Doing Tactics
OK. So you have decided to take the plunge and follow my advice about doing tactics, studying the games of great chess players, and playing chess.
First let’s talk about tactics. To improve your tactics you need to do a lot (and I mean a lot) of tactical puzzles. These puzzles are designed to improve your ability to find the correct move that results in the win of material or checkmate. So where do you find these tactical puzzles. Well, there are some online resources like:
http://chesstr.com/problems
http://www.shredderchess.com/daily-chess-puzzle.html
But I recommend buying 2 or 3 books. And the 2 I recommend for EVERY chess library are:
“1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations” by Fred Reinfeld
I recommend using these books in the following manner:
First, decide how much time you’ll spend on the puzzle(s). For example, for the 5334 Problems book by Polgar I would only spend one minute (maximum) for any “mate in one” puzzles. And I would increase this to 2 minutes (maximum) for the “mate in two” puzzles.
Next, if you have not solved it in the allotted time, then look at the answer and move on to the next puzzle. Put an “+” next to the ones you solved correctly and a “-” next to the ones you didn’t solve correctly or in time. After you get through a portion of the book, go back and redo ALL the problems, again putting another “+” or “-“ if you did or didn’t solve the problem correctly. This will help you master the different tactical “patterns”. I also recommend waiting at least one week before redoing puzzles.
On your second go around, check how you did against the first time you did the puzzles. If you are you getting more right, then you are improving. If you are getting more wrong or the same puzzles wrong, then work though the puzzles you got wrong twice at a future study session.
Next, how much time should you spend doing tactical puzzles? I think it depends on your playing level. If you’re a beginner or you think your tactics are substandard, then I recommend about 66% of your study time. If you’re an average to very good chess player, then I recommend about 50% of your study time. If you’re an expert or above, then I recommend about 33% of your study time.
You may think that this is way too much time to spend on tactical puzzles, but chess is about 99% tactics so a large percentage of your study time should be devoted to tactics. I also recommend starting your study time with tactics. This will “warm up” your brain to what you study next. When I play tournament games, I always do a least a few tactical puzzles before the game to get my mind working.
You might have read elsewhere on the Web about a player who studied a lot of tactics and increased their chess rating by 200 or 400 points. This shows how important tactics are and how they can greatly improve your chess game. I myself decided to study nothing but tactics for a week before a tournament—instead of my normal opening prep. My rating went up about 100 points after that tournament. I personally try to spend about 50% of my study time on tactical puzzles.
King Kibitz
Do Tactics. Study Games. Play Chess
Next Blog: Studying the Games of Great Chess Players
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