This collection of chess tactics consist of 100 puzzles that feature tactical combinations worth studying. They are all hand-picked for their instructive value.
Note: This set is also available as part of the Tactical Patterns Bundle Deal (save 40%)
Includes 100 instructive tactical combinations worth studying. Each example reveals a unique and important tactical idea.
- 100 Study Tactics That Feature Key Ideas
- Format: PDF Document
- Instant Download after Purchase
- Price: $20
- Instructive comments on each and every exercise will help you understand the solutions.
Note: The 100 STUDY TACTICS set is also available as part of the Tactical Patterns Bundle Deal (save 40%)
The Details
The 100 STUDY TACTICS are unique aren’t just your usual run-of-the-mill chess puzzles. Instead, they are a collection of hand-picked positions selected on the basis of their instructional value. The purpose of these exercises is to develop your understanding of chess tactics. That is why each puzzle demonstrates a key idea.
As the title suggests, you should study these tactics. In other words, you shouldn’t just try to solve it and scan over the solution. Instead, you should study the solutions to these puzzles. Your understanding of chess tactics will develop if you ask yourself questions such as: Why does the tactic work? Which factors in the position made it possible? Which motifs were present? Etc.
Doing it this way will help you better understand chess tactics and will at the same time provide you with a better tactics training. A common mistake when studying chess tactics is to focus on quantity instead of quality. Solving hundreds of chess puzzles – without making a concerted effort to understand that particular tactic – will cause you to miss an important part of the overall value you could get from those positions.
The main difference between this set of exercises and other chess tactics puzzles is the area of focus. Solving the puzzles is not the end goal of these exercises. Instead, you are advised to spend most of your time studying the solutions and to understand exactly how the tactic worked and which factors made it possible. The key idea given in the solutions will go a long way to help you get real value from these lessons.
The “key ideas” are not meant as “rules of thumb” though – they are simply a summary of the tactical idea you should ponder before just speeding on to the next puzzle. This way of training will help you focus on the quality of your understanding instead of making the mistake to focus on how many exercises you can do (which doesn’t do much for your understanding of the tactics).
Important Study Tips and Suggestions for the 100 STUDY TACTICS:
[Read and apply this carefully to get the most from the exercises]
- Your learning will be more effective if you actively engage your mind as much as possible. Therefore I highly recommend that you pack the positions on a real chessboard and spend some time to think about it, on your own, before you read the solution in the text.
- Start each exercise by taking a moment to familiarize yourself with the position. Do a quick evaluation and determine the probable goal in the position at hand.
- Try to identify aspects of the position which could possibly lead to an opportunity for a tactic. Only once you have done that, see if you can find the solution.
- Calculate in this order: 1)All checks, 2) all captures and 3) all threats. Train your mind to calculate moves and responses in this way until it becomes second nature to you.
- Don’t spend more than 5 minutes trying to find the solution, unless you believe you are really close to finding the solution. If after 3-5 minutes of thinking you still feel unable to come up with something, it is an indication that you are not very familiar with the tactical idea. In such a case you should rather spend your time looking at the answer and studying the solution.
- The answers have been checked with a chess engine for accuracy. Only the best variation in each position is presented but it will be good for you to investigate other variations and to see if you can find the refutations of other moves.
- Make it your goal to understand the tactics in these 100 positions as deeply as you possibly can!
- The solution in each exercise position will achieve an advantage to the value of about 2 pawns or more.
- Don’t just see how quickly you can go through all the exercises – study the solutions and the keys idea in depth to help you improve your understanding of the tactics.
- Repeat these tactics regularly – look at the positions regularly and see if you can recall the solution and “key idea”.
- Set up the positions on a real chessboard if you play over-the-board games too. This will help you get used to seeing the pieces and squares on a real board and not only on a diagram.
- Try to visualize the answers straight from the notation instead of making the moves on the board. This will help you further develop your visualization skill and eventually make it easier to study chess from diagrams.
- Memorize the “key idea” written below each tactic but remember the key idea in the context of the particular position. The written “key ideas” might not make much sense on their own – which is why you should think of the mentioned idea in the context of the example position.
- In future, when you do tactics puzzles – try to understand the key ideas before just going on to the next puzzle.