Customer Reviews

1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

When it comes to studying tactics there are three types of books, Mechanical Instruction book on tactics that spend a great deal of time telling what the mechanical parts of each tactic is with some examples (perfect for a beginner), Opening Traps books that cover from move one moves leading up to the tactic (effective for learning the ideas in your favorite openings as well), and tactics workbooks which give hundreds of different puzzle positions to solve. This book falls into the last catagory.
Why is this specific book bood,
1) Provides a large number of tactics (1001),
2) Breaks each different type of tactic (with brief commentary on the mechanics of it) into separate chapters.
Why there are weaknesses of this specific book,
1) Old English Descriptive Notation,
2) You must go all the way to the back of the book each time you must find the solution to each puzzle,
3) Lost of mistakes in the correct result and solutions to the puzzles. At least 1 out 4 has a major improvement not shown in the solution.
Worthwhile? Yes! Even though this book has weaknesses it is very helpful in improving your tactics. Workbooks and Trap books are really the best two ways to improve tactical learning.

Reinfeld's "1001" compendia are two of the enduring classics of chess literature. There is no doubt that they are a valuable addition to your chess library. Most of Reinfeld's books (i.e. the ones in which he wrote something) are slapdash and contain outdated and misleading opening advice, valueless annotations, and sweeping generalities that are helpful to noone, and could actually set the learning curve of some players back. Fortunately for Reinfeld, he chose to write this series, which has only diagrams and (with the exception of the introduction) no writing, and thus made a lasting contribution to the chess world.

Consisting of 1001 diagrammed positions, the book calls for the reader to find the sequence of moves that leads to a win for either Black or White. The diagrams are organized by tactical theme (i.e. pin, fork, x-ray, etc.), and thus give the reader a hint as to the solution. There is no indication as to difficulty, and order of appearance in the chapter seems to have nothing to do with it. The benefits of this are obvious. Here is a book which can be stashed in one's pocket and taken anywhere, and studied without the benefit of a chessboard. Solving these diagrams can, and in most cases will, greatly improve the tactics of any player, and may help the more advanced player keep his or her tactical eye sharp. In addition, the sequences tend to be somewhat flashy, the kind of swashbuckling, romantic combinations that even the stodgy positional player (perhaps secretly) enjoys, so there is great entertainment value to the book, as well.

This having been said, one must still have a healthy respect for the limitations of this work. Because it includes no exposition on how to scent the possibility of a combination, the book will not help us realize when a combination is in the offing in everyday or tournament play. No one is there during an actual game to whisper in our ear "There is a combination here and it has an x-ray attack in it". Thus, another book on middlegame or combination play, one that talks in more depth about what preconditions make combinations possible, will prove to be a helpful companion to this book. For this purpose, Silman's "How to Reassess your Chess" or Znosko-Borovsky's "Combinations-The Heart of Chess" would be good choices. The introduction, the only real piece of writing in the book, is another case of misleading generalities on Reinfeld's part. He says that tactics are "just what we need to become first-rate players" and intimates that "Tactics is 99 percent of chess...and 99 percent of the fun, too!". And towards the end of the introduction, he writes that "The first step toward mastery is to become familiar with many types of tactical motifs. The second step is to study...examples of these tactical themes." "So chess mastery is a two-step process", thinks the novice. Another set of sweeping unilateral statements from Reinfeld, whose incautious wording completely negates the value of positional play as an element in the mastery of the game. I am not suggesting that Reinfeld should have included an exposition of position play here-obviously that is not within the scope of this book. However, tactics should have been presented as merely one (albeit indispensible) facet of becoming a good player-not as the alpha and omega of chess mastery. For the more advanced player, an indication of where the diagrammed positions came from (i.e. the players, the tournament, the year) would be an aid in researching the positions-how they were arrived at, and who played the games, would be interesting and helpful to know. With all due respect to those players who still cling to descriptive notation ('B-KN5 dbl ch'?? Give me a break!), this book would be more accessible to the general public and to most modern players if it were translated into algebraic notation. All in all, I highly recommend this book-as long as the buyer realizes its limitations, and that it should be used as one useful tool-not as the whole toolbox.

I am currently a 1400-1550 player in standard games on the ICC. I started my adult chess interest about 6 months ago, my initial rating being 900 for several weeks. I have read many books and played many games in the last six months to make this modest improvement I've made. I've read them all, Silman, Nimzovitch, the Microsoft Chess books, etc (all good in their way), but this one book took me from 1200-1500 in one week, by far the biggest single jump of all (about 300 points or so). And that level of play has stuck, showing it's really in the head, for good. It's basically like strength training for your chess muscle. Just carry it around, do random puzzles to keep from getting bored. Work on the same puzzle (sometimes for days . . .) until YOU get it. Then check the answer. If you spend three days and can't get it, don't look it up, just go to a different one. If you use it in this disciplined way, it is incredible what changes occur in the WAY you look at the board. All the positional concepts that I currently know are really are about getting your pieces active, and avoiding potentially dangerous positions for your pieces. If you can't extract tactics out of a good position, the best position in the world won't help you. While I'm sure at a higher level of chess, there is really more to positional chess than just tactical potential, for anyone like me, or really anyone from 1100-1800 this book would be indispensible for improvement. Simply the best chess book (for us average joe's) EVER written, hands down, just look at the other reviews!

In addition to the other good reviews below, I'd like to mention that this shouldn't be the first book on tactics for the beginning player (under 1500). The first book you should read is 'Winning Chess: How to See Three Moves Ahead' by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld ('Chess Tactics for Students' by Bain or 'Winning Chess Tactics' by Seirawan are good alternatives.) 'One Thousand...Combinations' is, in many ways, meant as a follow-up to one of these books and further instills the concepts of tactical analysis learned from them.

'One Thousand...Combinations' is a barebones book. Each chapter gives a one-page highlight of the tactical motif about to be covered, then on to the diagrams! Each page is diagram after diagram with no analysis or descriptions. The end of the book lists the correct answers for each position.

This book is great for what it is: a cheap, small, lightweight, coat-pocket sized book, that lets you practice your tactical analysis anywhere you go. As noted, some of the answers are not necessarily forced-lines. For those diagrams, and ones that you have trouble with, using a chess program like Fritz, Chessmaster, Crafty, etc., will help.

As far as people agonizing over descriptive notation - it's not really that bad! COUNTLESS classics exist ONLY in descriptive notation. If you sit around and wait, hoping they'll be re-released in algebraic, you'll be missing out on some of the best books ever written.

Many people recommend using this book along with Reinfeld's, "1001 Brillian Ways to Checkmate." Studying 5 diagrams from each of these books everyday, and your tactical vision will become second nature. This is a proven technique that allows an experienced beginner's rating to soar. It will take time and work to make this happen, though, possibly
1 1/2 to 2 years. The key is re-reading this book more than twice. Don't give up!

I very seldom give a flat-out endorsement to a chess book. But this is one of those times.

I am a USCF Life-Master. If you want to get better, you have to practice tactics. This book is a fun, easy, doable way of learning your tactics. The problems are grouped into sections by theme and content. Spend an hour or two, once a week with this book, and I'll guarantee you'll get better. Many of these examples are so stunning, you are not likely to forget them.

This book, and its companion "1001 Checkmates," belong in any aspiring World Champion's library. Probably the most bang for your buck you will find here.

Combinations and tactics are the "punching power" of chess. This book is like the heavy bag in boxing, which trains you to punch HARD! Unlike many chess books written, which are made in a do-this-this-&-this-and-you'll-be-a-winner style, this book makes YOU work.
There are few if any instructive words of wisdom. Just positions to solve and solutions in the back. This is as close to the truth (being a real game setting) that one can come while training, WHICH DRAMATICALLY INCREASES THE VALUE OF THE BOOK. I know too many chessplayers with more "dtt&taybaw" books than the Library of Congress and can't play a lick of chess. I also know people who have never cracked a book and are some of the strongest players out there. Do the latter know something that the former don't? Yes, how to play combos and most importantly play chess.
GM Larry Christiansen said that this was the book that influenced him the most. You know Larry, the guy who banged out 3 GM norms in a row to become one of only a handful of people to go from nowhere to Grandmaster in a single bound. I used this book so dilligently (its actually fallen completely apart from too much usage), that even with a mediorce opening repertoire I scored 7-1 in the Under2000 section of the 1988 NY Open, tying for 1st place out of 200+ contestants from the United States and the World and split $15,000.00 with 3 other people. (Have I gotten your attention yet?)
The only reason why I didn't give this book a 10 is because there is a little "untruthfullness" about it in that you KNOW each position has a solution that wins. Too bad we don't have a chessic angel on our shoulders going, "PSST!! There's a knight fork combo that wins!"
There are no "instant pills" for chess understanding. There is no one book out there that will tell you everything you need to know, but if you work through this book (asking intellingent questions along the way and endeavor to dig for intellingent answers), you will be on your way. As the beginning of the famous poem Equipment (author unknown) so eloquently states in the first line, "Figure it out for yourself my lad..."

...but be aware exactly what it is, before you buy!

This is NOT a book to teach you tactics. This is a book to PRACTICE tactics. As such, this is not the ideal first tactical book for a novice player looking to make developmental strides in his game.

What's more, because the book assumes you know not just tactical definitions, but tactical strategies -- i.e., how to begin looking for likely tactical targets and situations, and how to develop them through multi-move combinations -- this may not even be a good SECOND tactics book for a lot of players. The leap from something like "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" or the Seirawan book on tactics to this (and Reinfeld's other) book is probably too large for a player in the 1000-1400 area to get much benefit from it right away.

For the player who has read an introductory tactics book like those mentioned above, and who has played a little chess, but is now looking to improve while still getting a little instruction along the way, I recommend Susan Polgar's magnificent new "Chess Tactics for Champions." That book will take you through much tougher tactical positions than an intro book, but will still do a little hand-holding and provide advice along the way to help develop your "tactical vision."

If you're beyond that point, though, then the Reinfeld books are the best value on the chess market. For someone who already knows tactics, understands tactics, can find simple tactics without prompting in his own games, and now simply wants to practice and get stronger, these books are a godsend. For 10 bucks (20 if you get the checkmate book, too), you get a lifetime of tactical practice that you can take along with you anywhere. And yes, I mean a lifetime. With so many problems, some of them going several moves deep, by the time you get to the end, you can start over again and discover them anew.

As long as intermediate-to-advanced tactical practice is what you're after, buy either Reinfeld book with confidence. You won't find a better deal. But if you're a novice looking to improve, you might be better served looking elsewhere and coming back to these in a few months.

Two observations to add to all the well-deserved glowing reviews:

1) This book isn't for beginners. John Bain's Chess Tactics for Students, (perhaps) Lou Hays Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors, or Convekta's CD Chess Tactics for Beginners are better choices. At first you want to learn the basic tactical motifs: e.g., how to use a pin to win a piece, usually the pinned piece. The Reinfeld problems are usually more complicated; many of the problems in the "pin" section require a couple of other manouvers in addition to the pin, such as clearing a line to set up a pin, or to use a pin to keep a critical line unblocked.

2. This is the main tactics book available, but it seems time for it to be replaced by a new, widely-available book with problems checked by computer analysis. (Are you listening, Gambit Press?) As another reviewer has noted, many of the answers don't bear out computer analysis. In defense of Reinfeld, most alternatives the computer finds are better but are still lost positions.

However, the inaccuracies are a bit annoying and a new book of computer-checked combos would be a welcome addition. (Or perhaps more widely distributed editions of Maxim Blokh, Sergey Ivashcenko and other Russian trainers. These guys' books are the source material for Convekta's training CD's CT-ART and Chess Tactics for Beginners.)

I will go against the majority by saying some bad things about this book, and why I really have not gotten anything out of it.

1. Small diagrams, descriptive annotation: other chess tactics books are much easier to look at and look up the solutions for.

2. Seemingly Random Difficulty: from one problem to the next you never know how hard/ how many ply the solution you are looking for is. This is fine if you have the ability to solve it, but if you are like me and will never, ever be able to solve some of these, then you never know if you are just wasting your time staring at the puzzle (are you missing something obvious or is it a 5 ply solution!?). I greatly prefer tactics books that have problems organized by difficulty--you should learn to solve easier problems before trying to solve harder ones!

(I'm about 1900 ELO)

For books on combinations/tactics I look for a couple things:

1) Do the positions in the book resemble those that occur in actual play?
2) Are the positions varied enough, even within a theme?
3) Are the puzzles challenging enough?
4) Are there enough puzzles to justify the price tag?

In the case of this book, the answer to all of these questions is a resounding yes.

I believe that one of the main lessons that one can learn from this book is that tactics very often make surprising appearances in the most tedious looking of positions.

Players with ratings of 1500 and upwards will benefit most from 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations. The puzzles are varied and challenging enough for most.

For the beginner unfamiliar with the various tactical themes, I would recommend reading Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seirawan first, then progressing to this book. The main reason for this is that Reinfeld does not really do much in-depth explaining of tactics in this book. Seirawan on the other hand walks you through the basics quite competently. I firmly believe that these two books are all the average chessplayer needs in the realm of tactics.

As noted by others, the main disadvantages of 1001 WCC&S book are the descriptive notation and the occasional solution error. This doesn't really bug me but if you're expecting a book free from these nuances, be forewarned. I don't see the absence of a hint section as a problem, since in an actual over the board game, you can't ask for a hint.

All in all this book met (and to an extent surpassed) my expectations. A combinations book is only as good as the positions selected, and I think that in the current case the positions selected are an asset rather than a liability.

Strongly recommended for 1500+ players wanting to sharpen their tactical skill and for those with a love of solving puzzles (especially handy in the airport, or on a plane.)