by Victor Charushin, 123pp. (Pickard 1999)

This fifth installment of "The Tactician's Handbook" turns to pawn combinations. Extreme pawn combinations! The Steeplechase is a foot-race through obstacles, and here Charushin treats us to the spectacle of a lowly pawn surmounting barriers and overcoming pieces, headlong in its tactical dash for the finish line. A high stakes capturing race, a pawn charge under the enemy gauntlet, a forced march to the Queening square - that's the Steeplechase! Over 200 examples reveal advanced pawn tactics like Excelsior, a stunning quick-march from the pawn's initial square to the 8th rank. Or the mutual Steeplechase, in which the players seem to ignore one another, each pushing his own pawn forward. Chapters cover the Steeplechase in history, in openings, in compositions; there's even a chapter on Alekhine's use of the Steeplechase. Every page recalls Philidor's maxim that "pawns are the soul of chess," and now we know why! This volume elevates pawn play to an art form, and Charushin's unique vision of pawn power makes The Steeplechase an unforgettable experience!