“Chess is 99 percent tactics.” – Richard Teichmann.A thorough study of tactical positions is an essential requirement for chess mastery, and there are plenty of books on tactics, including two by the author of this book, FIDE Master Frank Erwich, namely 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players and 1001 Chess Exercises for Advanced Club Players. So, what’s different about this book? The author explains why this book is different as follows.
“In 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know, I offer a unique perspective. While presenting a diverse array of tactical themes, I focus not only on general positional features like undefended pieces or an exposed king, but also on the specific arrangement of chess pieces, a crucial factor in executing successful tactics. Focusing on typical piece configurations allows you to evaluate and decide more quickly and efficiently in certain positions.”Knowledge is the key theme in the book. Erwich writes:“If you haven’t seen something before (or have seen too little of it), it turns out to be very difficult to find it over the board. And this is the point I want to make. Having more specific knowledge about patterns facilitates the process of finding the right moves. Instead of struggling with different candidate moves, the specific positions of the pieces can immediately tell you what you can and cannot do in a given position.”
Erwich then provides an example of one of his losses to illustrate this point (see above). He writes:
“Only after 19.Be4 did I realize what was going on: Rh8+ followed by Qh7# cannot be prevented (19…Rf5 is just a stay of execution). Although this magnet sacrifice is quite standard, I had not considered it at all.
Undoubtedly, my belief that the h8-square was protected twice played a significant role, although this is based on an optical illusion: the bishop on g7 is pinned, and pinned pieces are poor defenders.
Even though I was only 15 years old and not very experienced, I had a rating of almost 2200 and had solved many tactical puzzles in my life. Based on that, and on general positional features (black king in danger, many attackers nearby, few defenders), I should have seen this tactic coming. However, I was clearly unfamiliar with this specific pattern, and it would have helped me if I had been aware of it before this game.
Now I will never forget this pattern. Naturally, also because the emotions of a game influence the way you store something in your memory, but also based on the way I now look at such a position. I see a bishop pinned by a queen and a rook on an open file that can attract the king directly. I immediately know that a rook sacrifice is possible!”
100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know
Author: Frank Erwich | Publisher: New in Chess
100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know -Workbook!
Author: Frank Erwich | Publisher: New in Chess
Interestingly, GM John Nunn made a similar point in his book 1001 Deadly Checkmates in 2011. Commenting on his game against GM Lajos Portisch (see above), he concluded his annotations with: “If a strong grandmaster like Portisch can overlook a mating pattern, then anybody can.” Erwich and Nunn are in complete agreement: prior knowledge helps!
According to the author, the book is aimed at club players in the Elo range 1400 – 2000. The book is divided into 12 chapters. The first 11 chapters each cover a specific theme, while the last chapter looks at combinations of patterns. Each chapter concludes with several “flash card” positions that can be used to quickly review the contents of the chapter. The book includes a total of 441 positions, and these provide plenty of material to explain and accompany the patterns.The key idea in the book is to look for patterns in the placements of the critical pieces, rather than all the pieces in the position. By focusing on just the critical pieces, the patterns become applicable to a wide range of practical positions.
The patterns cover opening traps, middlegame positions and endings. An interesting and very useful feature of the book is the discussion of how slight changes in the position can provide a defence to the tactical idea. The book also includes cross-references between patterns where appropriate to highlight similarities and differences. References to the accompanying workbook are also included, but this book can be used as a standalone resource.While some of the patterns are well-known, such as the Greek gift sacrifice and the Noah’s Ark trap, many patterns are less commonly discussed in books, or they are presented in a new light in this book. Similarly, while some of the examples are famous historical games, others are recent games that will be new to readers, and these examples provide fresh material to study. In addition, the examples cover a wide range of Elo ratings, ranging from post-beginners to world champions.
The book provides a good balance between verbal and analytical annotations, and this aids the learning experience. Not surprisingly, Erwich has made good use of chess engines, and this has enabled him to provide interesting new discoveries that were missed by the players during the games.Two examples from the book are given below, with annotations from the book.
In conclusion, this is an excellent book on tactical patterns. The author has managed to organise the patterns in a systematic way that enhances the learning process. The choice of good examples and clear commentary make this a fine book on an essential topic.
100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know
Author: Frank Erwich | Publisher: New in Chess
100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know -Workbook!
Author: Frank Erwich | Publisher: New in Chess
