Chessplayers wishing to improve their performance typically seek to deepen their middlegame understanding or to increase their endgame knowledge. Often, however, the real key to improvement lies not in learning additional ideas and positions, but in developing a more effective thinking process at the board. In The Improving Chess Thinker, acclaimed chess instructor Dan Heisman compares how chessplayers of different strengths ranging from beginner to International Master approach analytical positions. From this, he draws lessons that will help players at each level to avoid typical flaws in their thought process and to move up to the next level. Basing his work on more than four decades of testing volunteers, Heisman offers solutions to difficult practical issues such as deciding how much time to spend on a move; what to do while the opponent s clock is running; and when to stop analyzing a line. In this book, ambitious players will find insight into what s been holding them back, while coaches will find powerful new teaching tools."

A Guide to Chess Improvement features the very best of Dan Heisman's multi-award winning chess column Novice Nook, which has run for the past ten years at the popular website ChessCafe.com. This book is full of valuable instruction, insight and practical advice on a wide range of key subjects: general improvement, thought processes, planning and strategy, tactics, endgame play, technique, time management and much more besides. Heisman has thoroughly revised, expanded and updated his work to produce an easy-to-navigate guide. He has also included brand new and exclusive columns. Any player from beginner to expert who is serious about improving their chess should read this book! *An essential guide to chess improvement *Covers in depth all the key areas of chess *Written by a distinguished chess instructor

Tactics are usually why most people find chess fun This book will greatly enhance your enjoyment learning about - and benefiting from - the recurring patterns of tactics. In chess, if you lose all your pieces you can't win And if you capture each of your opponent's pieces, winning should be easy. Even if you just get ahead by a small amount of material, your chances of winning soar. The way to win your opponent's pieces is through the use of tactics. This book is about all types of beginning tactics. The author covers comprehensively the subject with basic instructional material, examples, and problems of all types - about 500 examples and problems ranging from too easy to very difficult Back to Basics: Tactics - the first in the ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess Series - should enhance your enjoyment in learning about - and benefiting from - the recurring patterns of tactics.It does not matter who gets the advantage out of the opening if one of the players is likely to lose a piece to a simple tactic in the middlegame. Losing a piece from an advantageous position will almost always result in a lost position. So study tactics, not openings, until you almost never lose pieces to simple tactical motifs.This book is an introduction to the various kinds of basic chess tactics. With instructional material, examples, and problems of all types, the subject of chess tactics is covered comprehensively. There are approximately 500 examples ranging from easy to challenging