Learn Chess Tactics

by John Nunn

Once a chess-player has learnt the basic rules of the game, the next step is to study tactics . A knowledge of tactics will enable a novice to start winning games by giving checkmate or taking his opponent’s pieces. As the player progresses, his tactical arsenal will broaden and he will start to play sacrifices and combinations. Improving your tactical ability is the most efficient way to win more games and gain confidence at the chessboard.

Given the fundamental importance of chess tactics, there are surprisingly few books that teach the subject in a systematic way. Consequently, many players suffer from tactical blind-spots that plague them throughout their career. The step-by-step approach used in this book ensures that each concept is explained and tested before the next one is introduced.

John Nunn is a renowned grandmaster noted for his devastating tactical ability. In this book, he guides the reader to an understanding of key tactical ideas such as the fork, pin, and discovered attack, and discusses general ideas such as elimination and compulsion. No prior knowledge is assumed apart from the basic rules of chess.

Throughout the book there are carefully graded exercises to test the reader’s understanding.

Dr John Nunn is a grandmaster from England. He has won four individual gold medals and three team silver medals at Chess Olympiads. In the Chess World Cup of 1988/9, he finished sixth overall, ahead of several former World Champions. He is arguably the most highly acclaimed chess writer in the world, with three of his books receiving the prestigious British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award.

Genres: Chess, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

John Denis Martin Nunn is an English chess grandmaster, a three-time world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician. He is one of England's strongest chess players and once was in the world's top ten.

Reviews

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book to pick up after you've been playing chess long enough to be comfortable with the game.
Beginners will struggle with the harder stuff, but the easier stuff will help them, and the can review the book every now and then as they improve.
For intermediate and expert players, it probably won't teach anything new, but it's a good review of the basics and might expose any weakness they might have in their game

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good primer on all the basic chess tactics. Lots of exercises so you can use this for training and not just learning theory.

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best suited for advanced beginners - intermediate level players. There isn't a lot of explanation on the different types of tactics and how to spot them, but the exercises do demonstrate a variety of scenarios for you to discover. This book would be better if it contained more exercises.

[Nuno · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro tiene bastante nivel aunque las posiciones que usa para las explicaciones y las primeras de cada sección son fáciles de ver. Lo que lamento es haber comprado la edición en español, contiene bastantes erratas (como es habitual en los libros de esta editorial... o tengo muy mala suerte) que te hacen dudar de si has entendido bien el concepto. Ahora casi todas esas partidas están en la red y puedes corregir el error.