecting to give exercises. ( or even have, just a few ). This is not helpful. To improve one' standard, you have to work hard. After finishing reading this book, I would recommnend to read John Nunn's " Learn chess tactics" which the presentations are similat, but the exercises are more difficult.
Is This More Than Just Another Tactics Puzzle Book?.......2007-03-01
This book doesn't offer much more than your typical tactics puzzle book; but if you have you buy a puzzle book, you will not go wrong with this one. Besides the usual organization into chapters such as Forks and Double Attacks, Deflection, Discovery, Double Check, Skewers, Trapping, Decoys, Intermediate Moves, Pawn Promotion, Back-Rank Problems, Attacking the King, Mate in 2, Mate in 3, Mate in 4, etc., Polgar and Truong offer some extra chapters such as Sibling Positions, Traps and Counter Traps, and Famous Combinations that make this book unique to the tactics puzzle genre. In the Siblings chapter, we are introduced to postions that have very small differences, but differences that are big enough to make a huge difference in the evaluation and move selection. This is good practice for the beginning student (it also forces you to appreciate positional subtleties). The Traps and Counter Traps chapter also forces the appreciation of subtleties, because one transposition of moves could mean losing a won ballgame. The Famous Combos chapter rounds out the book with a set of classic combos every aspiring chess student should study at least once.
Each chapter has about twenty-five puzzles, ranging in difficulty. The positions are not as difficult as Reinfeld's 1001 books, but they are hard enough for training purposes, and work well for the student. I went through this book when I was rated in the low 1800s, and the positions kept me alert. I didn't get bored.
The typos and mistakes are minimul. I noticed one or two positions that didn't correspond with their intended solutions, but it was only one or two. they didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book.
Excellent Tactics Book: Not to hard, not to soft. Just right........2007-01-02
This is an excellent book to improve your chess. I am a chess novice, I know how to move the pieces, but I can use all the help I can get. I find most tactical books are either too hard or too easy. This one finds the right balance with the problems progressively harder as each section progresses. It is one of the few chess books I was able to read from cover to cover without scratching my head trying to follow endless variations.
The best part occurred not while reading the book, but over the board. I was playing a match online, and I spotted a forced mate in 3 in the middle game when my opponent blundered!! Woo! Hoo! Let me tell you, I was stoked.
After studying this book, I went from about 1000 against ChessMaster 10 to about 1400 in about 4 months. This brings me to a key point I studied the book. I worked through each problem in the book. Then I worked through it again and again. I worked though the book 6 times. The book became progressively easier to work though, so do not get discouraged. This book will improve your game.
Perfect follow up to WC's Guide to Chess.......2006-08-31
The first book I read was World Champion's Guide to Chess. I learned a lot from it. This is an excellent follow up to that one. The format is very similar. There're plenty of excellent examples. Just about any tactical motif is in the book. I think this book is good for anyone from about 700-1400.
Thanks for the referral - this is the other good book!.......2006-08-15
Amazon.com shows a suggested book with the one you are looking at. This has helped me get my dad to buy several good books on chess. After getting and really liking "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors" (five stars and great) it had this book suggested and I got it (five stars and great). I want to thank thes authors for writing such great books on tactics and chess traps (actually books along the same line in many ways) and amazon.com for making good referrals!!!!
Book Description
Every chess player has an intriguing array of tactics to choose from, and this comprehensive manual describes, analyzes, and teaches the best of them so beginners can understand the possibilities. Through progressively more difficult exercises and problems, novices will see how to deploy a variety of tactics for attack and how to defend against each type successfully. The result: a significantly better game.
Customer Reviews:
This book has it all!.......2006-09-13
CHESS TACTICS has it all when it comes to pins, forks, skewers, dicovered checks and all the various types of typical tactics you are likely to encounter when you play. I personally own a fair number of books on tactics and traps and have found them to be the most useful types of books in getting me actual results when I play. This book has excellent examples and tells you the principles behind each type of tactic it covers. Very good book!
Excellent!.......2005-04-30
Excellent! Fourteen tactical themes explained as clearly as I have ever seen! Just the right balance between clear explanatory prose and diagrams/problems.
Each of the 14 chapters is divided into 4 clearly-labeled sections: Definition and examples; How to Exploit the tactic; How to Defend against that tactic; Problems to solve. The author is British, so no problems due to translated-from-German or translated-from Russian.
307 diagrams spread over 143 pages: just the right size.
If you're already a master, you don't need this. If you've read any beginning book like Chess for Dummies you should be ready for this.
Pop quiz: What's the difference between Deflection and Decoying? If you don't know, buy the book see chapters 7 and 8. This book is quite clear on this, as it is clear throughout.
This book first came out in 1984, so the (5-star) review dated 1997 must have been about the 1984 edition. The new (current) edition just came out in March 2005, and is beautifully done. Clear diagrams, nice typeface and paper. And it has been updated to figurine algebraic notation (the most modern and readable chess notation).
Provides an excellent overview for intermediate students.......1997-07-16
This fine chess book approaches tactics in the best way I have ever seen. Each tactical idea is introduced and built on using progressive examples both from the attacker's and defender's point of view. I highly recommend it for any player over USCF 1000 rating
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