Tactical Training

Cyrus Lakdawala

• Publisher: Popular Chess
• Year: 2021
• eBook ISBN: 9781781945797

It is hard to understate the importance of tactic ability to overall chess proficiency. Of course other elements such as a knowledge of opening play and an understanding of strategy are also important. However, it is undoubtedly the case that 99% of games are won or lost because one player either spots or overlooks a tactic. Consider your own games and just imagine how much stronger you would be if you never overlooked a tactical idea. The good news is that your tactical ability is not some genetically-acquired unalterable trait. Tactical ability can always be improved through the application of diligent practice. Tactical themes are repetitive. The same arrangements of pieces occur again and again and a continual study of the subtle interactions between the forces will inevitably lead to a greater sharpness in actual play. In Tactical Training, experienced chess coach and prolific author Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through numerous tactical themes. Topics include:• Checkmating patterns.• The 32 major combinational concepts.• Numerous positions ranked in terms of level of difficulty.The final chapter focuses on a 2020 online match between Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, currently the top two ranked players in blitz, the form of chess where tactics predominate.

Table of contents

• About the Author
• Bibliography
• Introduction
• 1 Various Mating Patterns
• 2 Shorter Mates
• 3 Longer Mates
• 4 Annihilation of Defensive Barrier/Obliteration/Demolition of Structure
• 5 Clearance/Line Opening
• 6 Decoy/Attraction/Removal of the Guard
• 7 Defensive Combinations
• 8 Deflection
• 9 Desperado
• 10 Discovered Attack
• 11 Double Attack
• 12 Drawing Combinations
• 13 Fortress
• 14 Greek Gift Sacrifice
• 15 Interference/Obstruction
• 16 Knight Fork(s)
• 17 Overloaded Defender(s)
• 18 Paralysed Piece(s)
• 19 Pawn Promotion/Pawn Breakthrough
• 20 Perpetual Check
• 21 Pins
• 22 Queen Sacrifice
• 23 Simplification
• 24 Skewer
• 25 Stalemate
• 26 Undermining/Removal of the Guard
• 27 Underpromotion
• 28 Weak Back Rank
• 29 Windmill
• 30 X-ray
• 31 Zugzwang
• 32 Zwischenzug
• 33 Match of the Titans: Carlsen versus Nakamura