Fiancho Chess

Beginner level

Tactics Fundamentals

A structured workbook on the five basic tactical ideas: forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks and double attacks. Each one is explained on its own, shown in annotated examples, and then practiced in training positions with fully worked solutions.

Level
Beginner
Format
.zip with a PDF workbook and PGN files
Study
Self-paced, self-study
Delivery
Instant download link by email and on screen

Self-study material. This course is a written workbook with PGN files. There is no video, no live instruction, no coaching, and no feedback on your games.

Full contents

What the course covers

The workbook is organized into the parts below. Each part explains its ideas first, shows them in annotated examples, and then gives training positions with worked solutions.

  1. What makes a position tactical

    An opening section on the warning signs that tactics are available: undefended pieces, pieces lined up on the same file, rank or diagonal, and a king with few safe squares. These clues come up again in every chapter that follows.

  2. Forks

    Attacks on two targets with a single piece, starting with the knight and moving on to forks by pawns, bishops, rooks, queens and the king. Includes how a preliminary check or capture can set a fork up.

  3. Pins

    Absolute and relative pins, how to win material by adding pressure to a pinned piece, and how to break a pin when you are the one caught in it.

  4. Skewers

    The skewer as the reverse of a pin: a valuable piece is attacked and has to move, exposing the piece behind it. Covers skewers along files, ranks and diagonals, including skewers against the king.

  5. Discovered attacks

    Moving one piece to unmask an attack from another, including discovered checks and double checks, and why the piece that moves is so often free to cause damage of its own.

  6. Double attacks

    Threats against two targets at once using any combination of pieces, including moves that combine a mating threat with a threat to win material.

  7. Mixed training positions

    A closing set of positions where the theme is not announced in advance, so the first task is recognizing which idea fits. Every position has a fully worked solution.

Inside the workbook

Preview pages

Illustrations of representative pages, showing how the workbook is laid out: a training position, a worked solution and a section from the explanations.

Preview of a training position page: white to moveA workbook page showing a chessboard diagram, white to move, with the task: Find the move that wins material.FIANCHO CHESSTACTICS FUNDAMENTALSTRAINING POSITIONWhite to moveabcdefgh87654321Find the move that wins material.The worked solution follows in the solutions section.
Training positionA board diagram with the task stated underneath, the way every training position is set out.
Preview of a worked solution page: The knight fork on c7A workbook page with a small diagram and the worked solution. 1.Nc7+ The knight checks the king on e8 and attacks the rook on a8 at the same time. 1...Kd7 2.Nxa8 Every king move leaves the rook undefended, and White wins a whole rook.FIANCHO CHESSTACTICS FUNDAMENTALSWORKED SOLUTIONThe knight fork on c7POSITIONWhite to moveTHEMEKnight fork1.Nc7+The knight checks the king on e8 andattacks the rook on a8 at the same time.1...Kd7 2.Nxa8Every king move leaves the rookundefended, and White wins a whole rook.
Worked solutionThe full solution line with the defensive tries and a plain-language explanation of each step.
Preview of an explanation page: The knight forkA workbook page from the explanations. A fork is a single move that attacks two or more targets at once. The knight is the most common forking piece: its attack cannot be blocked, and its L-shaped move is easy for a defender to overlook. Key idea: Look for a square from which a knight would attack two valuable or undefended pieces at the same time. A check is the strongest first target, because the opponent must answer it before saving anything else.FIANCHO CHESSTACTICS FUNDAMENTALSEXPLANATIONThe knight forkA fork is a single move that attacks twoor more targets at once. The knight is themost common forking piece: its attackcannot be blocked, and its L-shaped moveis easy for a defender to overlook.KEY IDEALook for a square from which a knightwould attack two valuable or undefendedpieces at the same time.A check is the strongest first target,because the opponent must answer itbefore saving anything else.
From the explanationsAn explanation section introducing an idea, with a key point set apart for quick review.

Who it’s for

  • Players who know the rules and how the pieces move, and want a systematic introduction to tactics.
  • Players who often miss short tactics in their own games and want to study the patterns one at a time.
  • Adult learners and older juniors who prefer a written workbook they can study at their own board.

Who it isn’t for

  • Complete newcomers still learning how the pieces move. The course assumes you know the rules.
  • Experienced players looking for long, complex combinations. The positions here focus on clear ideas.
  • Anyone looking for video lessons or personal feedback. This is a self-study workbook.

The download

What’s in the .zip

One download holds the whole course. Open the PDF in any PDF reader and load the PGN files into any chess software or online analysis board that opens PGN files. The FAQ explains how to open both.

  • PDF workbookThe explanations, board diagrams, training positions and fully worked solutions, organized by chapter.
  • PGN filesEvery position and line in the course, so you can load them into any chess software or online analysis board that opens PGN files.

Delivery and refunds

Your download link arrives by email right after payment and is shown on the confirmation screen. Any purchase can be refunded in full within 14 days, no reason required.

Delivery PolicyRefund Policy