Tactics Time Newsletter: Happy Leap Day!

Published: Wed, 02/29/12

Dear Chess Friend,
 
Instead of giving you a new chess tactical "bone to chew on" today, I wanted to wish you a Happy Leap Day, share some exciting news, and reveal a "dirty secret" about my private life, that is kind of embarrassing, but ultimately will help YOU to gain more rating points, and win more chess games!
 
The "dirty secret" is that I got laid off from my job a few months ago.  I had been with the same company, Raytheon, for 15 years, working as a software engineer.  I got to work on a lot of cool projects with them over the years, and did work with the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and even a few agencies that shall remain nameless.
 
After I got laid off, it was hard on me.  My routine got pretty screwed up.  Instead of going into work, I was pretty close to the guy in the old song who is sitting around in his underwear "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangeroo". 
 
I got a little depressed, and unmotivated.  I didn't tell a lot of people that I lost my job - only my closest friends and family.  I went from being a happy little Dilbert worker bee "slinging code" on my computer 40 hours a week in my cubicle, to sitting on the couch all day collecting government "entitlements", and watching mindless ESPN talk shows.
 
In a lot of ways it was nice to take a break from the "rat race", but eventually it got old.
 
One thing that did motivate me during this "dark period" was all the positive and surprising feedback from people all over the world who were seeing results from my product and newsletters...
  • People who were winning more games.
  • People who were giving me credit because of a cool tactic they found.
  • People who got motivated to improve.
  • People who raised their rating.
  • People who started playing more, and came out of "retirement"
  • etc.
I received A LOT of really nice e-mail, which I really appreciated!
 
It came in from all over the world too!
 
People started coming up to me at tournaments and saying they liked my stuff,
 
Even last night while having dinner at Sooper Salad with my girlfriend Mia, a fellow chess player I know came up to me and said he loved my newsletter! lol
 
These little squirts of constant motivation and positive feedback that my ideas were helping people encouraged me to work on my website, newsletters, and Tactics Time product even more, with all my newly found free time, which is where the benefits to you come in!
 
My pain is your gain! :-)
 
I started studying things like how people learn, how to give customers what they really want, internet marketing, copy writing, creating information products, customer service, and things like this.
 
I took surveys and interacted with my Tactics Time customers from all over the world, over the phone, in person, via e-mail, and really listened your feedback.
 
One customer, Dan from England, said that it would be helpful to have a users/training guide - so I wrote one (which you can read for free at: http://tacticstime.com/?page_id=2527).
 
Another customer pointed out some mistakes in the problems, which I corrected, and made my product better than ever.
 
I added cool bonuses as well - even after my customers told me that my product was already a tremendous bargain - just to "over deliver".
 
The bottom line, is that having all this free time allowed me to make my Tactics Time product better than ever.
 
And so today, Leap Day, I would like to use this extra bonus day we all get to officially announce my....
 
 
Tactics Time 2.0!
 
 
I am really excited and proud of this product, and I honestly think it is really awesome.
 
It is not just a good deal, it is a REDONKULOUS deal!!
 
Every aspect is designed to help YOU GAIN RATING POINTS.  
 
The main goal is NO FLUFF - ONLY pieces that will WIN YOU MORE GAMES.
 
The Focus is on CHESS ABILITY - not CHESS KNOWLEDGE.
 
Here is what you get:
 
A chessbase database of 10,001 real games, each with at least one tactics problem in them.
 
These are the same types of games I feature in my newsletters, Red Hot Pawn games, ICC games, FICS games, USCF class player games.  These are not games I took from chessbase, stole from other tactics books, or anywhere else. 
 
I hand collected these games.
 
I literally harassed my friends - Send me your games!
 
You won't see most of these games elsewhere.
 
These problems are different than all of the other collections of tactics problems you will see out there - 
 
THEY ARE REAL!
 
These are exactly the types of mistakes that class players are making all over the world, every day, on the internet, and over the board.
 
Warning: There are not a lot of cute "under promotions" or "smothered mates" or "brilliant queen sacrifices" in these problems.
 
Why?
 
Because those tactics are from the world of "composed problems", and every other tactics collection that is out there - not the types of combinations and moves that are winning and losing games for class players.
 
Some of the tactics in my collections are ugly.  Not just ugly... but FUGLY!  Some of the games are "COYOTE UGLY".
 
But just like real people don't look like the Hollywood Actors you see during "The Oscars", real chess games from real players, don't look like those played by Grandmasters, or those you see in books, which only contain the most brilliant games and brilliant moves.
 
Class player games feature
  • missed checkmates
  • hanging pieces
  • Kings chased all over the board
  • uneven material
  • questionable gambits
  • lopsided pairings
  • come from behind victories
  • swindles
  • cheap traps
And lots of other things that I think make them a lot of fun to study!
 
But if you normally study only Grandmaster games, this would be like watching The New York Yankees versus the Bad News Bears!
 
I really believe that these problems will give you the most BANG FOR YOUR BUCK in terms of what to study.
 
Besides this enormous database of problems, I also include some really cool bonuses!
 
I love bonuses :-) 
 
These remind me of the free, warm chocolate chip cookie I would get when I was little at the local bakery!
 
I include an eBook that contains over 200 problems that I have published over the years in my Tactics Time columns for the Colorado Chess Informant.  These are your more traditional type tactics problems, and similar to the ones in the newsletters.  These do contain a lot of the "cool" queen sacrifices, and moves you see in traditional tactics books, because it is good to know these also.
 
I also include a download of over 150 Tactics Time newsletters that I have written in PDF format.  So you don't have to wait to read all of them in your e-mail.
 
Also included are free updates for life.  I am always adding and updating the product, so those who bought version 1.0, get version 2.0 for free!
 
You also get versions of the 10,001 game tactics database that you can read on your Kindle, Nook, and other "eBook" readers.  These are really cool! 
 
There is a full 100% money back guarantee, so I don't want you to worry about getting ripped off, or buying something that isn't right for you.  If you don't like it, just send me an e-mail, and I will give you a full refund, no hassle, no B.S., etc.  And you can keep the product, as my way of saying "thanks" for trying it. 
 
I know people who have thrown thousands into the "chess furnace", both in time and money, and they didn't gain a single rating point.
 
I don't want this to happen to you - so if you get the product, and aren't happy with the results, tell me, and I will give you your money back.
 
I can't promise a specific rating gain, but I feel that even just a few simple shifts in thinking process alone, can help a lot of players gain 100 rating points.
 
It really is a "no brainer", and I don't know of anything similar in the chess world being offered like this.
 
Take this extra day we get to make a decision that will SUPER CHARGE your chess game!
 
I have had a lot of people tell me how Tactics Time has helped them to win more games, get more confidence, and raise their rating!  I am confident it can help you too!
 
I know I personally had a lot of really great benefits from working with these chess tactics myself:
  • reached an all time high rating on redhotpawn.com,
  • got my USCF rating the highest it has been in years,
  • won over 1000 dollars in prize money in USCF tournaments last year - but please don't tell the IRS ;-)
  • had several first place finishes
  • ended up getting a girlfriend after having an extra boast of confidence from these chess successes (sounds absurd, I know, but it is true, lol)
I would love to see you see benefits like this too!  Unless you are married, in which case your wife might not appreciate the new hot young girlfriend you attracted with your new found confidence ;-)
 
I started playing chess as an adult beginner, so I am not a "child prodigy", and certainly don't have all the answers, but I really believe it is possible for adults to improve, and that rating gains and winning tournaments are not just for children!
 
Even if you have been "stuck for years", I think my product can help, where others have failed.  There is a big focus on "the basics" and "fundamentals".
 
Getting back to my earlier "sob story", the good news is that I just got a new job offer!
 
It is with a company called infoFUSION, and I am excited about it!  I will be doing software development work for them.
 
So now it is time for me to get my butt off of my couch, stop living off "government entitlement programs", and get back to work!
 
Maybe it is also time for you to get off the "chess couch", and take your chess game to the next level!
 
Check out my all new Tactics Time 2.0 product today!  Remember there is no risk, and the reward is winning more games, having more fun, and that extra spring in your step after you know you played a GREAT game and found that AWESOME move!
 
If you are already a Tactics Time customer, I really appreciate that, and you can find the free updates on the link I sent you at your time of purchase.  Contact me, if you need it again.
 
If you haven't purchased yet, and would like more information, please check out my product information page here: http://tacticstime.com/?page_id=2.
 
Happy Leap Day!
 
Your Friend,
Tim