Test Your Tactical Ability

Rating:
Summary: A Well Done, Thoughtfully Arranged Collection
Review: 615 positions aranged by theme with each chapter illustrating particular ideas (decoying, pinning, attraction, etc.) followed by exercises for the reader to solve. Included is a section containing varied positions and studies which test the player's understanding without indicating the type of combination involved. The positions are virtually all taken from games and the solutions discuss alternative moves. The positions are more difficult than either Reinfeld "1001" book's positions, less dramatic (few one-move queen sacs leading to mate) and more likely to occur (e.g., an exchange on one side leading to the loss of a suddenly undefended piece/pawn.) That is this book's main strength: presenting tactics that you're likely to see often. I have rarely sacrificed a queen, delivered a smother mate, or checkmated a king after a double rook sac in serious games but I've often decoyed a defender away from defending a pawn/piece, exploited a pin, or "destroyed a guard." If you can find this book, it's worth considering.