Chess Visualization Course,
Book 1: General Tactics
Description

The Chess Visualization Course, Book 1: General Tactics is 328 pages long and contains 800 visualization exercises. It measures 7x10" (17x25cm) and has a comb binding that allows the book to fold in half and lie almost completely flat, while the pages of the book turn with ease. The ability to fold the book in half makes it very easy to work with the book in a confined space.

Book 1 gives you an opportunity to practice your chess visualization skills using variations that run from 4 to 11 half-moves and beyond. It also allows you to practice expanding your vision from one sector of the board to two, three and more sectors.

It contains six sections and 26 chapters, each of which focuses on a particular theme. Sections 1 and 2 let you practice visualizing variations that occur in a single sector of the board, while Sections 3, 4, and 5 generally focus on two sectors of the board, while Section 6 focuses on variations that occur in three or more sectors of the board, plus variations that are typically longer than 11 ply.

SECTION 1 contains five chapters with 120 exercises that feature a series of exchanges on a single square, which we call the “hot spot.” This section illustrates the basic skills of counting attackers and defenders on a given square, keeping track of the material balance during a series of exchanges, and visualizing the resulting position.

SECTION 2 contains four chapters and 132 exercises and builds on the previous section by considering what can happen either before and/or after the series of exchanges, such as the preparatory build-up, the tactics that can show up after a series of exchanges, inducing a series of exchanges that leads to a won ending, and closing with some exercises that consider what can happen both before and after a series of exchanges.

SECTION 3 contains four chapters with 140 exercises that let you practice visualizing variations that cover two sectors of the board. Besides general tactics, it also covers exercises that feature imbalanced exchanges such as a piece for pawns or a Rook for a Bishop or Knight when the material balance has already been disturbed and exercises that illustrate an expansion of the position over various sectors of the board.

SECTION 4 contains five chapters with 136 exercises in which each player’s Queen is attacked by a piece of lesser value. It includes two chapters that feature desperado Queens, where the Queen voluntarily gives herself up for a piece of lesser value in order to achieve a greater material gain.

SECTION 5 contains four chapters with 132 exercises involving rabid Knights, Bishops, and pawns when that piece or pawn captures or threatens to capture an enemy piece or pawn on three or more moves in succession.

SECTION 6 contains four chapters with 140 exercises that cover three or more sectors of the board, as well as exercises with longer variations.

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