very beginner tactics for a person that can play but knows nothing of tactics.

Hello,

I have been playing chess on and off for years and am good compaired to the casual player like myself. I never learned the tactics and strats that are out there but I would very much like to learn.

can anyone recommend a vid here or somewhere to trat at the very basics that will start to teach me some of the things? The vids i've seen so far show some moves but don't go into great detail on "why" you want/should do it. 

Thanks for any advice you all could give.

tactics trainer....learn at the top of page,click on t.t and click on start training.

Checkmate problems for chess.

Also study Go(wei chi):  http://tsumego.tasuki.org/?page=tsumego  <<Life and death problems here, some as old as 1348 AD, China.

IM Danny Rensch has an absolutely killer video series on tactics that is just what you need, although as yiquan suggested the tactics courses on Chess Mentor should be on your "must do" list as well.