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- COMBINATIONS
-
- Solving combinations from actual play can, as well as being enjoyable
- in its own sake, can be a good way to improve your chess understanding
- and skill. There are many books on this theme, but having puzzles on
- disk has a number of advantages over a book. Firstly, a diagram on
- screen can be much larger than those in a book. Also, moves can
- actually be played on the screen, there is no need for a chessboard.
- Also, there is no temptation to cheat, or any chance of accidentally
- seeing the answers. Scores can also be calculated easily.
-
- Solving combinations helps develop different skills:
- -the ability to recognise signposts of a combination
- -quickness of sight of the board
- -seeing ahead moves
-
- The program positions vary considerably in difficulty and tend to get more
- difficult towards the end of a section. In some positions the combination
- will follow through to mate or a capture of material, in other cases the
- combination will finish when the remaining moves are fairly mundane.
- (They will either be obvious captures or useless interpositions to checks
- etc.) Some of the moves may be much harder to find than others.
-
- The defender will generally be playing fairly plausible moves, but in
- some cases will not be playing the best defence. This will often be to
- show an important feature of the combination.
-
- In a few positions there may be several winning moves. In these cases
- only one move will be taken as correct. In these cases you will have to
- persevere.
-
- Combinations will include opening, middlegame and endgame positions, but
- the vast majority will be middlegame combinations. All kinds of positions
- will be included.
-
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