Chess is arguably a strongly tactical game that uses deep strategical thinking at the higher levels, and even when learning the fundamentals, tactics have their place.
With the aim of providing a measurable gain, tactics should limit an opponent’s options, giving you the upper hand. Involving short sequences of moves, tactics differ from strategy in the length of time before results are realized. However, both work together to produce successful results.
RetiOpening offers online lessons – one-to-one, and group coaching, along with a range of workshops given by our highly qualified coaches, and while books cannot replace online lessons, they can offer a few extra ideas in between sessions. We’ve researched the wealth of books that focus on chess tactics, and brought you our honest opinions on the top five.
1. Complete Book of Chess Strategy by Jeremy Silman
Written in the form of a dictionary, the Complete Book of Chess Strategy provides an accessible, detailed reference to all aspects of tactical play. Silman lists the concepts alphabetically, including with each a clear, understandable explanation, and examples of practical uses. Having written several instructional chess manuals, this one is the most readable, whether you dip in, or start at the beginning and go all the way.
Crammed with information, we found that, thanks to its tidy dictionary-based format, the details stayed with us and were easy to put into practice.
2. CHESS: The Ultimate Chess Tactics and Strategies! by Andy Dunn
In chess circles, it’s an often-quoted statistic that after the initial two pairs of turns, the number of possible games is 197,742, followed closely by 121 million after three moves! That’s a whole heap of tactics right there. Andy Dunn covers a fraction of these in his book Chess, but what he includes is clear, concise, and straightforward.
Dunn tackles chess trading and strategic sacrificing, king safety, quiet moves, and insider tactics used by such chess greats as Bobby Fischer and Kasparov. Moving forward, he includes the range of open, closed, and flank games, and even throws in a few tactics you won’t have heard of before – the silent king killer is a fatal takedown!
This is a useful book that any player who dreams of stealthily destroying their opponent can’t live without.
3. Sharpen Your Tactics: 1125 Brilliant Sacrifices, Combinations, and Studies by Anatoly Lein
Lien’s Sharpen Your Tactics is designed for any level of player, with a difficulty rating given for each example. This easy-to-follow approach makes a nice change from some of the drier chess manuals. From simple to extremely challenging, the range of tactical sacrifices and combinations make for an impressive training book.
With many examples taken from master players based in the old Soviet Union, very few have made it to western shores, giving this book a unique edge over its competitors. Lien goes on to suggest practical ways to incorporate these tactics into your gameplay, taking your chess to another level.
4. Chess Tactics for Champions: A step-by-step guide to using tactics and combinations the Polgar way by Susan Polgar
Becoming the first woman Grandmaster at just 15 years old, Polgar has perfected the use of tactics, strategic play, and combinations giving her the crucial edge over her opponents, and now she’s put everything in this book.
Covering tactical sacrifices, and move calculations, she also explains the more common tactics including pins, forks, double, and discovered attacks. Every topic has upwards of 30 challenges, and with no hints provided, we liked the thoughtful spaces left for note-making.
Fun to solve, the more angles you approach each puzzle from, the easier and quicker you’ll notice them when playing.
Polgar has produced a book that’s simple to understand, and yet includes some of the toughest challenges contained in an off-the-shelf chess book.
5. Tactics Time!: 1001 Chess Tactics from the Games of Everyday Chess Players by Tim Brennan
Taking examples from everyday players, Brennan has produced an instructional manual that is approachable by beginners, yet interesting enough for more experienced players. Any novice gamer can pick up some impressively cool tactical moves by just dipping in and out of this book.
While Tactics Time won’t give you the keys to solve master-level challenges, the 1001 problems it does present will give your game a boost, in some cases, significantly. By pinpointing straightforward examples, it’s a simple step to memorize them, and the more complex questions can be approached multiple times until you have them stored, too.
Sometimes it pays to move away from the Grandmaster tactics that you may never encounter, and enjoy some everyday chess play.
