Chess for Beginners

Chess Tempo is a new online tactics site, it is still in testing, but it is definetly worth a visit. It is similar to the Chess Tactics Server, but you do not have the time penalties CTS has, so you can think about the position a bit longer.

When do you know to look for a tactical combination? According to Dan Heisman in his Novice Nook Article The Seeds of Tactical Destruction
a tactical opportunity might exist when any of the following conditions exist:
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The following serve as signposts for possible tactical combinations:

1) Weakened or undefended King.

2) Undefended pieces.

3) Trapped king.

4) Pieces along the same rank, file or diagonal.

5) Open ranks, files or diagonals.

6) Weak back rank

Read The Seeds of Tactical Destruction by Dan Heisman for a great article on finding and taking advantage of tactical opportunities.

Remember that all tactics are based on undefended pieces, a weakened King, and / or a double attack. - Kotov

A smothered mate occurs when a Knight gives checkmate because the opponent’s
pieces block their own King’s escape.

This is the starting position for the Smothered Mate.

White is in double check from the White Queen and
the White Knight.

The Queen sacrifices herself to force the Rook to
g8 removing any possible escape routes for the Black King.

The White Knight returns to f7 to give Checkmate.

A corner based mate delivered by the Rook and the Knight working in tandem, the Arabian Mate is one of the earliest on record.

Anastasia’s Mate consists of a Knight Rook mating pattern where the King is forced to the h7 square usually as a result of a Queen sacrifice. This is the first in a series of common checkmate patterns.