I know there is a lot of emphasis on tactics training in modern chess with all of the puzzle books and chess software such as ct art, etc. but my question is how the hell did guys like anderssen and them train to get their tactical ability to be so sick. ok maybe some were natural if there is such a thing, but i know at LEAST a few had to work on their game... so how did they manage to get so good at combinations. is there another way to train tactical ability other then solvingg puzzles. did they get good just from playing.. anyone have a clue/?

Playing a zillion games I guess, and doing studies.

They wrote positions (and copied books) into hand written note books

Seriously, in the days up to Morphy and Anderssen great players were thought to have a "chess daemon" (not a personal possession by Satan or his minions, rather an inexplicable talent). So those guys didn't train, they thought and created on the spot new things, and everyone else followed in their wake.

damn..

All the stuff people think they are 'doing' by running a computer, these geeks had to do for real, by hand. They'd study games on a wooden chess set and write down variations that occurred to them, trying to see if sacrifices etc were sound. They'd ponder over opening systems with no external aids and databases etc, different indiviuals would come to their own conclusions and select their own personal repetoire.

I Know these things, I'm extremely OLD!

Yeah I was always curious about that,  Us, contemporary chess addicts have magazines, books, chess sites, .... What did they have? I don't don't think imagination alone cuts it.  I think aliens helped them, from planet chess.  " here learn this game, humanoid!  It will help us to selfdistruct your planet for us, it's called skewers!"

Sounds like a great way to become a very strong chess player to me.

Don't believe the hype.

Some of us still do this. 

Also, the term 'differnt individuals' sticks with me....I guess it means as opposed to the same individuals?