Les Tours de Force sur l'Echiquier

Author: Alain Campbell White (1880-1951) Year: 1906 Publisher: Numa Preti Place: Paris Description: xl+223 pages with diagrams and index. Square duodecimo (6 1/4' x 4 3/4") bound in original publisher's red cloth with gilt lettering to spine and front cover. Alain C White's Christmas Series number 3 with errata laid in. (Bibliotheca van der Linde-Niemeijeriana: 2576; Betts: 35-1) First edition. Introduction in French and English; remaining text in French. A study of the task problem. In the preface A C White defines his purpose and lays down the raison d'estre of the task problem. An article by J C J Wainwirght 'La croix de la reine follows, analyzing efforts to illustrate a specific task, i.e composing two-movers with a large number of queen mates; with 52 examples. The final section comprises 180 examples of other tasks: Maximum mates by discovering with the white king, - Maximum purity, -Tours of white and black knights, -Cross checks, -Five direct mates with bishop, with king, with rook etc. Includes solutions and and index of composers. One of the scarcer items in the Christmas series. Condition: Corners and spine ends bumped and rubbed, soiled, extremities rubbed, lettering dulled else a good copy.