Sacrifices against the castled king, longer mates and the first saving defences. This is a tactics course with 7 lessons and 45 interactive exercises, suited to players rated around 1400 (club players). Every exercise is played on a real board with feedback after each move, there is nothing to install, and it is free.
Lessons in Real-game tactics 5: Attacking the king
Sacrifices that win – Giving material is fine when you get more back. Calculate the line to the end before you let the piece go.
Quiet moves – Not every winning move is a check or a capture. A quiet move can create a threat that cannot be met.
Calculation: three moves deep – Combinations of three moves or more. See the whole line, with the opponent's best replies, before you play.
Saving defence – Sometimes the best result is a draw. Find the only move that holds; the natural moves lose.
Pawn breaks – A pawn move can open lines, create a passed pawn or undermine a defender.
Rooks and queens on the 7th – A rook or queen on the 7th rank eats pawns and traps the king on the back rank.
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