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lists 10 benefits to solving chess puzzles.
Here are some of my favourite chess puzzle sources.
For those who prefer puzzle books, Martin Bennedik from ChessPuzzle.net wrote two excellent volumes, one for beginners and one for intermediate players. The answers at the back provide detailed explanations. I’m vision-impaired, yet I don’t find the size of print difficult to manage if I wear my reading glasses. Check out Beginner Chess Puzzles: 500 Practice Exercises to Take Your Game to the Next Level and Intermediate Chess Puzzles: 500 Practice Exercises to Take Your Game to the Next Level.
For a very moderate one-time cost (about $15CAD each), the Chess King Puzzle apps offer hundreds of puzzles on a single theme for each app. I’ve so far purchased the Mate-in-1, Simple Defense, and Capturing Pieces 1 apps. I have the free versions of Elementary Chess Tactics 1, Chess Combinations Volume 1, Chess Endings for Beginners, and Chess Middle Game 1. The paid versions allow you to have one or perhaps two additional users. This feature is great if you want to restart from the beginning. I’ve done this for the Mate-in-1 app.
My playing style is forceful and aggressive. I hate closed positions and willingly sacrifice knights and bishops to gain space.
I have a mental block which prevents me from doing any puzzles that require more than one move. Perhaps if I do enough puzzles, that will change.
I describe an approach I’d like to use for puzzles, but rarely take the time for in Don’t Rush to Solve Chess Puzzles. I wrote it in 2021 and should really reread it.
