Who is KEBU Chess Tactics software suitable for?

KEBU Chess Tactics consists of 1,000 tactics for beginners, intermediate, and advanced players. Beginners will need to know some basics such as how the pieces move and the relative value of the pieces. Those pre-requisites would be enough for a beginner to start deriving benefit from the training software immediately.

If you are a bit (or very) experienced – the software will almost certainly contain hundreds of tactics suited for you in the intermediate and advanced sections (and, perhaps, some of the beginner material will also be of interest).

Even GMs are likely to find material here of use, but for players anywhere below 2200, there is plenty here for you.

To find out for yourself, I recommend downloading the free version here.

What was the criterion for the 1,000 tactics?

All tactics were played between players who were both rated over 2300, meaning all players are from the internationally titled level. All games were played in 2008 or 2009.

Most tactics (excluding some beginner puzzles) begin with a sacrifice made by the winning side. After the sacrifice a forced sequence either leads to material gains or a mating attack. In every tactic, the sacrifice was played by the master. After that we test the player on the most principal continuation(s) usually involving the acceptance of the sacrifice.

In the majority of cases, we’ve indicated when the continuation used to test the user is different from the continuation which the defending master actually played.

How can I derive maximum benefit from solving the tactics?

The most important point is to try to solve the entire tactic in your mind before entering the first move. It is often very easy to see the basic idea of a tactic and want to start executing the “solution” before you have examined all the possibilities. However, this will reduce your learning since in the game you’ll quickly realize that sacrificing material takes a lot of nerve (!) and requires confidence in your ability to see ahead. So as with all training you derive the maximum benefit from treating the exercises with as much seriousness as you can muster.

Another amazingly helpful point is to spend 5-10 seconds just “taking in” the position before you begin looking at sacrifices. There are many reasons for this, but one important one is that, once again, it helps establish a more game-like atmosphere where you would rely on clues and assessment of the position to lead you to the sacrificial ideas. You will also find it easier to solve the tactics if you give yourself a moment to saturate your mind before you take stabs at it.

Check back to kebuchess.com for more tips on tactics and improvement.

What is your refund policy?

At this time, KEBU Chess does not administer refunds. However, we are pleased to provide users with an absolutely free version of the software to allow customers to have firsthand experience with the software before making a purchase.