1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners by IM Thomas Willemze

A three-step training plan to turn you into a tactical wizard

Do you ever wonder how the best tacticians got to where they are? Are they simply geniuses born with superior calculation skills?

Not at all! All great players started learning tactics by studying the endgame.

Why would you study the last part of the game you ask? Because the endgame, with enough space and minimal distraction from other pieces, is the ideal environment to understand how pieces interact with each other.

What the plan entails:

⭐Step 1 will get you up to speed on basic tactical patterns, broken down into two chapters: mates in 1 and winning a piece in two moves. After drilling these, you will start to see them naturally over the board and the pattern recognition will set you up for more advanced tactics.

⭐Step 2 adds a preparatory move to the basic combinations with two chapters: mates in 2 and winning a piece in three moves.

⭐Step 3 focuses on defense from your opponent’s threats again broken down into two chapters on king defense and defending your pieces.

Each chapter is further broken down into different sections, where you start with a single queen. From there, the complexity of the problems gradually increases until you are asked to coordinate three different pieces.

The idea is to prioritize accuracy over speed in solving the problems. By taking your time from the beginning, your speed will naturally increase and you will recognize these tactical patterns as well as your recognize how the pieces move.

Based on the successfully proven Steps Method

The author, International Master Thomas Willemze, gradually instills tactical knowledge in the course using the famous Dutch Steps Method, a method recognized by chess training experts as being particularly effective. He knows a thing or two about it too, having won the Dutch youth championship three times, the first at just 8 years old.

This of course all makes him a natural when it comes to teaching, as evidenced by him being head coach of the Dutch youth team for three years. To boot he’s got several hit Chessable courses, so you’re in the best hands possible here.

Now he wants to make sure you have the foundations to spot tactics, and he makes sure you have fun doing so. You’ll be quizzed on the most important techniques with flash cards followed by end-of-chapter tests. He’s also added a community chapter, so you can share your experiences and thoughts in comments so the community can learn and grow together.

Ready to start delivering tactical blows? Get 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners today!