I recently read and reread "Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead," by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfred.  This is a basic book on tactics.  Explaining all of the motifs, with problems to go with each motif.  The good thing about each problem is, there is an explanation of the answer. 

About a year ago, I could not even get through the first 10 problems of Reinfred's "1001 Brilliant Chess Sacrifices and Combinations" but now I see how it worked out.  "Winning Chess" is his introductory to "1001."  Its very unfortunate that the book is now out of print, because its the best investment I could have made in terms of chess help.  Chess puzzles are great, but it takes a book like this and other tactics primer books that makes these puzzles most useful.  It's only when I understand what happened on the board, that the puzzle makes sense.

So if you're like me and having trouble with a lot of chess puzzles, get a great book like Winning Chess on tactical motifs that explains the ideas, then a tactics book or if u don't like setting up pieces, Tactics Trainer on chess.com or heck, use both.  This will do great things in improving your board vision. 

 

I love these chess tactics problems...

I'm sure you mean Fred Reinfeld and yes, he wrote some very good books. Everyone new to chess needs to put Reinfeld's work at the top of their book acquisition list.

Oh yeah, I enjoyed ReinFeld's books when I was a teen.  I am 51 now...and I wished I had kept those books.

Marshal_Dillon wrote: I'm sure you mean Fred Reinfeld and yes, he wrote some very good books. Everyone new to chess needs to put Reinfeld's work at the top of their book acquisition list.

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No, Chernev and Reinfeld wrote Winning Chess.  This book helped me learn tactics.  It's great!

"No, Chernev and Reinfeld wrote Winning Chess."

I think he was merely correcting the spelling - "by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfred" - in the original posting.

oh... oops