365 Ways to Checkmate [Kindle Edition]

This book gives you 365 puzzles from very fresh real games (with a few exception). All puzzles are checked by a computer program so all are correct! These puzzles are all about checkmate. However, not all of them force checkmate but all of them gives you a decisive victory, exactly like in your real games! Puzzles are divided into 5 groups depending on their difficulty. And this devision is perfectly done. I mean level 2 is definately more difficult than level 1 and so on. The book has an additional test at the end which can roughly estimate your ELO. This book has both answers and hints. Terribly convenient book!

Well, all above give this book 4 starts or 5 starts. However, there is something outstanding about this book that gives it 6 starts if it would be possible. Every puzzle is commented by Joe Galagher who is an amazing author with very nice sence of humor. Every puzzle diagram is commented by a paragraph or two with a brief history of every game where that position appeared. Even more! Every hint and every solution in this book is commented as well.

Now, I can tell you how difficult the problems are. I have about 1700+ USCF rating and the first level make me sweat but I solved correctly all problems finally (without chessboard). The level 2 was pretty hard and not all puzzles I could solve quickly or correctly. However, after resolution of all level 1, the level 2 was not as difficult. Some problems of the level 3 is not too hard either but some problems I could not solve even after a hint or using a chessboard.

I really improved. Now I play sharper and i believe that my next tournament will be much more successful. Excellent book and outstanding work by Joe Galagher.

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Well, i can tell you that i do not like how this book is printed though. The quality of print is average. Such a great job could be printed a little bit better. However, the quality is acceptable though not the best possible.

I did not buy this book, I borrowed it from the local library.

My son is working on the book. I can feel he is enjoying those puzzles. Level 1 and Level 2 seems not that difficult, but not level 5 puzzles, about half of them, hints are needed and still he might get the wrong answers. His USCF rating is about 1400.

As an ELO 2000 player I thoroughly enjoyed this book. There are some books you can't put down and this is a rare chess book that falls into that Category.

I highly recommend it whether you are a lowly ranked club player or have ELO 2200+

At the lower end, I promise you entertaining evenings working through the puzzles with your friends - it was a real challenge when I took the book down the Club, and at the higher end you can test how quickly you can calculate many gorgeous murderous combinations.

Gallagher is famed for his attacking prowess and his puzzle selections are equally creative with a wide variety of world-wide players and tournaments.

My Favourite? A beautiful Bh8!! by a certain ex-World Champion who liked Vodka .-) Impressed? I was.

Enjoy!