What’s a good chess tactics book for a 1200 player?
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SweetrobinAhai
Dec 9, 2023
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#1
I’m a 1200 on chess.com, never played OTB for rating so no idea on ELO. Looking for a tactics book to work on that would be good for a player of my ability. I recently tried Erwich’s 1001 chess exercises for club players but those were too hard.
Are you looking for a physical book or an eBook?
Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgar is a good basic tactics book. There's no eBook of that one, so you'd have to buy the paperback.
1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners by Masetti & Messi is good, too. There's a good range of difficulty in that one. I think you'd like it if you're finding 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players too difficult. I have the Kindle version of both of those 1001 Exercises books.
You might also find this website useful. It's the online version of Farnsworth's Predator at the Chessboard tactics book and has a tactics quiz option in addition to all the tactics info.
I've been working through Learn Chess Tactics by John Nunn, and have found it very helpful. I like the way he clearly explains concepts in an engaging but succinct manner, and the examples and puzzles range from the relatively simple to advanced. Definitely worth a look.
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess - Fischer
Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games - Laszlo Polgar
Are you okay with doing a book on Chessable? If so, I am a big, big fan of Everyone's First Chess Workbook by Peter Giannatos.
Like you, I found that many of the "beginner" tactics books were too hard for me. EFCW is aptly named, because it starts very easy, with things like capturing hanging pieces, and then slowly gets more and more difficult. Although it starts easy, it pushes you. For example, later on in the book in several instances the tactic will be there, but first you have to make a move or two to make the tactic appear. All of the usual tactics are there, and the explanations are crystal clear.
Also, the support is very good for the book. In three cases I did not understand why a different move wouldn't have worked, so I left a comment. Each time I got a reply within hours, explaining why my candidate move wasn't the best one. I am almost done with the book, and my chess.com puzzle rating has increased 400 points thanks to EFCW and also Susan Polgar's Learn Chess the Right Way, book one.
EDIT: I just noticed that EFCW is also available in real book form, too:
https://www.amazon.com/Everyones-First-Chess-Workbook-Fundamental/dp/9056919881/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3RN7IUD4IJUOI&keywords=everyone%27s+first+chess+workbook&qid=1702226300&s=books&sprefix=Everyone%27s+First+Chess%2Cstripbooks%2C156&sr=1-1