Learn Chess Tactics - by John Nunn (Paperback)

About the Book

This book teaches basic tactical ideas such as the fork, pin, and discovered attack, and introduces general ideas such as elimination, immobilization and compulsion. A basic knowledge of simple tactics will enable a novice to start winning games, by giving checkmate or capturing material. As the player progresses, his tactical arsenal will broaden, and he will start to play sacrifices and combinations, and develop a deeper understanding of the game. Players who fail to study tactics systematically tend to suffer from tactical blind-spots that plague them throughout their playing career, and thus they fail to realize their full potential.

Book Synopsis

Once a chess-player has learnt the basic rules of the game, the next step is to study tactics. A knowledge of tactics will enable a novice to start winning games by giving checkmate or taking his opponent's pieces. As the player progresses, his tactical arsenal will broaden and he will start to play sacrifices and combinations. Improving your tactical ability is the most efficient way to win more games and gain confidence at the chessboard.

Given the fundamental importance of chess tactics, there are surprisingly few books that teach the subject in a systematic way. Consequently, many players suffer from tactical blind-spots that plague them throughout their career. The step-by-step approach used in this book ensures that each concept is explained and tested before the next one is introduced.

John Nunn is a renowned grandmaster noted for his devastating tactical ability. In this book, he guides the reader to an understanding of key tactical ideas such as the fork, pin, and discovered attack, and discusses general ideas such as elimination and compulsion. No prior knowledge is assumed apart from the basic rules of chess.

Throughout the book there are carefully graded exercises to test the reader's understanding.

Dr John Nunn is a grandmaster from England. He has won four individual gold medals and three team silver medals at Chess Olympiads. In the Chess World Cup of 1988/9, he finished sixth overall, ahead of several former World Champions. He is arguably the most highly acclaimed chess writer in the world, with three of his books receiving the prestigious British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award.

Review Quotes

"Additionally, Nunn mentions tactics for defending and using combinations. Everything is helped by many, many exercises. This is one book that no chess enthusiast can go without. Cannot recommend it enough." - Michael Englert, ereads.com

"One of the most important skills for a chess player to develop is tactical ability. There have been numerous books written on this subject but rarely with such a clear and well presented approach as Nunn offers here. The fourteen chapters explore different tactical themes, starting with an examples and then moving on to exercises for the reader to try. There is also a good choice of material, the positions given having been culled from recent tournament practice." - Grandmaster Nigel Davies

"The book is very handy for trainers of chess as you will find a lot of current material." - Jerzy Konikowski, Fernschach International

"This is the kind of chess literature that the world needs if we are going to continue to grow chess among youngsters and adults who want to improve. Chess, while a very difficult game to master, is not a hard game to learn. Half the battle is stripping away the mystique to reveal that getting better is a matter of learning some fundamental principles. This book does that and does it really well." - Bill Whited, Chess Country

About the Author

Dr John Nunn is a grandmaster from England. He has won four individual gold medals and three team silver medals at Chess Olympiads. In the Chess World Cup of 1988/9, he finished sixth overall, ahead of several former World Champions. He is arguably the most highly acclaimed chess writer in the world, with three of his books receiving the prestigious British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award.