Pencil & Pawn
Chess puzzlesto solve in pencil
Puzzle books built from real games. Every line is checked by Stockfish, and every diagram has room to write your answer before you look.
The books
Workbooks · 6 × 9 in
Four puzzles to a page
Workbooks for practising your tactics: mixed, climbing in levels, by piece or by pattern.
See the Workbooks
Pocket Chess Puzzles · pocket size
One puzzle to a page
Small books for the bus, the café or the chess club. 200 puzzles each, from Beginner to Expert, plus Endgames.
See the Pocket booksWhich level?
The Pocket books are split by puzzle difficulty, so you can start where the positions are hard but not hopeless. The guide matches each book to your playing rating.
| Book | A rough guide | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Chess.com rapid up to about 700Lichess rapid up to about 1100 | For players who know how the pieces move and are ready to start finding tactical ideas for themselves. |
| Intermediate | Chess.com rapid about 700 to 1150Lichess rapid about 1150 to 1500 | For players who are comfortable spotting the obvious tactics and want positions that take a little more work. |
| Advanced | Chess.com rapid about 1150 to 1800Lichess rapid about 1500 to 1900 | For players who see the obvious tactic quickly and want something more challenging. |
| Expert | Chess.com rapid about 1800 and upLichess rapid about 1900 and up | For strong players: some of the hardest positions in the collection. |
| Endgames | Any level | King-and-pawn races, rook endings, promotions and positions where one accurate move makes all the difference. |
One puzzle a week
One puzzle a week by email, and a note when a new book is out. Nothing else.
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