FIND THE WINNING MOVE
Author: Gary Lane
176 pages
Price: $21.95
B T Batsford (2004)
Reviewed by Randy Bauer
Randy’s Rating: 6.5
Chess puzzle books are very popular, and just about every player can benefit from their study. While the book touches on many useful topics and provides helpful commentary, the exercises may prove too easy to test many readers.
There are various ways to put together a puzzle book – while some focus on lots of positions with little commentary, Lane prefers to provide a few sentences of lead-into each example. These give the player a sense of what is happening in the game, but perhaps they make it a little too easy for many players. I found the exercises to be much easier because of Lane’s comments, which often help guide the player to the correct move or sequence. One of the book’s features is to assign points to each correct answer and then assign a rating for those results in each chapter. Based on my scores, I should be an International Master – the level I reached in each chapter. As a national master, that makes me feel good, but I think it is more because of Lane’s assistance than my own performance.
There are lots of reasons to purchase a puzzle book, and those who are looking for a fun way to kill a few hours time will like this book. International Master Gary Lane is an accomplished author, and he provides comments that will keep many readers interested in the examples. He also groups the problems into chapters that share concepts, even including the endgame, which is somewhat rare for puzzle books. There are other “user friendly” features, such as a “give us a clue” hint for each example that a player can consult if they cannot figure out the solution, and an introduction where the author provides his advice on using the book.
In total, FIND THE WINNING MOVE provides 398 positions spread among 16 chapters. Some of the chapters deal with a specific topic, such as “Knight Moves” “The Lady Vanishes” “Chasing the King” “Opening Surprises” and “Fantastic Moves.” Other chapters deal with two and three or more move combinations, the endgame, classic games, tough puzzles, and a final chapter that seeks to pull together the topics covered in earlier chapters through a final 30 problems. Unlike some puzzle books, where the solution leads to a clear win (or the ultimate win via checkmate), here some of the problems lead to a material gain that, while important, may not (at least for many players) always prove decisive. This is, in my opinion, a good feature, because players shouldn’t only be looking for an immediate win – a material gain is generally what a player can hope to achieve in a given position.
Ultimately, puzzle books can be judged on various criteria. Some players may want to use the books to improve their tactical awareness, and here this book may be too easy for some players. Others may want some assistance as they learn new tactical concepts – they will probably appreciate Lane’s helpful guidance. Finally, others may just be looking for a bit of fun chess diversion, and here this should prove an enjoyable companion. I had reason to spend an extra 5 hours in Chicago’s O’Hare airport some time back, and this book was a nice companion that made the time pass much more quickly than it otherwise would. That’s not a bad reason to pack this book in your travel bag.
In conclusion, FIND THE WINNING MOVE is an enjoyable book that provides a variety of interesting puzzles that touch on all aspects of a chess game. Author Lane makes this a user-friendly book, but this may limit its appeal for players wanting the ultimate challenge from a chess problem book.
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