To proceed with the third step the knowledge from step two is indispensable, but apart from that step three is not really difficult.
The tactics issues are relatively easy and also the lessons about defending against tactics should not cause any problems. Only trapping is a bit tricky. It can be compared to mating but now instead of the king another piece is the victim.
Furthermore, attention is being paid to the first pawn endgames. For some students it is a child's play but for those who have still problems with the control of space it is a tough struggle.
In this step we begin to teach the supporting skills. One of them is 'thinking ahead'. The student calculates in his head the possibilities and visualizes ( tries to imagine) the new situation which arises on the chess board. The command of this skill can differ enormously per student
'The third step' consists of a manual and workbooks.
• Manual for chess trainers Step 3
Contents:
Introductory articles about:
Then the 17 lessons follow:
1: Completing the opening
2: Discovered and double check
3: Attack on a pinned piece
4: Mate in two (access)
5: The square of the pawn
6: Eliminating of the defence
7: Defending against the double attack
8: Mini plan
9: Draw
10: X-ray
11: The opening
12: Defending against the pin
13: Mobility
14: Key squares (1)
15: Pinned pieces
16: Threats
17: Key squares (2)
Next to the exercises there are reminders in the workbook. These are short recapitulations of the material from the manual for the students.
There are 12 reminders.
On the remaining 43 pages there are always 12 diagrams a page. That means a total number of 43x12-27 (the drawings )= 489 positions.
Have a try!Mobility: trapping
The issues of the exercises correspond to those in the manual.
See the Manual for the chess trainer.
Read more about the Extra books in info.
In the extra workbook there are 54 pages with exercises, which means as many as 54x12=648-25 (drawings) = 619 positions. At the beginning come the exercises with the familiar items from Step 3:
The last 26 pages contain tests. There is also a reminder with hints how to proceed with the tests.
Test yourself! Test step 3
Read more about the plus books in the info.
The contents of the Workbook Step 3 plus:
More or less new topics:
Elaborating the already introduced material:
Read more about the mix books in info.
In the mix workbook are 62 pages with exercises, which means as many as 62x12=648-18 (drawings e.o) = 726 puzzles.
The theme's are known from Step 3, Step 3 plus and the lower Steps. A workbook containing exercises with one ‘simple’ assignment: play the best move. Just like in a real game, you do not know whether you can win or whether you have to defend. First, look at what’s going on? Which targets can you exploit? What is the opponent threatening? Is it time to draw? In short, all kinds of stuff.
Two kinds of puzzles are different: on each page you will find a multiple choice question and a position with a line below the diagram. Only on the last 8 pages there is an indication of the theme: 2 pages mate planners and 6 pages with mate in two problems.