It is well known that opening theory is far and away the most popular subject for chess book publishers. But what is number two? If I had to guess the next category I would say "improvement books." Under this rubric, I would put books on tactics or "puzzle books" as they are often called. In the old days students only had the Fred Reinfeld standards, but in the last few years there has been a veritable flood of books aimed at improving the reader's tactics.

One of the latest books of this type from Batsford is BATSFORD CHESS PUZZLES by Leonard Barden. The author's name might be unfamiliar to younger readers but veterans will remember Barden as one of the top English players of the early 1950s and as the long time columnist for the (Manchester) Guardian.

The 300 positions from BATSFORD CHESS PUZZLES are taken from over 200,000 of Barden's and other British chess columns. In most cases this means they are not likely to be familiar to the student. It also means they are an eclectic collection running the gamut from game positions, to endgame studies, to chess problems. Barden does a nice job of enlivening the book by prefacing each puzzle with an anecdote. The solutions are to the point, with no accompanying prose.

BATSFORD CHESS PUZZLES should prove useful for players from 1600 to 2400

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