by Fred Wilson & Bruce Alberston, 366pp. (2008 Sterling)

For the true chess nut, the 64 squares of the chessboard represent a world of imaginative possibilities, where a bright idea can make the difference between triumph and destruction, victory and defeat. Each of these puzzles re-creates that world, putting the reader into a realistic game position with the tantalizing challenge of finding that elusive winning idea. By taking on the challenge of these problems, you will gain mastery of the many tactics of chess: the pin, the fork, the skewer, simplification, removing the guard, and so on. Ranked in three levels of difficulty ­beginner, intermediate, and tournament, ­the puzzles will help build the mental muscles the game demands, while providing hours of fun for players of all abilities.