Legal Attack: Chess - an Intellectual Board War

By Karthik Murugan

Tactics are the most important things to know in chess, so in order to win, tactics must be learned and mastered. Legal Attack is a guidebook intended for players who have just begun their journeys into the world of chess.

Chess basics are first introduced, followed by a focus on puzzles. This book has 300 chess puzzles categorized under 30 powerful chess tactics. Practicing these puzzles will help recognize standard patterns to improve and win your games. These puzzles are organized from simple to complex, gradually taking readers through the important aspects of chess. Puzzles elaborate on tactics, mates, and traps. The solutions to all the puzzles are at the end of the book, so students of this sport can refer to them at any time.

Almost all chess games are decided by a tactical blunder, so mastering the basics and developing an advanced technique will help players win every game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Dec 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781480897229

Karthik Murugan

Karthik Murugan is a ninth-grade student at Downingtown East High School, Downingtown, Pennsylvania. He has been playing chess since 2014. His peak USCF rating is approximately 1700. He has played 800 games in 170 USCF rated tournaments. He surpassed 1000 in the first 20 tournaments. Notably, he is a two-time Greater Mid-Atlantic Elementary Champion and a two-time Pennsylvania State Scholastic Bughouse Champion. He also won 2017 US Open National Elementary Chess Championship. Karthik’s other passion is long-distance running. He has been running the annual Blue Cross Broad Street Run, the United States’ largest ten-miler, since the age of ten, and he places well overall and within his age bracket. He recently finished a half marathon in one hour and forty-eight minutes. While he enjoys his daily outside runs, he was a middle school track team runner also. And this is me ...

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Copyright © 2020 Karthik Murugan.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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ISBN: 978-1-4808-9721-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-9722-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2020919245

Archway Publishing rev. date: 12/28/2020

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1 Chess Basics

Chapter 2 Basic Chess Puzzles

Chapter 3 Checkmates

Chapter 4 Advanced Chess Puzzles

Chapter 5 Traps

Chapter 6 Tips

Chapter 7 Strategy

Chess Quiz Answers

References

Solutions

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I want to thank NM Matthew O’Brien for guiding me and reviewing the chess content of this book. Mr. O’Brien is a National Master and one of the top chess players in the state of Pennsylvania.

Many thanks to Mr. Mark M. Wood, president of Wood Chess Club, for introducing chess to me, and my coaches—Mr. Joshua Anderson, president of the Tri-Bridges Chess Club, and NM Mr. Peter Minear—for taking me further through my chess journey. Mr. Minear is a four-time Pennsylvania state champion.

Thanks to Mrs. Deborah Kearney for her help with editing this book. Mrs. Kearney is the vice principal at Lionville Elementary School, Downingtown, Pennsylvania.

I also want to thank my dad, Saravanan Murugan, for bringing a shape to this book and supporting me all the way. Without the support and encouragement of each of these people, my book would not be the same.

INTRODUCTION

This book is intended for players who are starting their journey in chess and are interested and preparing themselves to play with players around 1000 Chess Federation rating.

It starts by introducing chess basics and then shifts its focus to puzzles. This book has 300 chess puzzles categorized under 30 powerful chess tactics. Each tactic has 10 puzzles. The first two puzzles are examples with arrows indicating the solution. The next eight puzzles are for the reader to solve. Practicing these puzzles will help recognize standard patterns to improve and win your games. Puzzles are organized from simple to more complex, gradually taking the reader through the important aspects of chess. Puzzles focus on tactics, mates, and traps. The solutions to all the tactics and quizzes are at the end of the book. Refer to them anytime you see fit. Mastering these tactics could help you win many games.

Almost all games experienced players play is decided by a tactical

blunder, usually the loss of a full piece.—Bruce Alberston.

In my opinion, tactics are the most important things

to