One hundred chess problems Free PDF book (1883 ) by Arthur Cyril Pearson





As a contributor for several years to the principal Chess columns and magazines, I have had the benefit of much kindly and valuable criticism, not less kindly, nor of less value, when it has been opposed to my own fancies; and I now venture to offer to the Chess public a selection from those problems which have stood the test of publication, in the hope that what has been to be a labor of love, maybe acceptable to some of those, at home and abroad, who take delight in the quaint and manifold combinations which no number of games or problems can exhaust.It may be true that a composer is not a good judge of the merits of his work, but it is not less true that he can best appreciate the difficulty of combining clear construction with some subtlety, and freshness of idea. He knows well "where the shoe pinches," and he must often take strong measures to guard against flaws, or to prevent second solutions. These meet him face to face, though they seldom present themselves to the notice of the solver after they have been overcome by the introduction of pieces condemned, perhaps, as unnecessary by the off-hand critic.This charge of overloading the position is not always unreasonable and there are few composers who do not at times deserve it. As in other matters " Prevention is better than cure," and he shews far truer feeling for his art who prevents the faults of a position by careful reconstruction, by working down his problem, and refining it, than he who with fewer trouble cures by coarser means the false results. Such high finish is, however, more easily aimed at than attained; it must be looked for, as a rule, in the admirable work of those few who stand as problem composers a clear head and shoulders above us all.It has been my good fortune to meet on friendly terms many members of the Brotherhood of Chess; others are familiar to me from their masterpieces, which reflect with such variety the distinct and characteristic conceptions of their minds: To all, I offer heartily, with this little book, the New Year's greeting " Peace, health, and happiness."