Product Description

This book is written to address an underemphasized area of chess training and study, the identification of and reaction to--threats. For beginner and intermediate-level players, the study of tactics is paramount. Almost all tactics books take the approach of providing a position where there is a forced win, checkmate or draw. However, Looking for Trouble takes a different tack. This book helps players to recognize threats by providing over 200 problems in which players can focus on identifying and meeting threats ranging from extremely easy to fiendishly difficult. The identification of difficult threats û and how to meet them û is discussed in a manner that accommodates players of all levels.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #125734 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 146 pages

About the Author
Dan Heisman is an experienced instructor and author. His previous works include Everyone's Second Chess Book and A Parent's Guide to Chess. His monthly column Novice Nook is one of the most popular at ChessCafe.

Customer Reviews

Good things come in small packages
I almost passed this one up but I'm sure glad I didn't. As a player rated in the 1600 - 1800 range, I'm often frustrated to see a "crushing" win swept away in one careless move. I get so wrapped up in my own plans that I often ignore those of my opponent. Ugh! Although it is easy to say "always try to understand what your opponent's move was threatening before making your move", I tend to play fast and impatiently (even when not in any time trouble). Heisman's book is great because it forces you to solve the problems in 2 stages - identify the threat, then figure out the remedy.

By working on these, I found that I started to automatically look more carefully at my opponent's moves. Heisman's examples also include some very common themes so I suspect "imprinting" these "tactical images" into my brain will also do me good. Great stuff!

By the way, as an earlier reviewer pointed out, I found that even some of the so-called easy challenges were sometimes difficult.

Good Positions - Decent Organizing
Overall I liked this book but found it difficult at certain points. It is not a good book for a lower rated player like the advertizing makes it seem. Not all the patterns found in this book are logically placed. But there are some good positions for understanding.

Learn to use the Sword in Chess
I did not think I could ever find a book to learn what chess is about, well at least one of the most important things in the game. Yes, chess is about making threats and stop them, and this book teaches how to do that in a very instructive way. If we ever want to become strong chess players, it is of essential nature learning to see our opponent's threats and meet them appropriately.

What you will find in this book is a very clear explanation about threats and how we can deal with them, and then a lot of excercises to train your mind and eye to find the threats on the chess board. This is the firs book I know that deviates from the traditional way of "White to play and win".

Stop loosing games because you did not see your opponent's threat, get this book and become stronger. I really liked it.