Step 4


         

 
The difficulty level of the material from the fourth step is higher than in step three. That is mainly the consequence of the increasing number of moves needed to solve the exercises. Most of the topics require solutions which are 2½ move deep: White plays, Black answers, White plays, Black answers and Whites scores. That is why a good command and application of the topics from the third step are absolutely necessary.

Tactics are dominated in a large degree by the preparatory move. The immediate attack does not work yet and a preparatory action is necessary. All existing preparations are dealt with: luring, eliminating the defence, chasing, aiming and clearing.

Gradually, the positional aspects are going to play more and more (a modest) part in the games of the fourth step students. The best way to introduce this kind of vague topics is to use the endgame. The lessons about material advantage and endgame strategy contain many strategic issues. Furthermore, the lesson about the weak pawns makes students aware to be ( a bit more ) careful while playing with their pawns. The same applies to the lesson about the opening.
Anyway, it remains best to deal with the positional factors while commenting the games of the students

'The fourth step' consists of a manual and workbooks.

■   Manual for chess trainers Step 4

■   Workbook Step 4

■   Werkboek Stap 4 extra (in Dutch)

 

  Manual for chess trainers Step 4

Manual for chesstrainers
1st edition 2005
128 pages
with drawings

Contents:

Introductory articles about:



Furthermore, 17 lessons are being dealt with:
  1: Opening advantage
  2: Interfering
  3: Luring
  4: Blocking
  5: Thinking ahead
  6: Placing the front and back piece
  7: The passed pawn
  8: Eliminating the defence
  9: The magnet
10: Weak pawns
11: Material advantage
12: Chasing and aiming
13: Attack on the king
14: Seventh rank
15: Endgame strategy
16: Clearing
17: Queen against pawn

 

  Workbook Step 4

Step 4
1st edition 2004
60 pages
with drawings

Next to the exercises there are also reminders in the workbook. These are short recapitulations of the lessons from the manual for the students.

There are 11 reminders

On the remaining 48 pages there are always 12 exercises a page. That means the total number of 48x12-37 (the drawings) = 539 positions.


How good is your attacking skill?    Attacking the king

The issues of the exercises correspond to those in the manual.
See Manual for chess trainers.

 Werkboek Stap 4 extra 

Stap 4 extra
1st edition 2003
56 pages
with drawings

Read more about the Extra books in info.

In the extra workbook there are 54 pages with exercises, which means as many as 54x12=648-31 (drawings)= 617 positions.

At the beginning come the exercises with the familiar items from Step 4:

In addition some issues from a lower step, but more difficult.

The last 26 pages contain tests. On the reminder are the guidelines for solving the problems without naming the topics.

Test yourself!    Test