Customer Reviews

Understanding Chess Tactics

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Learning the most important tactics and traps is cerainly one of the best ways to get results during your play. Not only are the examples used to cover tactical situations unique, they are explained in a way that makes them very understandable. If you are used to the usual workbook approach that basically has problems to solve and want a different approach you might consider giving "UNDERSTANDING CHESS TACTICS" a try.

"UNDERSTANDING CHESS TACTICS" is a book on tactics for the advanced intermediate or advanced player who already has a solid knowledge of basic tactics. This is due to the difficulty of excercises and expectations that the author expects from the reader.

A very strong point of this book is that it is well organized and there is a logical progression in order that the tactics are given. Also, for the stronger player the book is very well worded, making it easy to understand what the author is saying. I highly recommend this as a tactics book after having read some more basic tactics books (i.e. "Learn Tactics" by Nunn, "Winning Chess Traps for Juniors; Tactics in the Opening" by Snyder). If you are 1500-2000 in playing ability you will not be disapointed with "UNDERSTANDING CHESS TACTICS".

Understanding Chess Tactics lives up to its title exactly -- if you invest the time to read this book and absorb the material it contains, you will truly understand all of tactical motifs possible in a game of chess. This book probably has something for anyone under master strength in terms of learning more about chess. On the one hand, Weteschnik provides clear explanations of all of the tactical motifs, using simple examples with crisp visual diagrams; these are perfect for the beginner. On the other hand, Weteschnik goes on to challenge the reader with increasingly complex examples, and does not shy away from overlapping themes or involved positions. It is obvious that Weteschnik has put some thought into the mechanics of chess. He isolates the underlying visual patterns and positional elements that make each tactic possible, with a clarity and seeming simplicity that may be truly revolutionary in chess literature. Another of the book's many strong points are its many diagrams -- I was able to read (and re-read!) all of Understanding Chess Tactics without having to set up a single position on the board. Although this may not be true for all players, Weteschnik's diagrams are still very useful for identifying the underlying visual pattern recognition behind tactical themes. After reading through this book several times, I feel more confident than ever before in my understanding of tactical ideas (some of which I had not known existed). Weteschnik's final section on how to analyze the board in search of tactics was particularly eye opening, as was his introduction of the "reloader" as a tactical motif. I really cannot say enough good things about this book, and would recommend it to anyone interested in getting better at chess.

This book could be a modern day classic. Why is this? What seperates it from other tactical works? Quite simply it is the authors approach to 'breaking down' the tactical motiffs. How does he do this? He does it with that term 'pattern recognition.' He does not throw a bunch of boring puzzles at you he simply points out certain piece and pawn configurations that make each tactic possible. With this info you begin to spot tactical operations in a game. The author then begins to 'tinker' with each tactic such as 'if this was here and this was their you would do this!' AFter all of this the author begins to show one how and when to start setting up in game tactics. Also I found the sections on 'strategic possibilties'on each tactic to be fantastic...never quite looked at tactics this way before!

Do you need to be an advanced player to reap the rewards from this work? The ansrew is a resounding NO! A very basic knowledge of tactics would save the reader some confusion though. It is obvious the author has put in a great deal of effort into his tactical studies. The layout of the book is nice with a clear presentation. I have not seen a tactical work from any author like this one. After reading this book my tactical knowledge was vastly improved. A Modern day classic? It has my vote but time will tell!

Make no mistake about it; this book is not easy and is hard work. Neither is it suitable as a first book of tactics; it might be a second or even a third. But it is a real groundbreaker in terms of teaching technique. It is in many ways reminiscent of the CT-ART computer tactics trainer; there are circles, squares, arrows, etc., drawn on some of the diagrams to make it absolutely clear how the tactical motif works---- with the advantage of clear and concise explanatory text, something the computer program doesn't give you. The book is rich with diagrams and you don't really need a board to work with it (and you are much better off working without one in any case).

While the usual suspects appear (pins, mates, etc.) they are given fresh life with their unique treatment; and there are some things not explicitly dealt with in many a tactics book, such as "the reloader", gain of tempo, etc.

This book offers a great deal and stands out in a crowded field.

Firstly, this is a book for players rated 1800-2200 Elo by toughtness of material inside, but for educational value in explaining the tactical motifs this is the book for everyone. Here, I saw for the first time the real graphical schemes of explaining the tactical motifs on the board.
And yes, this is the first book I read that doesnt require the need for reader to set up the position on real board, coz book is guiding us perfectly by step-by-step explanations. So, I can really read this book well when Im in the bed too. Neat.
Overall, "Understanding chess tactics" is my first fully readen tactical book in two years; actually first after the John Nunn book "Learn chess tactics".

This is a great book helping the aspiring player "understand" chess tactics. There is something in this book for everyone below master level. The author does this by presenting a basic tactical motif (such as the pin) in an organized sequence:

1. The basic building blocks of the motif.
2. Examples of the motif used in actual master games showing how diverse
and creative the motifs can be used. This helps you create and identify
tactics in your own games.
3. And finally, a few exercises which are explained in good detail in the
solution section to test what you learned.

What the book did for me was help me understand tactics in a more organized way. If we were to analyze our own games as well as master games for tactics and the thought process we undergone or should have gone though, we would definitely improve our tactical abilities. However the author has done all this hard work for us! This is definitely a book I would have liked to have around when I first started chess...it would have given me a stronger foundation to my game from the very start.

I have many books on tactics (mainly including examples to solve: Lein's Sharpen Your Tactics, Hall's Combination challenge, Alburt's Chess tactics, to name a few) but this one really stands out. Unlike mentioned titles (also intended for beginers/improving players), "Understanding chess tactics" really teaches how to spot and introduce particular tactical motifs rather than just "forces" to solve numerous examples without initial clue how to solve them (esp. more difficults ones: x- rays, reloaders, intermediate moves etc). Best if used together with CT ART - see your tactical ability improving instantly. Highly recommended !!!!

In the last few years there has been an abundance of chess books in the market, and even though a large portion of those are related to openings, there has been a fair share of tactics books too. The typical recipe is to group the examples by tactical motifs and challenge the reader to solve them.

At first glance, it seems that Weteschnik follows the same pattern, but this could not be farther from the truth. The author dissects each example using clear diagrams to explain the ideas behind each combination. This is not only helpful for understanding the example better, but also for being able to find combinations in your own games. Knowing when to look for certain motifs is one of the most important factors in finding combinations when you do not have the caption "White to play and win" below the board. If nothing else, after reading this book you will feel that your creativity has soared, and that is the result of knowing just what to look for.

The book has a wide range of examples in terms of difficulty, but the clever use of diagrams allows the reader to go through it without the use of a chessboard. Don't get me wrong, doing this will require hard work, but the rewards will be immense.

I am looking forward to seeing more books from this great new author!

This is by far the best book on tactics that I have read! I have read over 30 books on chess tactics and this one stands out as the best. While other tactics books show examples of tactics...this book EXPLAINS how to RECOGNISE the oportunity and then SET UP the tactical motiff. Thank you Mr. Weteschnik for sharing your work with all of us searching for help with our chess game.

Alan Whitlatch