Chess Position Trainer

Most chess tactics books give you a position and an answer. Chess Position Trainer is built differently. Each of the thirty puzzles is presented with a clean diagram, a hint, and an engine-verified solution — complete with the principal variation and a hand-written explanation of why the move works.

Every solution is validated by Stockfish 16 at search depth 22. There is no guesswork in the answer key. Every best move, every check, and every checkmate has been programmatically verified.

The workbook is organized into five progressive difficulty levels:

Beginner (Positions 1–6): one-move tactics with clear targets.

Intermediate (Positions 7–12): two-move combinations and trapped pieces.

Advanced (Positions 13–18): forcing sequences using deflection, pins, and back-rank ideas.

Expert (Positions 19–24): mating nets and endgame technique, including the Lucena Position.

Master (Positions 25–30): forced mates, the opposition, and decisive sacrificial combinations.

Thirteen tactical themes are defined and demonstrated: Pin, Fork, Skewer, Discovered Attack, Removing Defender, Deflection, Trapped Piece, Back Rank, Mating Pattern, Mating Attack, Decoy, Promotion, and Zugzwang. Each puzzle calls out the theme it teaches, so you build a working vocabulary of patterns as you solve.

Each answer-key entry tells you exactly why the best move works — what is threatened, what is forced, why the opponent cannot escape, and which tactical theme the position demonstrates. Endgame puzzles explain the technique rather than just citing the engine score, so positions like the Lucena Position become tools you can actually use over the board.

This book is for adult improvers who want to sharpen calculation; for tournament players looking for structured practice between rounds; for coaches seeking verified worksheet material; and for anyone interested in understanding why each tactic works, not just memorizing the answer.

What's inside:

A worked example walking you through the full thought process for a sample position.

Thirty engine-verified positions across five difficulty levels.

A reference chapter defining thirteen tactical themes.

A complete answer key with principal variations and hand-written explanations.

A clean, reflowable design that reads naturally on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.