Chess Tactics Can Be Fun! Tactics are usually why most people find chess fun! This book will greatly enhance your enjoyment learning about – and benefiting from – the recurring patterns of tactics. In chess, if you lose all your pieces you can’t win! And if you capture each of your opponent’s pieces, winning should be easy. Even if you just get ahead by a small amount of material, your chances of winning soar. The way to win your opponent’s pieces is through the use of tactics. This book is about all types of beginning tactics. The author covers comprehensively the subject with basic instructional material, examples, and problems of all types – about 500 examples and problems ranging from too easy to very difficult! Back to Basics: Tactics - the first in theChessCafe Back to Basics Chess Series – should enhances your enjoyment in learning about – and benefiting from – the recurring patterns of tactics.It does not matter who gets the advantage out of the opening if one of the players is likely to lose a piece to a simple tactic in the middlegame. Losing a piece from an advantageous position will almost always result in a lost position. So study tactics, not openings, until you almost never lose pieces to simple tactical motifs.The Importance of Tactics
Content
005 Introduction
010 How to Use This Book
011 Acknowledgements
012 Chapter 1 Safety and Counting
033 Counting Problems
037 Solutions to Counting Problems
038 Chapter 2 Tactical Motifs
038 2.1 Trapped Pieces
040 Trapped Piece Problems
046 Solutions to Trapped Piece Problems
047 2.2 Pins
050 Pin Problems
056 Solutions to Pin Problems
058 2.3 Skewers
061 Skewer Problems
063 Solutions to Skewer Problems
063 2.4 Double Threats
065 Double Threat Problems
068 Solutions to Double Threat Problems
068 2.5 Double Attacks
070 Double Attack Problems
074 Solutions to Double Attack Problems
075 2.6 Knight and Pawn Forks
077 Knight and Pawn Fork Problems
080 Solutions to Knight and Pawn Fork Problems
082 2.7 Removal of the Guard
085 Removal of the Guard Problems
094 Solutions to Removal of the Guard Problems
096 2.8 Discovered Attack and Discovered Check
098 Discovered Attack and Discovered Check Problems
105 Solutions to Discovered Attack and Discovered Check Problems
106 2.9 Promotion and Underpromotion
110 Promotion and Underpromotion Problems
112 Solutions to Promotion and Underpromotion Problems
113 2.10 Other Tactical Motifs
115 Miscellaneous Problems
117 Solutions to Miscellaneous Problems
118 Chapter 3 Checkmates
118 3.1 Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns
122 3.2 Basic Checkmate Patterns
127 Checkmate Problems
134 Solutions to Checkmate Problems
135 Chapter 4 Opening Sequences
144 Chapter 5 Defensive Tactics
145 Defensive Problems
151 Solutions to Defensive Problems
153 Chapter 6 78 Problems on 64 Squares
166 Solutions to 78 Problems on 64 Squares
172 Chapter 7 The Seeds of Tactical Destruction
183 Chapter 8 Is There a Win?
186 Solutions to "Is There a Win?" Problems
189 Appendix A The Five Levels of Tactics
190 Appendix B Chess Guidelines
Content
005 Introduction
010 How to Use This Book
011 Acknowledgements
012 Chapter 1 Safety and Counting
033 Counting Problems
037 Solutions to Counting Problems
038 Chapter 2 Tactical Motifs
038 2.1 Trapped Pieces
040 Trapped Piece Problems
046 Solutions to Trapped Piece Problems
047 2.2 Pins
050 Pin Problems
056 Solutions to Pin Problems
058 2.3 Skewers
061 Skewer Problems
063 Solutions to Skewer Problems
063 2.4 Double Threats
065 Double Threat Problems
068 Solutions to Double Threat Problems
068 2.5 Double Attacks
070 Double Attack Problems
074 Solutions to Double Attack Problems
075 2.6 Knight and Pawn Forks
077 Knight and Pawn Fork Problems
080 Solutions to Knight and Pawn Fork Problems
082 2.7 Removal of the Guard
085 Removal of the Guard Problems
094 Solutions to Removal of the Guard Problems
096 2.8 Discovered Attack and Discovered Check
098 Discovered Attack and Discovered Check Problems
105 Solutions to Discovered Attack and Discovered Check Problems
106 2.9 Promotion and Underpromotion
110 Promotion and Underpromotion Problems
112 Solutions to Promotion and Underpromotion Problems
113 2.10 Other Tactical Motifs
115 Miscellaneous Problems
117 Solutions to Miscellaneous Problems
118 Chapter 3 Checkmates
118 3.1 Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns
122 3.2 Basic Checkmate Patterns
127 Checkmate Problems
134 Solutions to Checkmate Problems
135 Chapter 4 Opening Sequences
144 Chapter 5 Defensive Tactics
145 Defensive Problems
151 Solutions to Defensive Problems
153 Chapter 6 78 Problems on 64 Squares
166 Solutions to 78 Problems on 64 Squares
172 Chapter 7 The Seeds of Tactical Destruction
183 Chapter 8 Is There a Win?
186 Solutions to "Is There a Win?" Problems
189 Appendix A The Five Levels of Tactics
190 Appendix B Chess Guidelines