Rizzitano James. 1001 Deadly Chess Puzzles: Tactics and decision-making. Learn by solving!

Bracknell (England): Gambit Publications, 2023. — 2134 p. — ISBN: 180504057X.“The study of chess tactics is the single most beneficial activity for most chess-players. From beginner to grandmaster level, players are confronted with tactical decisions on almost every move of every game. I have spent the past five months reviewing games played within the past year between players with a rating of 2200 and above with the goal of selecting 1001 of the most instructive tactical puzzles.” - James RizzitanoThis is a true tactics assault course, where you will learn by solving: the lessons are contained in the puzzles themselves, and taught by your own effort in solving them. The first four chapters include a test section, where the positions are a little simpler, to check what you have learned. They are also designed as revision exercises, to return to periodically after you have finished reading the book.Rizzitano’s puzzles are not just a case of ‘spot the tactic and move on’. That isn’t good training for practical play, where you have no idea if a tactic works until you have analysed it carefully. In some cases it is better to reject the idea and play a quiet move, while many puzzles require a good defensive move. Decision-making skills are vital in competitive chess. And you will definitely need them right away for the book’s final chapters, ‘Advanced Puzzles’ and ‘Deadly Puzzles’. Full solutions are provided.