Drills & multiplication tables
Time to start a new phase of tactics training ... multiplication table style drills.
We learn how to multiply with multiplication tables, but is there an equivalent in tactics? What is the 1 times table, the 2 times? etc... With multiplication we at least know the names of the tables, but how many of us can name all of the tactical themes we should be studying?!
So my plan is to first make a list of tactical themes, and then to learn each one MDLM style. How many themes are there? I have a copy of the Polgar book "Chess Middlegames" which has 77 different tactical themes, and it is probably not the entire list...
But, like multiplication tables, I will start with the easiest and work upwards. Lets say for the sake of argument that back rank mate is our 1 times table. So I went on to google to find examples of back rank mates, and found about 80 .. which is not really enough for any sort of MDLM training!
Does any one know of any good resources that give tactics by theme? Free sources would be a bonus of course! :)
We learn how to multiply with multiplication tables, but is there an equivalent in tactics? What is the 1 times table, the 2 times? etc... With multiplication we at least know the names of the tables, but how many of us can name all of the tactical themes we should be studying?!
So my plan is to first make a list of tactical themes, and then to learn each one MDLM style. How many themes are there? I have a copy of the Polgar book "Chess Middlegames" which has 77 different tactical themes, and it is probably not the entire list...
But, like multiplication tables, I will start with the easiest and work upwards. Lets say for the sake of argument that back rank mate is our 1 times table. So I went on to google to find examples of back rank mates, and found about 80 .. which is not really enough for any sort of MDLM training!
Does any one know of any good resources that give tactics by theme? Free sources would be a bonus of course! :)
posted by Smith-Morra at 2:05 AM
6 Comments:
Yes, but saying that tactics fall into main groups is a bit like saying that multiplication table have two types, odd numbers and even numbers ... I'm trying to get more specific.
This means that instead of the usual "look at a whole bunch of mixed theme tactics and subconsiously learn the individual themes" method, I am trying for more of a "consiously learn each theme individually, and then drill each theme into the subconsious"
Tasc Chess Tutor is my favourite for pattern recognition.
Hey,
there are three free tactic databases on the internet. They are not organized by theme but if you have a look at it, you will find a lot of new bank rank mates.
http://www.mychess.com/tactics/tactics1.html
http://www.mychess.com/tactics/tactics2.html
http://www.mychess.com/tactics/tactics3.html
Let us know what you find!
http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1205812
a smith-morra trap you might find interesting
As a reaction to your question:
I suggest to look at
http://www.chesstactics.org/
and ofcourse at my own site
Chess Teaching
Have a look at these sites.
Good luck with your blog and your chess
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