The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics

Chess Tactics, Calculation, and Pattern recognition skills that will enable you to create beautiful winning combinations

4.50 (1198 reviews)
Udemy
platform
English
language
Gaming
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instructor
10,040
students
21.5 hours
content
Aug 2023
last update
$109.99
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What you will learn

Be able to use a fundamental understanding of chess tactics and combinations to sky-rocket your results and rating

Be able to make sure opportunities are not missed in Calculation using Weakness of last move, Common squares, and "In-Effect"

Be able to make use of the important tactical motifs like Fork, Deflection, Decoy, Pins, Discovered Checks, and many more etc

Be able to get a feel for downsides of opponents position which could imply a combination exists

Be able to use chess combinations to often win by force from positions where no issues visually seem present

Be able to know the philosophies of great tactical examples explained in depth and re-use them in your own games

Be able to use inspirational calculation aids such as "The power of the pinned piece is illusionary" and "Combine and win"

Be able to understand the importance of the prioritisation of forcing moves when calculating to limit the opponent's replies

Be able to appreciate the examples of combinations from the World chess champions

Be able to exploit the default downside often of the Weak Back Rank

Be able to exploit your passed pawn potential through tactical means

Be able to exploit loose piece liabilities of the opponent

Be able to exploit King safety issues of the opponent

Be able to detect tactical issues and "celebrate" them using the concept word of "down-sides" throughout the examples

Be able to understand the Fundamentals of Chess Tactics - Forcing moves, checks, captures, threats of mate and limiting opponent options in general

Be able to match appropriate combinations with the downsides of the opponents position

Be able to maximise the differential imposed between strengths of your position and opponent weaknesses

Be able to play brilliant and beautiful chess combinations - but be warned you may lose sleep over them

Be able to detect if combinations exist using various approaches of detection and examples

Be able to finish off opponents quickly and get a new game in the all-you-can eat online tournaments

Be able to play with very high accuracy sharp combinations

Be able to recognise all the key mating patterns that have been established through Chess History

Be able to practice with multiple examples all key tactical instruments which are part of combinations

Description

FIDE CM Kingscrusher has one goal of the course. And that is to make you a much stronger tactician than ever before in your life. You should be in a much better position by training with this course to create beautiful chess combinations on the chessboard which feature a wide range of patterns and demonstrate amazing calculation ability.  In short, the goal of the course is to make you a very strong chess tactician and help you enjoy your chess to the absolute maximum.

This course has a structure which is essentially is "process" and "patterns".

PROCESS: The Art of Chess Calculation

The "process" aspect is the art of chess calculation. Even if you didn't know a single tactical pattern by name, you could still play amazing tactics just with great calculation which the course gives you a solid foundation in. Yes, even if you didn't know your forks from your pins, the "Process" part of the course as in the art of calculation would still enable you to play great chess combinations using an entire orchestra of tactical patterns without even knowing their names.

But training yourself on patterns will enhance your art of calculation and you will be able to name the key tactical patterns which are important for searching them out to practice and discuss with others as well as prompt during your calculations.

"Process" is like the software of your chess mind. "Patterns" are like the Content for that software. You need both the software and the content to be really effective as a tactician!. 

==================

PROCESS -><-PATTERNS


YOUR STRENGTHS OF POSITION (PLUSSES +'s) ====> MATCH WITH <=== (MINUSES -'s)

DOWNSIDES OF OPPONENTS POSITION (FOR MAXIMUM DIFFERENTIAL between the PLUS AND MINUS)


BOTTOM UP APPROACHES >----< TOP DOWN APPROACHES

==================


Patterns help feed the process of calculation. Your goal often is to create a maximum differential between the strengths of your position which can be realised from very strong calculation skills and the downsides of the opponent's position which often requires a trained intuition and eye for potential downsides to ensure you are even aware combinational solutions might exist.

==================

PATTERNS: Tactical Patterns, Mating Patterns, Weakness of Position patterns.

The "patterns" aspect is divided into three key "pattern" areas:

Bold ones below represent really key and frequent visitors to most people's games

Tactical Patterns (alphabetically)

These tactical patterns are very useful to practice and help internalise.

  1. Absolute Pin

  2. Advanced Pawn

  3. Annihilation of Defence

  4. Alekhine’s Gun

  5. Attraction

  6. Battery

  7. Blockading defensive resources

  8. Capture

  9. Capture the Defender

  10. Checks - gaining key tempo e.g. winning material via checks

  11. Clearance

  12. Combine and Win tactics

  13. Connected passed pawns

  14. Counterplay management move

  15. Counter Threat

  16. Cross-check

  17. Cross-pin

  18. Decoy

  19. Deflection

  20. Demolition of Pawns around opponent's king

  21. Demolition of Pawn Structure

  22. Desperado

  23. Discovered Attack

  24. Domination

  25. Double Attack

  26. Double Check

  27. Draw Tactics

  28. Endgame Tactics

  29. Exchange sacrifice

  30. f2 (or f7) weakness

  31. Forcing Moves

  32. Fork

  33. Goal Hanging Tactics e.g. N on f5 (also see Thorn pawn)

  34. Greek Gift Sacrifice

  35. Indirect Defense

  36. Interference

  37. Intermediate move (synonym: Zuichenzug)

  38. King Aggression in Endgames

  39. King Chase

  40. Liberational tactics

  41. Opposition

  42. Overload the defender

  43. Weakness of last move

  44. Passed pawn creation

  45. Pawn-Fork

  46. Pawn Tactics

  47. Pawn Breakthrough

  48. Perpetual Attack

  49. Perpetual Check

  50. Pins - Absolute

  51. Pins - Relative

  52. Pins - Celebration

  53. Positional Tactic

  54. Prophylaxis move

  55. Removing King Escape Squares

  56. Rook lift

  57. Sacrifice (Positional)

  58. Sacrifice (calculated)

  59. Simplification

  60. Queen and Bishop Battery

  61. Quiet but killer move (greatly used in Alekhine combinations)

  62. Relative Pin

  63. Remove the Defender

  64. Sacrifice

  65. Simplification

  66. Situational Pin

  67. Soft spot sacrifice

  68. Strategic Crush tactic - e.g. locking in bishop, good knight

  69. Skewer

  70. Stalemate Tactics

  71. Tempo Tactics

  72. Thorn Pawns

  73. Threat making

  74. Trapped Piece

  75. Triangulation

  76. Two Rooks Battery

  77. Two Rooks on 7th Rank

  78. Under-promotion

  79. Weak Back-Rank

  80. Weakness of last move

  81. Windmill

  82. X-Ray

  83. X-Ray Attack

  84. X-Ray Defense

  85. Zugzwang

  86. Zwischenzug

Mating Patterns (alphabetically)

These mating patterns are useful to practice and help internalise.

  1. Anastasia's mate

  2. Anderssen's mate

  3. Arabian mate

  4. Back-rank mate

  5. Bishop and knight mate

  6. Blackburne's mate

  7. Blind swine mate

  8. Boden's mate

  9. Box mate (Rook mate)

  10. Combine and Win Mate

  11. Corner mate

  12. Cozio's mate

  13. Damiano's bishop mate

  14. Damiano's mate

  15. David and Goliath mate

  16. Double bishop mate

  17. Dovetail mate

  18. Epaulette mate

  19. Fool’s mate

  20. Greco's mate

  21. Hook mate

  22. Kill Box mate

  23. King and two bishops mate

  24. King and two knights mate

  25. Ladder checkmate

  26. Légal mate

  27. Lolli's mate

  28. Max Lange's mate

  29. Mayet's mate

  30. Morphy's mate

  31. Opera mate

  32. Pillsbury's mate

  33. Queen mate

  34. Réti's mate

  35. Smothered mate

  36. Support mate

  37. Suffocation mate

  38. Swallow's tail mate

"Opponent Downsides" aka "Tactical Issues" aka "Tactical Liabilities" aka "Weakness of Position" Patterns

These help you intuitively identify if a combination may exist in the position.

  1. Awkward Pieces (trappable)

  2. King Safety Issues e.g. Back rank

  3. Loose pieces (unprotected)

  4. Overworked pieces

  5. Pieces away from King

  6. Tactical Liabilities in general

  7. Weaknesses in general

Content

Introduction: Material points system, importance of tactics and key definitions

What is a chess tactic?
The relative value of the pieces - and the King as the ultimate prize
The Dynamic perspective needed to become a master tactician
Sun Tzu "Art of War" principles applied to Chess
Importance of Chess Tactics - for finishing off games efficiently
Importance of chess tactics for checkmating opponent's king
Importance of chess tactics for winning material
What is a sacrificial combination?
Do combinations need sacrifices? - CC World Champion Cecil Purdy Example
The presence of combinations - downsides vs combinational motifs (romanovsky)
What is calculation - Is it a a form of awareness or further learning?
What is Evaluation?
Why prioritise forcing moves like checks, captures, mating threats
What is a variation as opposed to main line?
What is a pattern?
Kingscrushers three golden tips when calculating variations
Other major emerging opportunities when calculating - square vacation
A tribute to Philip Dodderidge

World Chess Champion Inspirational Tactical Combination Examples

Adolf Anderssen vs Felix Kieseritzky
Paul Morphy vs Duke Karl and Count Isouard - "Opera game"
Wilhelm Steinitz vs Mikhail Chigorin example
Lasker vs Bauer example
Capablanca vs Fonaroff
Alexander Alekhine vs Vasic
Max Euwe example
Botvinnik vs Keres example
Gerasimov vs Smyslov example
Mikhail Tal vs Bent Larsen example
Petrosian Combination vs Boris Spassky
Bent Larsen vs Boris Spassky example
Bobby Fischer vs Myagmarsuren example
Karpov vs Korchnoi example
Kasparov vs Karpov example

PROCESS: Beginners to Advanced: Deep dive: The art of calculation

Compensating for being human philosophy
Only think about downsides of Opponent'sposition but train with tactic patterns
Establishing Exploitable weaknesses and Tactical targets
Tactical dreams for reverse engineering during actual games
Deep dive exploration of the word "down-sides" as opposed to say weaknesses
Why calculate anything? - Magnus Carlsen example
Tactical unification theory - Magnus Carlsen vs Vishy Anand example
The lust for micro-downsides - appreciate significance of all insignificances
Prioritise forcing moves - cannot check every single move in position
Sometimes forcing moves have downsides
Kingscrushers 3 GOLDEN Key calculation tips overview
Deep Dive: Check for weaknesses of last move
Deep Dive: Checking Killer common square opportunities
Deep Dive: checking the "in effect" clause
Calculation prompts - Are they always just catchy quotations?
Deep dive: Check all checks prompt - some checks are more equal than others!
Deep dive: Highest priority forcing moves - Check all checks,captures,threats
Loose pieces drop off or cause problems (implies Double attack, Forks)
Deep Dive: Combine and win prompt - why more powerful than Battery prompt

Common combination move types which common tactics make use of

Overwhelming threats - e.g. discovery and double attacks
Moves which create Threats that can't be parried easily without concessions
FORCING MOVES which lead to advantage
Forcing move Example #2 - Carlsen vs Shirov
Forcing move Example #3
CELEBRATE Weakness of opponents last move successfully
Moves which mate or gain advantage through emerging killer common squares
Sacrifice type moves which lead to advantage
Tempo Gaining moves that lead to advantage
Tempo Gaining moves Example #2
Forcing moves and captures that lead to advantage and don't help the opponent
Calculation related: Checks - gaining key tempo e.g. winning material via checks
Calculation related: Checks - Example #2
Mating net construction type moves aka Removing Escape Squares
Mating net construction type moves Example #2
Mating net construction - Example #3

PATTERNS: TIER 1 IMPORTANT OFFICIALLY NAMED TACTICS

Battery ( a very common tactic)
Captures (a very common forcing move)
Decoy
Decoy Example #2
Deflections
Deflection Example #2
Desperado
Discovered Attack
Discovered Attack - Example #2
Discovered Attack (with Tempo!) - Example #3
Discovered Check
Double attacks and Forks Introduction
Double attack Example #1
Double attack Example #2
Double attack Example #3 - nice opening trap to make use of with it
Double attack Example #4 - Siberian trap vs Smith Morra Gambit
Double check
Double check Example #2
Double check Example #3
Hanging Piece aka Winning material
Interference aka Disconnection tactics aka throwing spanner the works
Interference Example #2
Interference Example #3
Interference Example #4
Opposition (an important type of Endgame tactic)
Overloading aka Overworking
Passed pawn creation
Passed pawn creation - example #2
Passed pawn creation - Example #3
Passed pawn creation - Example #4
Pawn break positional tactic
Perpetual Check
Perpetual Check - Example #2
Pin - Absolute
Pin - Absolute - Example #2
Pin - Absolute - Example #3
Pin - Relative (rebelling against!)
Pin - Relative (rebelling against!) - Example #2
Pin - Relative - Opening trap example #3
Pin - Relative - Opening trap example #4
Pin Celebration
Skewers - Absolute (like a reverse pin)
Skewers - Absolute - Example #2
Skewers - Relative
Prophylaxis move aka Threat prevention aka Counterplay management
Queening a pawn
Removing the Guard aka Removing the Defender aka Deflection Example #1
Removing the Guard - Example #2
Sacrifice (calculated)
Sacrifice example #2
Removing the Defender aka Removing the Guard aka Undermining
Removing the Guard Example #2
Removing the guard Example #3
Simplification
Simplifcation - Example #2
Unprotected piece
Unprotected piece - Example #2
Unprotected piece - Example #3
Weakness inducing tactics
Weakness inducing tactics - Example #2
Weakness inducing tactics - Example #3
X-Ray (xrays are going "through" other pieces)
X-Ray - Example #2
X-Ray - Example #3
X-Ray example #4

TIER 2 IMPORTANT TACTICS

Blockade tactic
Blockade tactic - Example #2
Clearance (square, line diagonal) aka "Get out of the way tactic"
Clearance (with Tempo!) - Example #2
Clearance (with Tempo!) - Example #3
Connected passed pawns
Greek Gift Sacrifice
Queen Sacrifice (calculated)
Queen sacrifice (calculated) Example #2
Queen sacrifice (calculated) Example #3
Soft spot aka Weak Spot/ Weak square such as f7/f2 sacrifice
Trapped piece
Trapped piece - Example #2
Thorn Pawns aka Wedge pawns
Thorn pawns - Example #2
Thorn Pawn example #3
Windmill aka See-Saw checks
Zwischenzug (in-between move or intermediate move or unexpected move)
Zugzwang (compulsion to move)

TIER 3 IMPORTANT TACTICS

Alekhine's Gun (Combine and win)
Annihalation of Defence (aka Demolition)
Annihilation of Defence - example #2
Annihilation of Defence - example #3
Pin of f2/f7 pawn
Pin on f27/f7 pawn - Example #2
Fortress tactic
Fortess tactic - Example #2 - Michael Adams vs Hydra supercomputer
King Aggression in Endgames
King Chase aka King Hunt
King Chase aka King Hunt - Example #2
King Walk in middlegame
Pawn Storm (often results in Thorn pawns)
Queen Sacrifice (Real or Positional)
Quiet but killer move (greatly used in Alekhine combinations)
Rook lift
Sacrifice (Positional)
Stalemate tactics
Stalemate tactics - Example #2
Under-promotion
Under-promotion example #2

PATTERNS: The most Important Checkmate Combination principles and Patterns

Introduction - maximising the independence - eg bishop vs queen but same pattern
Elements of checkmates - support mate, Remove or celebrating few escape squares
Elements of checkmates during practical games - forcing move calculations
Creating your own mating net by removing escape squares and having killer check
Creating mating net - Example #2
Back row mate - Example #1
Back row mate - Example #2
Back row mate - Example #3
Back row mate - Example #4 (Really hard!)
Back row mate pattern - Example #5 (Pretty hard!)
Back row mate - Example #6
Back row mate - Example #7
Box mate (especially in endgames)
Queen mate ( a support mate type)
Smothered Mate
Smothered Mate example #2
Smothered Mate example #3 - Opening trap
Smothered Mate example #4
Smothered Mate example #5
Smothered mate - Example #6 - Blackburne Shilling Trap
Killer Common Square mates aka Support mates
KIller Common Squares Example #2

PATTERNS: CHECKMATING - more specialist patterns

Introduction part 2: Be excited about lack of escape squares
Arabian Mate - Example #2
Anastasia’s Mate Pattern (rook and knight - rook making the check)
Anastasia's Mate Pattern - Magnus Carlsen example
Anderssen’s Mate
Anderssen's Mate Example #2
Anderssen's Mate Example #3 - Kingscrusher game
Anderssen's Mate Example #4 - Kingscrusher game
Arabian Mate ( a type of support mate)
Balestra Mate (similar to Boden's mate)
Blackburne’s Mate
Blackburne's Mate - Example #2 - a great points scorer!
Blind Swine Mate
Boden’s Mate
Corner Mate
Corridor Mate (maximises back row mate usage - rank || file || diagonal )
Cozio’s Mate (Dovetail Mate) KEY: ESC SQUARES: Opponent pieces CHECK: QUEEN
Cozio's Mate - Example #2
Damiano’s Mate ( a type of support mate)
Damiano's Bishop Mate (a type of support mate)
David and Goliath Mate
David and Goliath Mate Example #2
David and Goliath Mate Example #3
Epaulette Mate
Fool’s Mate
Greco’s Mate
Hook Mate
Hook Mate Example #2
Kill Box Mate
Lawnmower Mate aka Ladder checkmate
Lawnmower mate - Example #2
Lawnmower mate - Example #3
Legal’s Mate
Lolli’s Mate ( a type of support mate making use of a Thorn pawn)
Max Lange’s Mate ( a type of support mate)
Mayet’s Mate ( a specific type of Anderssen's mate)
Mayet's mate - Example #2
Mayet's mate - Example #3
Morphy’s Mate
Opera Mate
Pillsbury’s Mate
Railroad Mate (more of a process than a pattern)
Reti’s Mate
Scholar’s Mate (a type of support mate)
Suffocation Mate
Swallow’s Tail Mate (Gueridon Mate)
Triangle mate
Vukovic Mate
Vukovic Mate - Example #2 from the "Game of the Century"

PATTERNS: Beginners to Advanced: DETECTING DOWNSIDES IN POSITION

Introduction: tactical liabilities generally to train to see from a distance
Celebrating Default downsides: Backrow mate weakness to advantage
Piece related issues: Unprotected pieces
Insufficiently protected pieces
Piece related issues: Trappable pieces
Piece related issues: Overloaded or Overworked pieces
King issue: King has no air (luft) - few escape squares
King issue: King in the Center issue
King issue: King in the Center Example #2
King issue: Back rank issues
King safety issue: Opponent Pieces far from their King
King Safety issues - exposed King
Undefended or Loose pieces issue
Piece pressure
Weaknesses generally
Weaknesses of square colour

Tips and tricks for training tactical and combinational abilities

Solving puzzles without clues or tags shown
Don't aim to solve puzzles quickly - aim to learn all philosophies possible
Don't guess moves - see whole solution in advance including all defenses
Don't guess - example #2
Abstracting patterns and philosophies from each puzzle position solution

Kingscrusher's memorable personal tactical game examples

Game vs IM Colin Crouch
Game vs IM Dr Kopec
Crushing top US Grandmaster Sam Shankland - inspired from British Championship
Qf6 in ICC game vs FM Kromos
Hammering GM Ludvig Hammer - Magnus Carlsen's second at very high speed
Queen sacrifice leading to a sleepless night
A subtle pin related tactic vs Murugan (FIDE 2420)
g6 tactic vs Bagri - appreciating significance of seemingly insignifant
Game vs GM David Norwood
Game vs GM David Howell

Conclusions and philosophical points

Conclusions and Philosophical points

Screenshots

The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics - Screenshot_01The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics - Screenshot_02The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics - Screenshot_03The Complete Guide to Chess Tactics - Screenshot_04

Reviews

Evaldo
November 15, 2023
The content of this tactical course seems very good to me. However, the speech is not very enthusiastic and I do not feel very compelled to continue and finish the lessons. It's a shame, because the content is excellent. Maybe because I am not a native English speaker.
Shrikant
October 5, 2023
The speech of the instructor is not very clear, moreover the course is not structured in an engaging way. The instructor delves on not so very important and uninteresting material for quite long right at the start of the course and it becomes quite difficult to keep up my interest.
David
August 30, 2023
Dude, I have already noticed a dramatic shift in my chess playing abilities within the first twelve videos!
Brian
August 21, 2023
yes, I 'm almost 70 and just started into learning chess recently....Have already purchased a number of chess courses from Udemy
James
July 9, 2023
This course is exactly what I was hoping for and more. KingCrusher did something very smart. Instead of presenting static course material (tactic plus diagrams etc) he gives us the tools to think for ourselves by presenting and transferring knowledge at a conceptual level. Understanding things this way is much more effective than just going through static lists of tactics etc. I think what he has done is no easy task. Bravo!
michael
June 29, 2023
I found this course a joy to watch. The course is very comprehensive, which I was concerned I would find too much. However Tyfon Gavriel is an amazing instructor. His love of the game is infectious and make learning and practising tactics fun. I feel like I have a much greater understanding of chess tactics which I have implemented them in my games and continue to improve. I have enrolled on another of Tyfon's courses and hope I enjoy it as much as this one.
David
June 11, 2023
I am so glad I came across Tryfon Gavriel’s instructional videos. I have learned so much from this course. It is well structured and Tryfon does a wonderful job with explaining the application of the different tactics. Since purchasing this course I have purchased several of his other programs. Tryfon is the chess coach I always wish I had. His videos are thorough and very well done. Highly recommend.
David
May 19, 2023
This course is amazing! I am learning so much from it. Tryfon has a way of explaining the concepts which makes things easier to learn and remember. He has a way of making you see the magic in the chess positions. I am noticing an increase in my chess wins online which I attribute to taking his tactics course. I highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to improve their chess tactics.
Mitchell
May 1, 2023
I love this instructor! He speaks with clarity all throughout this painstakingly put together course. I'm a better chess player for it. Also, the instructor is a really nice guy. Haha. How can I not give five stars. "Thanks very much."
Anthony
April 28, 2023
As a 1300+ on way to 1400 finding tactics essential, and this is an excellent course to expose you to so many.
Lukas
April 15, 2023
i immediatly gave 5 Stars here, because you know from the get go that this course is gonna be amazing. this guy loves chess through and through, you can feel it & its amazing
Lance
April 14, 2023
I'm getting very valuable insight from a true master of Chess. I'm learning aspects of chess in a new and enlightening way. The teacher has a great way of relating things and the course is a lot of fun. I'm really enjoying it!
Christopher
April 9, 2023
Perfect for me. Great examples to amplify the point KC is making, definitely feel educated by this course.
Richard
January 3, 2023
This is a very good lecture. The course is didactically very well-put. The messages get very clear. The style of calm, friendly, and joyful teaching is very sympathetic and motivating. Content and presentation are clear and convincing. Fun to learn with this set of lectures. Very motivating. Thank you! Really powerful lecture!
Dustin
October 1, 2022
Love this course! Also took Tryfon's London System course and got a lot of great ideas. He is an exceptional instructor.

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10/7/2020
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