Tactics Quiz 1
Tactics are one of the most important keys to understanding chess. The best way to understand tactics is to practice with lots of tactical problems. With this Tactics Quiz we begin a series of tactical quizzes to challenge you and make you a stronger chess player. Thanks to Richard James and his awesome site ChessKIDS.com for providing the positions for the Tactics Quiz 1.
If the White pieces are at the bottom of the diagram it's White's move. If the Black pieces are at the bottom of the diagram it's Black's move. Answers to these problems are all one move and vary from winning a minor piece (a knight or bishop) to forcing mate. Solutions are at the end of the quiz. Let us know how you do! Good Luck!
Problem 1
Problem 2
Problem 3
Problem 4
Problem 5
Problem 6
Problem 7
Problem 8
Problem 9
Problem 10
Solutions
1...e5!
2. Re5!
3. Bd6!
4...Rf8+!
5...Qe7!
6...Ne2+!
7. Nd6+!
8...Nb3!
9. Qxg6+!
10. g6+!
Comments
Problem 8 did have an error in the diagram--it's fixed now, the black pawn on d4 has been replaced with a black knight.
Posted by: Dan DeLuca | November 21, 2006 09:33 PM
...er, about those Staunton pieces in 2-D: I guess if you tip them all over you could tell them apart easier, but somehow that just doesn't seem 'natural' to me...
Great job on this site, Dan. Thanks.
Posted by: Al Kinney | November 21, 2006 08:21 PM
Personally, I like the graphics used in these exercises - I find other designs such as Staunton's to be quite difficult to discern from the bird's-eye view provided in 2-D displays. (The tops of most of the pieces are too alike in both size and style to differentiate easily, especially against a board with dark and light wooden-squares when natural dark and light wooden-pieces are represented...
...but - ?hello? - am I the only one to scratch my head to the answer given for problem 8?! I checked more than once, and I can't seem to find a Knight anywhere on that board...
Posted by: Al Kinney | November 21, 2006 08:12 PM
It would be great if we could have that funky option back. We always look at the same setup. I appreciate the effort for originality, so did my students!
Posted by: Andy | November 20, 2006 02:31 PM
We got the message loud and clear! Hope you like the new fonts.
Posted by: Dan DeLuca | November 19, 2006 10:29 PM
I think the diagrams make it way too difficult to look at the board. I can't even figure out which one is the rook! And when the figure it mostly hidden (like what could be a bishop on d5 on the second to last diagram), it is very hard to take in the position. If possible, please change to regular boards and pieces!
Posted by: Anonymous | November 19, 2006 06:11 PM
the tactics quize is great but I was instantly turned off because of the pieces. Stick to the STAUNTON DESIGN which is only set used in world tournaments. Pieces look pretty but I would never play with them.. let alone have them in my house..
Posted by: Frederick A. Larson | November 19, 2006 09:25 AM
what's with the CRAZY chess diagrams? i am alone in liking traditional 2d layouts for study???
Posted by: everamzah | November 19, 2006 08:32 AM