Tactics Book Ideas

Or should I just drill tactics here

I suggest you try solving puzzles from lyches, but assembled using slightly different algorithms.
An hour a day is good if used 4 times for 15 minutes during the day.

@Hollow-1-1 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/HpPRoqRf) > Or should I just drill tactics here I suggest you try solving puzzles from lyches, but assembled using slightly different algorithms. An hour a day is good if used 4 times for 15 minutes during the day.

imanoob424

attack with mikhail tal, he was arguably the greatest attacker in chess history, and iv'e heard its a pretty fun read too. its generally recommended for 1300+ though, so not for beginners like me

PureProgressionFTW

Any. Just see what's available at your local library & do LiChess puzzles.

LastIterator

edited

Thomas Willemze—Bibliography

Books

Willemze, Thomas (2018). The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know. New in Chess.

Willemze, Thomas (2021). The Scandinavian for Club Players: Start Playing an Unsidesteppable & Low Maintenance Response to 1.e4. New in Chess.

Willemze, Thomas (2022). 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners: The Tactics Workbook that also Improves Your Endgame Skills. New in Chess.

Willemze, Thomas (2023). World Chess Champion Strategy Training for Club Players: From Bobby Fischer to Ding Liren. New in Chess.

Willemze, Thomas (2024). What Would You Play? Test Your Chess and Improve Your Decision-Making. New in Chess.

Willemze, Thomas (2026). 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Club Players: The Tactics Workbook that also Improves Your Endgame Skills. New in Chess.

Chessable Courses

Endgame Exercises

Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Club Players. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Advanced Club Players. Chessable.

Winning Endgame Tactics

Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 1: Queen Maneuvers. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 2: Advanced Queen Maneuvers. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 3: Rook and Bishop Coordination. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 4: Advanced Rook and Bishop Coordination. Chessable.

The Chess Toolbox

Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 1: Exchange Your Way to Victory. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 2: Unleash Your Rooks. Chessable.

Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 3: Attack and Defense. Chessable.

Strategy Training

Willemze, Thomas. World Chess Champion Strategy Training for Club Players. Chessable.

Books: 6
Chessable courses: 11
Status: October 2026
Note: Chessable publication years not verified.

# [Thomas Willemze](https://players.chessbase.com/en/player/willemze_thomas/284211)—Bibliography ## Books Willemze, Thomas (2018). The Chess Toolbox: Practical Techniques Everyone Should Know. New in Chess. Willemze, Thomas (2021). The Scandinavian for Club Players: Start Playing an Unsidesteppable & Low Maintenance Response to 1.e4. New in Chess. Willemze, Thomas (2022). 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners: The Tactics Workbook that also Improves Your Endgame Skills. New in Chess. Willemze, Thomas (2023). World Chess Champion Strategy Training for Club Players: From Bobby Fischer to Ding Liren. New in Chess. Willemze, Thomas (2024). What Would You Play? Test Your Chess and Improve Your Decision-Making. New in Chess. Willemze, Thomas (2026). 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Club Players: The Tactics Workbook that also Improves Your Endgame Skills. New in Chess. ## Chessable Courses ### Endgame Exercises Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Beginners. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Club Players. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. 1001 Chess Endgame Exercises for Advanced Club Players. Chessable. ### Winning Endgame Tactics Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 1: Queen Maneuvers. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 2: Advanced Queen Maneuvers. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 3: Rook and Bishop Coordination. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. Winning Endgame Tactics 4: Advanced Rook and Bishop Coordination. Chessable. ### The Chess Toolbox Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 1: Exchange Your Way to Victory. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 2: Unleash Your Rooks. Chessable. Willemze, Thomas. The Chess Toolbox 3: Attack and Defense. Chessable. ### Strategy Training Willemze, Thomas. World Chess Champion Strategy Training for Club Players. Chessable. Books: 6 Chessable courses: 11 Status: October 2026 Note: Chessable publication years not verified.

Kaan_Burak

1001 Chess Exercises For Beginners - Franco Masetti, Roberto Messa

ChessPriyome

@Hollow-1-1 said ^

I would probably do Lichess puzzles mostly at your level. Although you could get the woodpecker method and just do the easy section which is probably for under 1700 lichess

Thanks piratebt99chess. I was leaning this way as it's easier to have puzzles on my phone when I'm on the go rather than a book, but wanted to get feedback from the co...

For your phone I'd go with CT ART 4.0

@Hollow-1-1 said [^](/forum/redirect/post/QHMXrNlk) > > I would probably do Lichess puzzles mostly at your level. Although you could get the woodpecker method and just do the easy section which is probably for under 1700 lichess > > Thanks piratebt99chess. I was leaning this way as it's easier to have puzzles on my phone when I'm on the go rather than a book, but wanted to get feedback from the co... For your phone I'd go with CT ART 4.0

the-cisco-kid

Here's another one....

Subconscious Automation: Users report that tactical motifs like forks, pins, and mating nets begin appearing automatically in fast time controls like Blitz and Bullet. Appearing automatically? riiightt. Sounds like bullet players would like this one. No thank-you.

Woodpecker method sounds gimmicky to me. I noticed the google AI on this method says that it builds "subconscious pattern recognition". wtf is "subconscious" pattern recognition? Sounds like a lazy-man's substitute for serious calculation and positional understanding. Here's another one.... Subconscious Automation: Users report that tactical motifs like forks, pins, and mating nets begin appearing automatically in fast time controls like Blitz and Bullet. Appearing automatically? riiightt. Sounds like bullet players would like this one. No thank-you.

Playmore55

the woodpecker method is a challenge to get people to do a lot of puzzles. Just do a bunch of puzzles

ChessPriyome

@the-cisco-kid said ^

Woodpecker method sounds gimmicky to me. I noticed the google AI on this method says that it builds "subconscious pattern recognition". wtf is "subconscious" pattern recognition? Sounds like a lazy-man's substitute for serious calculation and positional understanding.

Here's another one....

Subconscious Automation: Users report that tactical motifs like forks, pins, and mating nets begin appear...

IT'S CALLED INTUITION.

@the-cisco-kid said [^](/forum/redirect/post/qbPpRuED) > Woodpecker method sounds gimmicky to me. I noticed the google AI on this method says that it builds "subconscious pattern recognition". **wtf is "subconscious" pattern recognition?** Sounds like a lazy-man's substitute for serious calculation and positional understanding. > > Here's another one.... > > Subconscious Automation: Users report that tactical motifs like forks, pins, and mating nets begin appear... IT'S CALLED INTUITION.

LastIterator

One more thing. Let's just take a look at the book—the introduction explains what it's about:

This book is designed to boost the reader’s experience, pattern recognition and subconscious ability in the realm of positional chess, the way its predecessor did with chess tactics. What is the Woodpecker method anyway? For those who are not yet familiar, it was developed by my friend Hans Tikkanen as a self-training method to develop his own tactical ability. Hans solved a vast number of tactical puzzles (in excess of a thousand), then repeated the same set of puzzles over and over, getting faster each time and enabling his brain to assimilate the patterns at an unconscious level. After training with this method in 2010, Hans achieved three GM norms in just a seven-week period. The Finnish word Tikkanen is roughly translated as “small woodpecker” in English, and the term also fits perfectly with the repetitive nature of the method. I wrote a bit about the method in my 2013 book Pump Up Your Rating, and the readers took notice. It was only natural for Hans and I to author The Woodpecker Method in 2018, in which we assembled and presented a full set of over a thousand tactical exercises, along with detailed instructions and recommendations for carrying out the training. I think it’s a great idea to repeat relatively simple exercises over and over again, and Hans’ success after using his method speaks for itself. Even so, we did not foresee how popular The Woodpecker Method would become. The readers have been more ambitious than I ever imagined, and several young players have asked me for coaching while mentioning that they have worked through the book up to eight times. I have heard about the book in the unlikeliest of places, from being recognized by a stranger while dumpster-diving for food one night, to being sent a photo of a reader posing with the book at the summit of Kilimanjaro.

Smith, Axel (2024). The Woodpecker Method 2: Positional Play. Quality Chess, 384 pp. ISBN 978-1-78483-124-0 (hardcover). The sequel to The Woodpecker Method (2018), featuring 1,000 positional exercises designed for repeated practice to improve positional understanding and decision-making.

One more thing. Let's just take a look at the book—the introduction explains what it's about: > This book is designed to boost the reader’s experience, pattern recognition and subconscious ability in the realm of positional chess, the way its predecessor did with chess tactics. What is the Woodpecker method anyway? For those who are not yet familiar, it was developed by my friend Hans Tikkanen as a self-training method to develop his own tactical ability. Hans solved a vast number of tactical puzzles (in excess of a thousand), then repeated the same set of puzzles over and over, getting faster each time and enabling his brain to assimilate the patterns at an unconscious level. After training with this method in 2010, Hans achieved three GM norms in just a seven-week period. The Finnish word Tikkanen is roughly translated as “small woodpecker” in English, and the term also fits perfectly with the repetitive nature of the method. I wrote a bit about the method in my 2013 book Pump Up Your Rating, and the readers took notice. It was only natural for Hans and I to author The Woodpecker Method in 2018, in which we assembled and presented a full set of over a thousand tactical exercises, along with detailed instructions and recommendations for carrying out the training. I think it’s a great idea to repeat relatively simple exercises over and over again, and Hans’ success after using his method speaks for itself. Even so, we did not foresee how popular The Woodpecker Method would become. The readers have been more ambitious than I ever imagined, and several young players have asked me for coaching while mentioning that they have worked through the book up to eight times. I have heard about the book in the unlikeliest of places, from being recognized by a stranger while dumpster-diving for food one night, to being sent a photo of a reader posing with the book at the summit of Kilimanjaro. Smith, Axel (2024). The Woodpecker Method 2: Positional Play. Quality Chess, 384 pp. ISBN 978-1-78483-124-0 (hardcover). The sequel to The Woodpecker Method (2018), featuring 1,000 positional exercises designed for repeated practice to improve positional understanding and decision-making.