I've recently been reading a book called "The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book" by IM John Emms. This book contains 1001 chess puzzles. However, these puzzles are full of variety and learning opportunities. Sure, there are mating puzzles, but there are hundreds of puzzles that challenge you to win a piece, move a passed pawn, set up a fork two moves down the road, etc... They are all tactical puzzles.
After using this book for two weeks, I already feel my tactical acumen is rising. I'm starting to search deeper into positions, and understand a little bit more about the tactical strategies involved. Furthermore, I'm no longer looking for the ultimate checkmate move. This book has taught me to find all tactical opportunities, whether they be material, positional, or checkmate. If you are like me, I was bored of the "mate in 2" puzzles because I don't get to mate in 2 very often.
Basically, if you liked Josh W's puzzles during his tutorials, you'll like the puzzles in this book. I highly recommend it!
Josh's Attacking Chess is really helpful to beginners but most of the games are recorded in cmx. You don't really need it if you have cmx. I recommend Jeremy Silman's How to Reassess Your Chess for strategies. It talks alot on imbalances and weakness. I fund the problems entertaining and difficult. I think it is a book for intermediate players.
1. They show you what to look for on the board (i.e. imbalances) 2. Give you a method on how to plan 3. They don't just swamp you with a ton of games and variation after variation. Instead, he actually explains things.
I would recommend starting with the amatuer's mind. First, his comments can be hilarious at times. It also gives you a good idea of imbalances and some good rules of thumb. If you like that, then move up to How to Reasses Your Chess. That will give you more detail and a method for thinking.
One caveat, the books help, but it still takes work.
Originally posted by mjacobsca: I've recently been reading a book called "The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book" by IM John Emms. This book conNobody caresNobody caresNobody caresNobody carestains 1001 chess puzzles. However, these puzzles are full of variety and learning opportunities. Sure, there are mating puzzles, but there are hundreds of puzzles that challenge you to win a piece, move a passed pawn, set up a fork two moves down the road, etc... They are all tactical puzzles.
After using this book for two weeks, I already feel my tactical acumen is rising. I'm starting to search deeper into positions, and understand a little bit more about the tactical strategies involved. Furthermore, I'm no longer looking for the ultimate checkmate move. This book has taught me to find all tactical opportunities, whether they be material, positional, or checkmate. If you are like me, I was bored of the "mate in 2" puzzles because I don't get to mate in 2 very often.
Basically, if you liked Josh W's puzzles during his tutorials, you'll like the puzzles in this book. I highly recommend it!
