If your rating was almost 1400 and you wanted to really ...

Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing, in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.)

Learn Chess Tactics By Nunn

Chess Tactics for Champions by SUsan Polgar

Winning Chess Tactics. By Seirawan

Understanding Chess Tactics. By Martin Weteschnik

I want to really understand the basics and also at the end of each tactic problem would like a good explanation of why that move was best .

Thanks. Grit

Originally posted by grit
Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing, in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.)

Learn Chess Tactics By Nunn

Chess Tactics for Champions by SUsan Polgar

Winning Chess Tactics. By Seirawan

Understanding Chess Tactics. By Martin Weteschnik

I want to really understa ...[text shortened]... f each tactic problem would like a good explanation of why that move was best .

Thanks. Grit

Weteschnik-Polgar-Seirawan-Nunn

toet.

you probably don't need books to make some progress.

chess players have a fetichistic relations to their books. They think books will work for them.

This is what happens in their mind: You pay 20 something, you got your book, and then you progress. If you pay 100, you got five books, and then you progress more. If you have a very good secret book, you'll make astonishing progresses.

That's easier than thinking, for sure.

The problem, of course, is that it does not work.

We have to ask the question: how many chess books do you think are slowly dying on the back of shelves,
used once, forgotten forever
when the expected miracles finally did not come ?

Instead, why not doing this : think systematically 3 minutes before any move you make? That's certainly cheaper and probably more efficient.

and then, go spend your money buying pizzas to stay in front of your computer when playing!

" ...in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.) "


Seirawan
Nunn (though it looks like it starts easy but gets hard by the end)
Polgar
Weteschnik

MR

Originally posted by grit
Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing, in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.)

Learn Chess Tactics By Nunn

Chess Tactics for Champions by SUsan Polgar

Winning Chess Tactics. By Seirawan

Understanding Chess Tactics. By Martin Weteschnik

I want to really understa ...[text shortened]... f each tactic problem would like a good explanation of why that move was best .

Thanks. Grit

Read Polgar's book. Forget Y. Sierawan's book on tactics, he is hardly a tactical player.

I've heard good things about them all.

The danger is what book works for one may not work for another.
So If I rec the one I had it will be unfair.

One diagram is worth 1,000 words.
Just pick the one that has most diagrams.

The important thing is all will have you looking at a board and thinking.
The chances are they will all be saying the same thing anyway.
Just approach it in a different way.

During or after studying those books, be sure to take a look at Chess Tempo:

http://chesstempo.com/chess-tactics.html

It's a bunch of tactics problems all taken from real games. I find that I'm willing to spend a long time solving problems on Chess Tempo because of rating motivation, the community spirit, and so on. Books are great too, though — especially books which introduce you to patterns (such as 'X-ray'😉.

Look. I know I'm lousy at chess, but when I go through my ChessMaster CD tutorial my score moves up quite a lot. Brought from the1300s to mid 1500s.

Obviously it's been a while since I went through it.

Originally posted by ChessPraxis
Read Polgar's book. Forget Y. Sierawan's book on tactics, he is hardly a tactical player.

Seirawan is a GM and a top player at his peak. He should not be dismissed so easily.

Here's a pair of miniatures:

Hi Guys

"Sierawan..... hardly a tactical player."

All GM's have superb tactically abilty, it's the one thing all
of them are good at. It's the No.1 criteria for every GM.

They may not have a tactical style but when the position
demands it - into the think tank they go.

I have a brilliant Sierawan game that has been skipping
acorss my set for about 20 years. I'll note it up and post.
Be easy as I've shown this one a few times on my demo board.

There are days when you just sit at the board and everything you
do just seems to work. This was one of those days for Seirawan.

Originally posted by greenpawn34
Hi Guys

"Sierawan..... hardly a tactical player."

All GM's have superb tactically abilty, it's the one thing all
of them are good at. It's the No.1 criteria for every GM.

They may not have a tactical style but when the position
demands it - into the think tank they go.

I have a brilliant Sierawan game that has been skipping
acorss my set f oard and everything you
do just seems to work. This was one of those days for Seirawan.

I knew if I made such a bold statement, someone would refute it. I am looking forward to your tutorial.

One should always make bold statements.

Post as you would play. Slam down your opinion as if saccing a Queen on g7.

"Go on...refute that."

Going to get some sleep then knock up the game.
It has a lovely humerous finish. Would have been a joy to play OTB.

Originally posted by grit
Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing, in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.)

Learn Chess Tactics By Nunn

Chess Tactics for Champions by SUsan Polgar

Winning Chess Tactics. By Seirawan

Understanding Chess Tactics. By Martin Weteschnik

I want to really understa ...[text shortened]... f each tactic problem would like a good explanation of why that move was best .

Thanks. Grit

Your on the right path, but try to balance your study with an equal amount of compitition.

Originally posted by grit
Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing, in what order would you study these books ( add others if you like them better.)

Learn Chess Tactics By Nunn

Chess Tactics for Champions by SUsan Polgar

Winning Chess Tactics. By Seirawan

Understanding Chess Tactics. By Martin Weteschnik

I want to really understand ...[text shortened]... nd of each tactic problem would like a good explanation of why that move was best .

Thanks. Grit

"Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing... ( add others if you like them better.) "

I do have one recommendation for you. If you want to really understand the basics of tactics, then you must read what Dan Heisman has written about an overlooked tactic called "counting".

Counting is not, "Pawns are worth 1, rooks are worth 5, etc." Counting is the process of determining whether any sequences of captures on a square might lead to loss of material. And it's not always as easy as you might think. And very few tactics books even mention the subject of counting. Heisman is one of the few people who talk about counting in any detail. (Anyone know of any other books that discuss counting? )

Dan discusses counting in his tactics book "Back to Basics: Tactics", so if you get this book, you'll read about counting from that. But if you don't plan on getting his book, no problem. Dan covers this subject in four of his Novice Nook columns, which he puts on his web site for free. (Can't beat that deal! )

http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman15.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman35.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman65.pdf
http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman75.pdf

Maybe an easier alternative is just to go to his Novice Nook page, where he has links to all of his NN articles grouped both by subject and in chronological order. (His tactics grouping has links to about 18 NN articles on the subject of tactics.)

http://danheisman.home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Articles/Novice_Nook_Links.htm

Originally posted by Mad Rook
"Study tactics and get a real understanding of them so as to improve your playing... ( add others if you like them better.) "

I do have one recommendation for you. If you want to really understand the basics of tactics, then you must read what Dan Heisman has written about an overlooked tactic called "counting".

Counting is not, "Pawns are worth 1, ro ...[text shortened]... s.)

http://danheisman.home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Articles/Novice_Nook_Links.htm

Rec'd.