Back to Basics: Tactics (ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess)
by Dan Heisman
List Price:
Our Price: $14.04
You Save: $7.91 (36%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $12.99 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Dan HeismanEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2007-09-15
ISBN: 1888690348
Number of pages: 192
Publisher: Russell Enterprises
Book Reviews of Back to Basics: Tactics (ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess)
Book Review: Excellent introduction to tactics
Summary: 4 Stars
As a USCF 1790-rated player, i bought this book for a quick tactics refresher. I read the book, solving all the puzzles in a few days (while noting major errors on examples 2-70 [1...Kh3] and 2-120 [1.Ne4#]) The #1 greatest tactics primer is still the immensely enjoyable book, Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead. This book by Heisman not as enjoyable, but a bit easier and therefore perhaps an even better starting point than "Winning Chess". Also worthy is Chess Tactics (Batsford Chess Book).
Especially valuable for the improving player are Heisman's early sections on "counting" and piece safety, because proper evaluation of a tactic is impossible without accurately tallying the "body count" of a series of exchanges. (while being mindful of any "zwischenzug", of course!) The only other book that competently covers "counting" ideas is the VASTLY underrated Lasker's Manual of Chess, though Lasker labels the idea something else that escapes me at the moment.
Make no mistake, B2B:T is about how to win material. There were times when i would think twice about snagging a certain pawn because i imagined it would grant the opponent some sort of extra piece activity (counterplay), but on checking the answer i saw that Heisman's comment was only, "wins a pawn." That is probably well enough, as the book's intended audience is usually afraid of phantom threats when they ought to simply win the material, and usually in a game i'd probably end up taking the pawn anyway. There is a short section on checkmates, but it is insufficient in itself. You will NEED The Art of the Checkmate and (secondarily) How to Beat Your Dad at Chess (Gambit Chess) to complete your basic study of checkmates.
This book is full of practical pointers and wisdom, many of which go a long way toward instilling objectivity in a player rather than emotions like hope, fear, greed, overconfidence which invariably spell poor results at *any* level.
This is a solid & worthy 4-star book for its stated audience (under 1500). Higher-rated players can read it with very little time investment (while unfortunately paying the same purchase price), so the book can benefit a wide range of players.
Chess Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Audiobooks on Cassette
- Audiobooks on CD
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- e-Books
- Engineering
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Medicine
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Chess Study: A growing list
Chess Fundamentals, Revised (Chess)by Jose R. Capablanca
Random House Puzzles & Games; Published: 2006-04-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.97
Price in other shops:
Starting Out: The Colle (Starting Out Series)by Richard Palliser
Everyman Chess; Published: 2007-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.46
Price in other shops:
Starting Out: King's Indian (Starting Out - Everyman Chess)by Joe Gallagher
Everyman Chess; Published: 2002-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.95
Price in other shops:
Power Chess: Great Grandmaster Battles from Russia (Chess)by Paul Keres
Random House Puzzles & Games; Published: 1991-11-26; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
How To Play Good Opening Moves (Chess)by Edmar Mednis
Random House Puzzles & Games; Published: 2002-05-14; Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.49
Price in other shops:
Hastings 1895: The Centennial EditionPickard and Son Publishers; Published: 1995-06; Paperback; Book
Price in other shops:
Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking: From the First Move to the Lastby Neil McDonald
Batsford; Published: 2004-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.79
Price in other shops:
Discovering Chess Openings: Building Opening Skills from Basic Principlesby John Emms
Everyman Chess; Published: 2006-09-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.48
Price in other shops:
Capablanca's Best Chess Endingsby Irving Chernev
Dover Publications; Published: 1982-02-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.80
Price in other shops:
Best Lessons of a Chess Coach (Chess)by Sunil Weeramantry, Edward V. Eusebi
Random House Puzzles & Games; Published: 1994-02-08; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.59
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Chess Success: Planning After the Opening (Batsford Chess Books)by Neil McDonald
Batsford; Published: 2008-03-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.93
Price in other shops:
A First Book of Morphyby Frisco Del Rosario
Trafford Publishing; Published: 2004-10-05; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.94
Price in other shops:
Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 2by John Watson
Gambit Publications; Published: 2007-05-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.72
Price in other shops:
Chess Exam and Training Guide: Tactics: Rate Yourself and Learn How to Improveby igor Khmelnitsky
Published: 2007-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.30
Price in other shops:
Mastering the Chess Openings: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Modern Chess Openings, Volume 1by John Watson
Gambit Publications; Published: 2006-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $18.65
Price in other shops:
Everyone's 2nd Chessbook*by Dan Heisman
Thinkers' Press, Inc.; Published: 2005-05-20; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.95
ChessmasterUBI Soft; Ubisoft; Release date: 2007-10-30; Windows; Video Games
Best price: $16.90
Price in other shops:
Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Masterby Jeremy Silman
Siles Press; Published: 2007-01-31; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.60
Price in other shops:
Looking for Trouble: Recognizing and Meeting Threats in Chessby Dan Heisman
Russell Enterprises, Inc.; Published: 2003-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.70
Price in other shops:
Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategyby Ray Cheng
Wheatmark; Published: 2007-05-15; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.23
Price in other shops: