Chess Tactics

Rich: I’ll tell you what a chess master told me a couple years ago: Study tactics. Most players spend far too much time studying the opening, memorizing opening lines, trying to find their favourite variation on the Sicilian defense, etc. Don’t bother buying a book on the opening at this stage. The strong players always have a good tactical eye. I’ve seen players who really knew very little about opening theory or positional strategy yet could demolish other players with their sharp tactics. You should understand basic opening principles such as develop your pieces early, control the center of the board, castle your king to safety, and the like, but beyond that very little (20% at most) of your time should be spent studying specific chess openings. The number one thing you can study to improve your game quickly is tactics and the best way to do that is by solving chess puzzles. One great book on that topic is 303 Tricky Chess Tactics which contains tactical problems which are representative of just about every tactical theme that comes up in chess. Another good one is Winning Chess Tactics. The more you solve these puzzles the faster you will spot tactical situations in your games.

In addition to studying tactics, you might want to study strategy or positional themes. Two good books on that subject are Winning Chess Strategies and Reassess Your Chess. Actually just about any book by Silman will be good middle-game strategy material.

Tags: Chess