Forwarding and Reversing the Tactics of Mikhail Tal Part 1: 1949-1970

🏆 Shortlisted for Course of the Year 2020 🏆

A tactics and strategy primer using 170+ tactical positions from the games of Mikhail Tal with more than 460 trainable exercises.

To play for a draw, at any rate with white, is to some degree a crime against chess.
         – Mikhail Tal

Mikhail Tal, the eighth world champion, had the extraordinary ability to see and take advantage of an opponent’s weak move and seize the opportunity with a stunning tactical sequence. We will also see examples in which Tal was adept in creating his own opportunities in playing a suboptimal move to lure a player into his game-plan or trap. This first course of the two part series explores Mikhail Tal's games from the years 1949-1970.

Widely regarded as a creative genius and one of the best attacking players of all time, Tal played in a daring, combinatorial style. His play was known above all for improvisation and unpredictability. It has been said that “Every game for him was as inimitable and invaluable as a poem".
         – wikipedia

The Method of Study

This is far more than a course of tactical puzzles. This course uses a revised and streamlined approach to the Forwarding and Reversing Method to study the more than 170 tactical positions.

♟️ At the heart of this course's method are more than 360 Forwarding Variations. The Forwarding variation plays the tactic forward and often includes additional trainable exercises of possible opponent replies.

Why is this form of teaching so important? Because every chess player knows what it is to find a game winning tactic and then fail to press home the advantage and to either draw or lose what should have been a won game. Why does this occur? Because opponents don't necessarily oblige and follow your game plan in a tactic and may play an unexpected move. These Forwarding trainable exercises will test your responses to different opponent replies to deepen your resolve to press your advantage.

♟️ In addition to the more than 360 tactical exercises, the strategic pre-moves leading up to each tactic are also explored in the Reversing Variations, many of which are trainable exercises. This is chess in Reverse! The Reversing Method describes the process in which we work with the tactic variation pattern and then plan for the correct series of moves to reach that pattern. These variations are strategic in nature and explore with graphical annotations how to set up the tactic. Sometimes the moves are forcing, sometimes the moves create an opportunity and invite an opponent into the tactic via a weaker move. Either way it is extremely valuable to gain an insight into how Tal reached the tactical position.

♟️ The course is structured according to variation difficulty with Elementary Easy, Intermediate, and Challenging chapters. The elementary chapter is ideal for beginners and as a warm-up chapter, while the challenging chapters will prove just that with even advanced players being stretched.

♟️ A full database of games is included that can be referenced from a single click within the variations.

New Chessable Feature: NULL MOVES!

The course includes one of the latest features of MoveTrainer®: Null move support. All those previously unclickable threat lines are now blue clickable moves. This greatly enhances the course by being able to play through those sometimes difficult to follow lines.

What users are saying about the course.

Wow I thought your Fischer book was top drawer, but you have gone to another level with this book!
         – pokerram

I've noticed that working with lines with lots of forwarding variations has helped me to set up stiffer resistance in my own games. If I am objectively worse or lost, I am able to find additional resources to give my opponents extra chances to go wrong. … I'm going to break convention and give this course 6 out of 5 stars. It essentially surpasses my expectations – he has raised the bar numerous times on what a Chessable course should be. [This course] takes all which is good about his training method and manages to improve upon the delivery.
         – comfortable

I have been amazed by the author's dedication to chess for years. In this course there are more than 2000 trainable moves, and an infinite number of clickable moves in the description.
         – deligabi

This course is a wonderful blend of Tal's combinational magic and AlanB's analytic pursuit of perfection. The goal is to be able find the combination AND finish it off, no matter how the opponent replies. Diligent study of this course will improve your ability to do both.
         – Exacto

About the Author

Dr Alan Bester (PhD) resides on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast of South Africa. Alan is passionate about chess and while playing league chess in the mid-1990s was invited to give chess lessons to a group of scholars in the local school. The Chessable platform has enabled him to now share his chess learning experiences with a wider and an international community.

Alan is the author of the highly rated The Unexpected Mate, The Reversing Mate Series, Reversing and Forwarding the Tactics of Bobby Fischer, the Moves Ahead series, and the free On the Attack series which have together attracted thousands of students.

As Chessable staff, we'd also like to remind you that the high quality of Dr Bester's chess work has led to endorsements from leading coaches and players such as GM Alex Colovic.