The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book - by John Emms (Paperback)

About the Book

This book provides a wealth of puzzle positions to test just about every facet of your tactical skills. The puzzles in this book have been selected by analysing games new and old in search of original puzzle positions. It is very unlikely that even seasoned solvers will recognise many of these positions. Emms, by allying his skills with those of powerful computers, has also made every effort to ensure that the solutions are sound, and that there are no unmentioned alternative solutions.
The book begins with 100 relatively easy positions suitable for novices, and ends with 100 extremely tough puzzles, which provide a mind-bending challenge even for top-class players. There are 1001 puzzles in all.

Book Synopsis

It is generally agreed that one of the best ways for a chess-player to improve is by studying tactics - and the best way to do that is by practising. This book provides a wealth of puzzle positions to test just about every facet of your tactical skills.

The puzzles in this book have been selected by analysing games new and old in search of original puzzle positions (rather than simply trawling through previous puzzle books, as is all too often the case). It is therefore very unlikely that even seasoned solvers will recognize many of these positions. Emms, by allying his skills with those of powerful computers, has also made every effort to ensure that the solutions are sound, and that there are no unmentioned alternative solutions.

The book begins with 100 relatively easy positions suitable for novices, and ends with 100 extremely tough puzzles, which will provide a mind-bending challenge even for top-class players. The remainder of the book contains just about everything between these two extremes, including selections of puzzles based around particular tactical themes, and graded tests, where no clues are given as to the type of ideas involved. Every now and then, there are positions where the correct solution is a positional move, rather than a tempting but unsound combination.

John Emms is one of England's strongest grandmasters, and an experienced trainer. He is also a skilful and versatile writer: he has several opening monographs and general guides to his credit.

Review Quotes

"exceptional ... the perfect resource for improving your game by studying tactics and it's accessible to players of all strengths." - Mark Donlan, Chess Horizons

"The material is well chosen, and a marking system enables you to assess your performance relative to masters and grandmasters" - Leonard Barden, Evening Standard

"Verdict: a useful puzzle book that can be used by a wide range of strengths for relaxation or for serious training. Would make an excellent present for a keen junior" - Phil Adams, The Manchester Chess Scene

About the Author

John Emms is one of England's strongest grandmasters, and an experienced trainer. He is also a skilful and versatile writer: he has several opening monographs and general guides to his credit.