Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to my good friend GM Adam Horvath, who each and every time helps me to collect, and select, the greatest puzzles of the most recent period.
As a professional chess player, I know exactly how important it is to perform well in tactical calculations. We face them so oft en that despite playing a great game, we can simply blunder something and throw away the point, causing ourselves sleepless nights!
For most players and chess fans, the biggest pleasure in a chess game is to beat an opponent with a beautiful combination — one which we can be proud of. However to be able to use all the given opportunities and not miss any of these chances, we must stay in sharp form all the time, which we can reach only by regularly solving puzzles.
Many puzzle books are based on artifi cial positions, or selected only for their beauty. Th e concept of my book is different. Th e highest priority is to “use the practical side of the puzzles” and take the level of calculation to a completely new dimension.
All the puzzles have been selected from recent games, trying to put the reader “in the shoes” of the player.
The difficulty of the diff erent sections might also give you the right evaluation of your current tactical skills and advance them even further.
I tried to mix three things in my book:
1. Provide a lot of fun in solving the puzzles;
2. Off er you a lot of diff erent tactical ideas, and of course;
3. Make them of direct practical use for your future games.
This last point is a very important factor to keep in mind — all the practical motifs from the book can definitely be used in your future games!
Enjoy!
Csaba Balogh
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