Chess Wizardry: The New ABC of Chess Problems by John Rice,
1996 International Chess Enterprises, Softcover, Figurine
Algebraic Notation, 352pp., $26.95

The Puzzle King: Sam Loyd's Chess Problems and Selected
Mathematical Puzzles, Edited by Sid Pickard, 1996 Pickard and
Son, Softcover, English Algebraic Notation, 238pp., $22.95

The world of chess problems is not one of the more popular areas
of the royal game. Many chessplayers who are otherwise devotees
of tournament play, opening theory and endgame studies are not
attracted to solving positions that are perceived as artificial and
unconnected with positions that might occur in actual play.
Nevertheless, the world of chess problems has its own rich legacy.
The beauty of an elegantly composed problem with a sophisticated
theme has brought joy to fans for centuries. This week we examine
two new recent books about chess problems.

Several months ago, Yasser Seirawan's "Inside Chess" announced
that it would be co-publishing chess books with Batsford of
England. The first book to so appear is John Rice's Chess
Wizardry: The New ABC of Chess Problems. Rice is an
International Master for Chess Composition and a recognized
authority on chess problems. Previous works include "Chess
Problems: Introduction to an Art" (with Lipton and Matthews) and
"The Two-move Chess Problem: Tradition and Development"
(with Lipton and Barnes).

Rice's approach assumes that the reader knows virtually nothing
about chess problems. He then clearly and carefully leads the
reader through patient (though not patronizing) explanations of
everything you wanted to know about chess problems but were
afraid to ask. The result is a book that is bound to become one of
the cornerstones of the art. (Note: The publisher's blurb refers to
this being "a new edition of a classic work," although problems
dating into 1996 are given, as well as others that are very recent. It
is therefore not clear either what "classic work" is referred to or
how it has been revised/updated.)

Terms of art (e.g., duel, help-mate, interference, Grimshaw,
knight-wheel, etc.) are all explained with examples. There is even a
brief chapter on composing problems.

A completely different, bare-bones approach is taken by the
Pickard offering on Sam Loyd. A brief explanation about chess
notation is followed by an excerpt from Loyd's writings and a few
biographical paragraphs. The more than seven hundred chess
problems Loyd composed and thirty-four of his logic/brain-teasers
are given. The chess diagrams are cleanly presented, four per page,
with solutions appearing just below each diagram, a format that
does not encourage independent solving.

The Loyd book is valuable in that it represents the only modern
collection of this American's important work. It could, however,
have been much more, with some insight into the life of Loyd. (For
example, did you know that Loyd composed most of his chess
problems in his youth, or that he and his brother met Morphy at
New York 1857? This book does not get into much biographical
material at all. This is too bad, since the book's basic value as a
modern compilation of Loyd's work could have been tremendously
enhanced by a brief chapter or two shedding some light on the
great man's life.

From Rice's Chess Wizardry...

Grimshaw No. 108 is one of the most famous two-movers ever
composed. The position is a complete block: every black move has
a set mate.

108 DOUBLE GRIMSHAW + PAWN GRIMSHAW Diagram:
White: Ke8, Qf4, Rc7, Nb5, Bc4; pawn d5 Black: Ke6, Ra7, Rh7,
Nd5, Ba8, Bh8; pawn f7

L.I.Loshinsky Commended, Tjdschrift v.d. Nederlandse
Schaakbond 1930

Mate in two Key 1 Bb3 Zugzwang: 1...Bb7 2 Re7; 1...Rb7 2 Rc6;
1...Bg7 2 Qxf7; 1...Rg7 2 Qe5; 1...Bf6 2 Qg4; 1...f6 2 Qe4; 1...f5 2
Qd6; 1...Bxd4 2 Nxd4; 1...Rxc7 2 Nxc7

The key is the waiting move 1 Bb3, which holds the block position
so that Black is bound to commit an error permitting a white mate.
Six of Black's moves are interferences, and it is these that form the
theme of this superb problem. 1...Bb7 allows 2 Re7, because of the
interference with the Ra7. This black rook may in turn play to b7,
where it interferes with the bishop and permits mate by 2 Rc6. A
pair of interference variations, in which piece X interferes with
piece Y and vice versa, is known as a Grimshaw. (The name
derives from a 19th-century composer who made an early example
of the theme.) The remarkable thing about this problem is that it
contains three Grimshaws altogether, i.e. three pairs of
interferences. A pair similar in character to the variations already
examined may be seen on the other side of the board: 1...Bg7 2
Qxf7 (bishop interferes with rook); and 1...Rg7 2 Qe5 (rook
interferes with bishop). The third Grimshaw involves the Bh8 and
the Pf7: 1...Bf6 2 Qg4 (the bishop prevents 2...f5); and 1...f6 2 Qe4
(2 Be5? being impossible). A Grimshaw of this kind is known as a
Pawn-Grimshaw, to distinguish it from the more usual R+B
variety. In the orthodox two-mover a pawn can be interfered with
only when it stands on its starting square, so that its double jump is
prevented. To complete this problem, them are three further
variations, a self-block by 1...f5 (2 Qd6) and two straight
recapture-mates after 1...Rxc7 and 1...Bxd4. It is extremely
doubtful whether three Grimshaws can ever again be combined in a
single phase as neatly as in this example. Its reward was a mere
commendation!

Both of these books have much to recommend. Rice's in particular
is a wonderful journey through the relatively unknown world of
problemdom, done in gentle, pleasing fashion.