Chess Tactics from Scratch

The second edition of a much heralded book (possibly too much so?) has several improvements making it a better choice than the first. Well laid out with numerous good clear diagrams with border co-ordinates anoted. Use of bold print, para's, make it clear enough to follow. Some great chess examples are presented.On the minus side however scripts are usually ok but also often the point is already clear from diagrams and noted moves. So reading said scripts slows down your learning. Sometimes however text is just not clear or even poor! I had to re-read some more than once. Hint boxes are notably guilty. Some other reviewers have noted similar.The cover suggests a novice can procede with the book, but I think that definitely a fair amount of Chess experience is pretty essential, and for the newly input exercises a lot of! Overall the book should be be ok, but Judith Polgar's tactics book edges it, wise to check first.

I am finding this book tough going. It doesn't appear to be for beginners like the name implies more like intermediate level.

For anyone graded up to 1950 this could be the best book on tactics they have ever read. It isn't that I had not come across most of the ideas before because I had but reading this deepened considerably my understanding of ideas that I thought I already knew. Strangely enough, this book would also help beginners as well (I think).

(Modern algebraic notation) A chess player like me (1600) wants to know more about tactics.This method by Martin Weteschnik is good because- it shows you what to look for and how you would do to set, say, a pin. The examples are striking because they are chosen to show how the tactic itself is developed in a situation where you would not necessarily see a tactic.- The several stages of the tactic are explained clearly with diagrams of a real game, but also skeletons of the tactics. The examples are fairly difficult for a beginner, but because the mechanism of setting tactics is explained, you see it gradually up to the final stage which leaves you with wonder.I'm working slowly through this book, because it is intensive. But because the explanations are so clear, you will benefit from an immense knowledge that you will be able to apply in your own game. At last, you will be able to look at positions and recognize targets and engineer a tactics.Weteshnik states that tactics are not served ready made from heaven in a game; you have to set them up. The book is about how to set them up efficiently, and that's important.Good for beginners, if you don't mind seeing at first what seems impossible; then the technique is gradually unfolded, so you can understand fully, all stones unturned. An excellent primer.(I also have: Chess Tactics for Students, by John A. Bain. This is a series of simple tactics explained in diagrammatic form. An instruction is given, then about 12 A4-pages for each tactic. This would be a good companion to Weteschnik, because it is less in depth, just practice explained)