Tactics awaken

This book covers 10 important chess topics. Each topic is separated into its own chapter and each chapter is constructed in the following way: 2 illustrative positions with solutions, an explanation of the topic and some help and hints to help the reader solve the exercises. There are 40 exercises, growing in difficulty, starting with the easy ones and finishing with the most complicated. The solutions for each chapter can be found at the very end of the book. After you have worked through the 10 topics, you will find yourself at the test section, where you can challenge your new-found knowledge.

There are 8 tests, each consisting of 10 positions, with one position from each of the topics that we covered in this book. However, you won’t know which position belongs to which topic!

The solutions to the tests can also be found at the very end of the book. The book contains 500 educational positions: 20 exemplary positions, 400 exercises and 80 test positions.

While you are going through the exercises, you will sometimes run into the a smiley. When you meet with the smiley, it means that you must take a deeper look into the position. It could be that the most obvious move is not the best one, or the key move comes later, not on the first move, and you need to foresee it.