Have you ever missed a tactic in your games? Of course you have. We all have. Wouldn't it be good if someone wrote a book that could help you get better at spotting tactics? Well, there is such a book. Actually, there are many such books. And one example is Tune your chess tactics antenna by Emmanuel Neiman.
I'd like to warn sensitive readers, as this review may contain sarcasm. You have been warned.
In Tune your chess tactics antenna, you will find a similar component, but that is not all. In the first part of the book, the author presents seven signals that a tactic might be present.
The fact that the two authors agree is a good sign. Points 1-7 are more or less the same as above, but Heisman's list goes on to mention seven additional points. He also says that it is possible to come up with even more. Although Heisman presents a more exhaustive list of "signals" or "seeds", I think that seven is a reasonable number for a book like this. It is difficult enough to remember all seven, not to mention 14 or more! So far, I like the book.
Another aspect of of the book that sets it apart from others on the market is that the examples and puzzles are presented in context. That is, the author presents the entire game up to the puzzle position, and the solution (for the most part) presents all the remaining moves. The rationale for this approach is "to get closer to the actual game situation" (p. 23). While this may be a good ambition, I doubt that very many readers will play through all the moves. One example gives 118 (!) moves before we arrive at the puzzle position. For the most part, this will not necessarily yield much more than simply studying the diagram. But for the ambitious reader, it may be a useful addition.
I have one major issue with this book. And it has to do with the pedagogical orientation. Some explanations are quite difficult to follow, such as the "swing door" tactic, which I will not even try to describe. Furthermore, I feel that the choice of examples/puzzles is quite off at times. For examples under the theme/signal knight fork distance, there are examples in which there is no knight fork! Wait, what? How does that help me understand the concept??
Also, some tactics are a bit over the top, and at least for me personally, the point is lost. Let me show one example. The theme here is weak king position.
The weak king position allows you to deflect a crucial defender (f6-knight) which allows a double bishop sacrifice that leads to mate - almost. The problem is the queen can interpose, leading to a position in which white is down a rook and two pieces for a queen. But there is a queen fork at the end, which wins a bishop. Basic stuff. The king position should tip you off, right? And now, of course, you see the whole solution. In case you don't, the whole line is presented below.
1. Nh5 Nxh5 2. Bxh7+ Kxh7 3. Qxh5+ Kg8 4. Bxg7 Kxg7 5. Qg4+ Kh7 6. Rf3 e5 7. Rh3+ Qh6 8. Rxh6+ Kxh6 9. Qd7
There are several examples like this in the book. To my mind, it is a rather unpedagogical way to present the ideas that the author wants to get across. Sure, these may be good exercises, but they are not the most illustrative examples.
My impression of the book is summarized quite well by a reviewer on Amazon: "It's a great idea: train your brain to recognize clues in chess positions that will alert you to various tactical possibilities. But I was very disappointed in the examples used. The tactical clues being illustrated are hidden so deep inside the games that they would never jump out at you. And there are other tactical signals hidden in the same games which aren't pointed out at all."
Another Amazon reviewer wrote: "The people who are giving this two stars either didn't read it right or are brain dead when it comes to chess."
I don't know which of these statements are true for me. Maybe I am braindead, but I definitely feel that this book does not quite deliver. The fundamental logic and ambition of the book is great, but the execution is off. I know that there are people out there that will disagree strongly, but I don't think it is a very good book. Something is out of tune, whether it is my reading/ability or the author's presentation of the material. As the guy said in the movie Notting Hill: There is something wrong with this yoghurt.
I'd like to warn sensitive readers, as this review may contain sarcasm. You have been warned.
What can you expect from this book?
As you probably know, there are hundreds and hundreds of tactics books out there, and most of them are pretty similar. Usually, a tactics book is divided into themes (pins, forks, skewers etc.), and the author explains each theme and then there are a bunch of puzzles for you to solve. Sound familiar?In Tune your chess tactics antenna, you will find a similar component, but that is not all. In the first part of the book, the author presents seven signals that a tactic might be present.
- Weak king position
- Unprotected piece(s)
- Alignment (pieces on the same rank, file or diagonal)
- Knight fork distance
- Trapped piece(s)
- Crucial or overloaded defender
- Impotent defence, or defence too far away
So far, so good. A similar construct is presented by Dan Heisman in his Novice Nook article Seeds of tactical destruction (also found in A guide to chess improvement). Heisman gives a list that largely overlaps Neiman's seven signals:
- Open enemy lines for Rooks, Queens, and Bishops to your King
- Loose (unguarded) pieces - "Loose Pieces Drop Off" = LPDO
- Pinned or "skewerable" pieces along the same rank, file, or diagonal
- Pieces (or squares) vulnerable to Knight forks
- Pieces that have little mobility and might easily be trapped if attacked
- Overworked pieces (pieces guarding more than one piece or square)
- A large domination of one side's forces in one area of the board
- Pieces that can easily be attacked by enemy pieces of less value
- One or more pieces than can be attacked via a "discovered attack"
- Weak back rank
- Inadequately guarded pieces
- Falling way behind in development (overwhelming opponent forces)
- Pawns nearing promotion
- King uncastled or lost pawn protection with Queens on the board
The fact that the two authors agree is a good sign. Points 1-7 are more or less the same as above, but Heisman's list goes on to mention seven additional points. He also says that it is possible to come up with even more. Although Heisman presents a more exhaustive list of "signals" or "seeds", I think that seven is a reasonable number for a book like this. It is difficult enough to remember all seven, not to mention 14 or more! So far, I like the book.
Another aspect of of the book that sets it apart from others on the market is that the examples and puzzles are presented in context. That is, the author presents the entire game up to the puzzle position, and the solution (for the most part) presents all the remaining moves. The rationale for this approach is "to get closer to the actual game situation" (p. 23). While this may be a good ambition, I doubt that very many readers will play through all the moves. One example gives 118 (!) moves before we arrive at the puzzle position. For the most part, this will not necessarily yield much more than simply studying the diagram. But for the ambitious reader, it may be a useful addition.
I have one major issue with this book. And it has to do with the pedagogical orientation. Some explanations are quite difficult to follow, such as the "swing door" tactic, which I will not even try to describe. Furthermore, I feel that the choice of examples/puzzles is quite off at times. For examples under the theme/signal knight fork distance, there are examples in which there is no knight fork! Wait, what? How does that help me understand the concept??
Also, some tactics are a bit over the top, and at least for me personally, the point is lost. Let me show one example. The theme here is weak king position.
 |
| White to move |
1. Nh5 Nxh5 2. Bxh7+ Kxh7 3. Qxh5+ Kg8 4. Bxg7 Kxg7 5. Qg4+ Kh7 6. Rf3 e5 7. Rh3+ Qh6 8. Rxh6+ Kxh6 9. Qd7
There are several examples like this in the book. To my mind, it is a rather unpedagogical way to present the ideas that the author wants to get across. Sure, these may be good exercises, but they are not the most illustrative examples.
My impression of the book is summarized quite well by a reviewer on Amazon: "It's a great idea: train your brain to recognize clues in chess positions that will alert you to various tactical possibilities. But I was very disappointed in the examples used. The tactical clues being illustrated are hidden so deep inside the games that they would never jump out at you. And there are other tactical signals hidden in the same games which aren't pointed out at all."
Another Amazon reviewer wrote: "The people who are giving this two stars either didn't read it right or are brain dead when it comes to chess."
I don't know which of these statements are true for me. Maybe I am braindead, but I definitely feel that this book does not quite deliver. The fundamental logic and ambition of the book is great, but the execution is off. I know that there are people out there that will disagree strongly, but I don't think it is a very good book. Something is out of tune, whether it is my reading/ability or the author's presentation of the material. As the guy said in the movie Notting Hill: There is something wrong with this yoghurt.
Who should read this book
Tune your chess tactics antenna is a book that is difficult to pin down in terms of intended audience. There is a wide range of tactics, from basic mating patterns to very advanced problems that are ten moves deep. Although this might indicate that the book is suitable for beginners (and up), I would say that it is in fact not. Sure, parts of the book are aimed at beginners, but for players at that level, there are far more suitable books out there. Instead, I would say that this is a book for fairly advanced players. In terms of rating, I would guess that you'd get the most out of the book if your playing strength is above 1700 Elo. But as indicated above, there are better tactics books out there.About this book
| Author: | Emmanuel Neiman |
| Title: | Tune your chess tactics antenna |
| Type of book: | Tactics |
| Level: | Intermediate/Advanced |
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