Starting Out: Chess Tactics and Checkmates

174 Pages·2.74 MB·English

by  Ward Chris.

Starting Out:
Chess Tactics and Checkmates
by Chris Ward
Firstpublishedin2006byGloucesterPublishersplc(formerlyEveryman
Publishersplc),NorthburghHouse,10NorthburghStreet,LondonEC1V0AT
Copyright©2006ChrisWard
TherightofChrisWardtobeidentifiedastheauthorofthisworkhasbeen
assertedinaccordancewiththeCopyrights,DesignsandPatentsAct1988.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinare-
trievalsystemortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,electrostatic,
magnetictape,photocopying,recordingorotherwise,withoutpriorpermissionof
thepublisher.
BritishLibraryCataloguing-in-PublicationData
AcataloguerecordforthisbookisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary.
ISBN:1857444183
ISBN13:9781857444186
DistributedinNorthAmericabyTheGlobePequotPress,P.OBox480,
246GooseLane,Guilford,CT06437-0480.
AllothersalesenquiriesshouldbedirectedtoEverymanChess,NorthburghHouse,
10NorthburghStreet,LondonEC1V0AT
tel:[phone];fax:[phone]
email:[email protected];website:www.everymanchess.com
EverymanistheregisteredtrademarkofRandomHouseInc.andisusedinthis
workunderlicencefromRandomHouseInc.
TothehealthofDandW.Pleasegetwellsoon.
EVERYMANCHESSSERIES(formerlyCadoganChess)
ChiefAdvisor:ByronJacobs
Commissioningeditor:JohnEmms
TypesetandeditedbyFirstRankPublishing,Brighton.
CoverdesignbyHoratioMonteverde.
ProductionbyNavigatorGuides.
PrintedandboundintheUSbyVersaPress.
Contents
Symbols 4
Introduction 5
1 TheBasics 7
2 FirstStepstowardsCheckmate 30
3 MorePracticalLessons 50
4 PopularThemesandRealLifeChess 72
5 Quick-firePuzzles 102
6 SolutionstoExercises 128
7 SolutionstoQuick-firePuzzles 147
Symbols
+ check
!! brilliantmove
! goodmove
!? interestingmove
?! dubiousmove
? badmove
?? blunder
Introduction
I’msurethatyouareitchingtogetintothemainbodyofthisbook,soIwon’t
keepyouherelong.OfcourseIhavenoideahowyouwillusethismanuscript,
butIwouldobviouslypreferthatitwasn’ttoswatfliesorbalanceatableleg!Se-
riously,Iamconfidentthatyouwillbewellversedintacticalplayandtheartof
deliveringcheckmateifyouworkthroughthisbookfrombeginningtoend,butit
isimportantthatyoudosoatyourownpace.Pleaseensurethatyoutakeallthe
timethatisrequiredforyoutogettogripswitheachtheme.
Theobviousproblemwhensolvingpuzzlessetinanewspaperorquizbook,as
comparedtoapracticalgameofchess,isthatinreallifethereisnoangel(or
devil!)whoappearstoinformyouthatyouhaveasacrificeavailable,leading,for
example,tomateinthree.Intruth,recognisingwhenitisworthinvestingtimeon
yourclockintournamentplaytolocatea‘winningcombination’comeswithex-
perience.However,thisbookwilltrytofast-trackyouinthatdepartment,by
makingobservationsonsuchconditionsunderwhichtacticalplayislikelytobe
successful.Indeed,workyourwaythroughtheexercisesaswellandyouwill
soonbecomeadeptatrecognisingpatterns.Thenallthatwillbeleftwillbefor
youtoemploysuchideasinyourowngames,andifyoudoso,thenI’msurethat
youwillbesatisfied.
Inchess,winningistheimportantthing,but–well,nobodycandenythatwin-
ningasaresultofasnazzycombinationoraprettycheckmatereallyaddstheic-
ing!
IhopeyouenjoyStartingOut:TacticsandCheckmates.
ChrisWard,
Beckenham,
July2006

Chapter One
The Basics
d Playing Chess
d Check
d Checkmate
d The Value of the Pieces
d Sacrifice
d Stalemate
d The Fork
d The Pin
d The Skewer
d Discovered Check
d Double Check
Starting Out: Chess Tactics and Checkmates
Playing Chess
WARNING:Chesscanbeawholelotoffun(especiallywhenyouare
winning!)butisnotaneasygame!
ForthepurposesofthisbookbasicallyIhaveassumedthatthereaderknowshow
tomovethepiecesandanincrediblyhard-foughtgamemightgofromthis...
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8