by John Emms, 240pp. (Gambit 2000)

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.

"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

"Emms has resisted the temptation to borrow from other puzzle collections... [an] excellent training manual" - Einar Gausel, DAGBLADET

"... 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 word "ultimate" is certainly justified... excellent value for money" - Alan Sutton, EN PASSANT

"There were very few positions in this book I had seen before... tackling these puzzles is an excellent way of sharpening your tactical awareness" - Nigel Donovan, WEEKEND CHESS

"A first class training manual" - Paul Dunn, AUSTRALIAN CHESS FORUM

"The layout with six to eight clear diagrams per page is attractive, and the whole work is highly recommended" - J J Walsh, IRISH TIMES