I know CT-Art is what most people swear by, and I'm considering getting it. There are alternatives I've read about, and one awesome one (maybe!) I just stumbled onto is free:

Use Chessbase Light to randomly go through the problems in "1001 Winning Sacrifices and Combinations"

Does SCID have a similar option (to look at random games)?

ADD: Duh. I meant to ask about the 1001...how does that compare to the problems in CT-Art, Chess Tactics for Students and similar works?

I don't know about the software, but I can comment on the books. Chess Tactics for Students is great for a first time tactical study. Both of the 1001 books by Reinfeld are more advanced and should be used second, rather than being the first things you study.

--Fromper

Press Control plus the question mark or pick "Load Random Game" from the game menu.

Crash

1001 Winning Sacrifices and Combinations" was available at B&N back in the
late 50's or 60's I rejected the book as being to easy.
I still hold that view.
B&N had shelves of Reinfeld beginner and learning books under the B&N label.
I went for the Dover and Tartan books. I do not recall purchasing a hard cover chess book until I came out of the U.S. Army, and had a paycheck.
Dover, Tartan, and B&N sold between 50 cents to 5 dollars. (Reinfeld's book on Tarrasch carried that hefty price).
1001 is a beginners book.
Reinfeld, and Fine realized that the market for chess books was not in writing for Masters, or for that matter good players.
The market was for beginners.
Reinfeld did write a few a books for Masters. One such book is in the CCNY
library. (Keres' best Games 1932-1936). (Not the same book as Keres'
best Games which Dover later reprinted).
Reinfeld and Fine did write a book for Masters, called Lasker's Best Games.
1889 to 1914.
There is a harder book in English and Russian, published in 1993, Strategy and Tactics. The book contains about 900 positions from GM play.
Lasker, Tarrasch, Pillsbury, Botvinnik, Capablanca, and Alekhine among others. The positions sorted by difficultly and Tactical approach.
Back to the 1001 Postions: Try this. Time yourself to see how fast you can solve each position. Eventually you may solve the positions with study in less than 2 seconds a position. That should help you with your OTB or Internet games.