*** How to play ***

These tactics were taken from actual games. They vary in difficulty, and sometimes there is more than one good move, just like in real games. In all cases the two best moves are listed, along with their evaluation by Fritz. You should always strive to find the best move, and not settle for second best.

In some cases there are more than two winning moves, and when that happens then all the winning moves are listed. In a few cases the second best move is nearly as good as the best move, and in those cases you should give yourself credit for finding either one.

Here's how to get the most out of these tactics:
1) Look at the diagram, and read the line at the bottom that tells you whose move it is and what the last move was.
2) Think about the diagram for a few minutes, and try to find the best move. Try to imagine how the game might continue.
3) If you find what you think is the best move, double check it for mistakes, then scroll down to check out the answer.
4) If you can't find the move after a few minutes, then scroll down anyway to get the answer.
5) If your answer was wrong, or if you couldn't find the move, then after you look up the answer be sure to go back to the diagram and see if you understand why the given move or moves are the best ones.

You can also cut and paste the PGN into your favorite chess viewer or engine to play through the given continuation, and do your own analysis. I use the ChessBase Light viewer, which is free. You can get it from ChessBase Light 2007.

If the position is from a game that might be in a database somewhere, then I always include identifying information, such as the tournament and date, in addition to the players.

NEW: The latest version is ChessBase Light 2009, and it is still free. This viewer can also be used to search the online database of games that ChessBase maintains, if you want to find the original game that a tactic came from.

Have fun!

- J.