Problem Chess: Art and Magic on the Chessboard

A wide-ranging introduction to the beauty and challenge of chess problems

This is a book for those who enjoy problem-solving and appreciate clever solutions, and have at least a basic knowledge of chess. It is about the composition and beauty of chess problems: positions forged not in combat but from pure human imagination, and featuring elegant and surprising solutions.

The author offers a personal view of chess problems, conveying an infectious zeal for his subject. Because this is as much a collection of short stories as it is a conventional problem collection. No matter how you use the book, you can expect many hours of excitement and a craving for more.

Each chapter presents a variety of chess problems of a specific type, ranging from the familiar ‘mate in two’ puzzles via retro-analytical problems worthy of a whodunit novel to 15-move series problems and the ‘outer limits’ of fairy problems (altered rules or pieces). Throughout, the creative processes of problem chess are at the forefront of the discussion.

Readers are given the opportunity to solve most of the problems before being presented with the solutions. Or you can simply enjoy reading the book from cover to cover without ever needing to set up a chessboard.

“There is probably no better book, either in Swedish or English, when it comes to presenting the world of chess problems to the uninitiated in a pedagogical and insightful way. [Players] will get a whole new perspective on what chess can be, since the limits are stretched considerably in this esoteric world with numerous types of chess problems. This book is recommended for those who are looking for a guide which unreservedly presents its knowledge about this, for us ‘regular’ chess players, alien world.” - IM Thomas Engqvist, Schacksnack

Göran Forslund is a computer software professional with a PhD in computer science, with a focus on artificial intelligence. He has published chess compositions in most genres, and won awards in the World Chess Composition Tournament, and several of his problems have been selected for the FIDE albums. He has also served as a judge in chess composition contests. He plays regular chess too, with some success: he was a finalist in both the Swedish Junior Championship and the Swedish Correspondence Chess Cup.

“In a fluent, easy-to-read style he introduces a number of concepts ... All nicely illustrated with examples that you can solve yourself or just watch the solution of. The book radiates the joy the author takes in playing with chess problems, and the examples are ingenious. ... It is a pleasure trying to solve them, and also a pleasure just to see the solution, if one did not find it oneself.” - Bjørn Enemark, Problemskak

“This is not a book for specialists, but for chess-players in general - those who may have heard of chess problems, but not much more ... To spice it all, each chapter has an introduction from the world outside that of chess problems ... If this book cannot spark an interest in our world among chess-players, then I do not know what to do!” - Kjell Widlert, International Judge of Chess Compositions, Springaren

“... very easy to read without being banal; Forslund introduces each chapter with short texts about, for example, ice hockey, films, childhood memories or Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and finds relations with chess problems. This makes the book very special and personal, even a little autobiographical. ... Among his favourites are retrograde problems, proof games and series problems, which can be understood through Forslund’s explanations. More tricky are problems with fictional pieces and rules, but the examples are relatively simple. ... It is anyhow probably not possible to be more pedagogical when it comes to fairy problems and Einstein Chess...” IM Axel Ornstein, 7-time Swedish Champion, Tidskrift för Schack