Independently Published 100 Headachingly Hard Mate In Two Chess Puzzles Composed By Sam Loyd: Improve Your Ability To Calculate Variations And Finding Checkmate

Each puzzle is very unique and quite difficult

The title of the book should be Mate in Two Chess PROBLEMS rather than PUZZLES. There is a difference between the two, some of it rigidly defined and some followed by long standing convention.In problems, for example, the starting positions often are not in any way like those arising in normal games. Also in problems, there is a set task which has to be carried out in a specific number of moves, no more and no less. In problems, there is always the unstated convention that White moves first and the board is oriented with White at bottom.In problems, there is one and only one solution which follows a unique "key" move. The "key" move is often startling or wildly unexpected. If there is another "key" or another way to achieve the task, for example mate in a certain number of moves, then the problem is flawed or in problem parlance, "cooked".In problems, a convention dictates that every piece on the board is necessary, i.e., every single piece or pawn in the board position has a role to play to make the solution unique. Pieces whose only role is to decorate the board or make it look more like a real game are never seen.The mechanisms at work in a problem solution are sometimes repeated, like plots or scenarios found in multiple movies. These are recognizable and many have even been given unique names, like "Novotny Interference"Chess problems, even short ones, such as these, are often quite hard to solve and it can be inferred that composing one is even more difficult. Sam Loyd is often considered the "dean" of American chess problem composers and it's great to have 100 of his positions in one place and in a such a clean format. But to reiterate, this book contains what would be called "chess problems". Don't hesitate to buy it.

Frustrating that lots of the answers so far (I’m only on about the 10th puzzle) are incomplete or printed against the wrong puzzle

Edit: 4-6-22. This 2021 edition corrects an error in solution 2, pointed out in J. Pinson's review.Original review:One puzzle per page, so the board is fairly large. The chess pieces are nice and dark against both white and dark squares. A nice feature is that on the back of each puzzle page is the solution to that puzzle. The text is in a light color, presumably so you don't inadvertently read the answer(s). Not having to search through the back of the book for a solution is great! The fact that he includes all the variations as a result of the checkmate move is nice also. The notation used was a little surprising for me, but works fine. Each move consists of an image of the piece to move, and then the square to which it moves, in algebraic notation. (See photo of a sample solution page)

Very good book! Author did a good job complying the works of Sam Loyd