Originally posted by chrisrickmanI have no idea what the best is, but I really benefitted from Paul Littlewood's "Chess Tactics." It's organised in chapters on tactical themes. He takes a couple of pages to give examples and defences to whatever type of tactic the chapter is about, and then there are a series of puzzles, with answers at the back of the book for when you're stumped. The puzzles, most taken from real OTB games, get progressively harder in each chapter, and throughout the book too, and the end chapter is puzzles without the themes named ie Miscellaneous ones. The tactics are never *super* complex, however, if that's what you're looking for.
Could someone please advise me as to what this best tactic book to get. At the moment i have Logical chess By Irving Chernev, and 1001 combinations But am looking to add another. Thanks
You can also practice tactics here: http://chess.emrald.net/ The tactics are normally fairly simple there, but often hard to spot because the positions aren't the glamorous ones you see in newspaper columns - to which the solution normally is 1. Qxh7+ - but random chaotic examples from ordinary, obscure and unflashy games.
Which is my question. Where do they get the tactics examples over at emrald.net? Are they from real games? Are they composed? Where exactly do they get them from? They are the closest i've seen to the real thing in over the board play. Too much of the other stuff deals with queen sacs, etc., which rarely occur in real life. M ost players would prefer something closer to their own experience, where you win a pawn or ruin a pawn structure. As i said, the other stuff is flashy, but rarely useful.
a lot aren't even tactics but moving your king out of check or retaking a piece which have no benefit other than for bullet game reflex improvements. And if you check the comments board a lot of the tactics are dubious. That said, it's pretty wonderful for a free site.