Pencil & Pawn
PocketChess Puzzles
200 puzzles each, one to a page, from Beginner to Expert. Small enough for a coat pocket, with room on every page to write the whole line.
Choose a level
Each level is a band of puzzle difficulty, measured on the thousands of players who have solved each position online. The guide below matches it 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. |
Every Pocket book
- 200 puzzles, all from real games
- One puzzle to a page, with ruled space to write the whole line in pencil
- Answers after every nine puzzles, set out move by move
- Nothing near the diagram to tell you how hard it is or what to look for
- Every line checked by the Stockfish engine