Ruy Lopez Tactics: Chess Opening Combinations and Checkmates (Sawyer Chess Tactics Book 1)

This Ruy Lopez Tactics gives you 500 positions from actual games that use combinations and checkmates in the opening. If you’re good at tactics, you’re good at chess. Opening theory may help you start well. Endgame knowledge may help you finish well. Tactical skill helps you win games and avoid losses. Tactics include pins, forks, removing the defender, attacking two pieces at the same time, and threatening to mate your opponent. The easiest path to tactical success is to recognize patterns that occur frequently in your favorite chess openings. Everyone knows a few positions. Here’s 500 in the Ruy Lopez. Tactical knowledge helps you to improve your winning chances. Take your opponent’s pieces. Pick off the pawns. Mate the king! To advance in chess, you need more than dumb luck. You need tactics. The purpose of this book is to teach you Ruy Lopez (or Spanish Game) tactics. I assume you can read algebraic chess notation. The White pieces are positioned at the bottom of each diagram. Above each diagram note who can move and win. It’s either White to play a tactical move or Black to play a tactical move. Some moves are simple and easy. Others are subtle and tricky. That’s chess – lots of obvious moves and lots of sneaky moves. Look at each diagram. It’s a key position ready for a tactical win. The final moves are in bold with a brief analysis or comment. Chess engines were used to ensure the accuracy of analysis. Follow the moves in your mind. The skill to visualize each new position without moving pieces improves your tactical strength. Games are arranged by ECO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings) coding (C60 to C99) from less popular to more popular moves. White tends to win more than Black due to having the first move, but C78 and C89 seem to win a fairly high percentage for Black. All the World Champions played the Ruy Lopez with success. In my hope to follow them, I won prize money with a Ruy Lopez in my first rated tournament in 1972. He’s played it over a thousand times in the last 48 years. It’s a good opening for winners. Are you ready to win? Buy Ruy Lopez Tactics, pick up your e-pawn, and go win! Read more