Compositions

A chess composition is a position devised by a composer, accompanied by a stipulation — mate in 2, win, or something a tad esoteric, like selfmate in 4 or series-helpmate in 10. At a basic level, they may be seen as puzzles — more refined and deliberate, perhaps, than tactics encountered in practical play.

In their full light, however, it would be a disservice to regard them as anything less than works of art. To borrow the famous words of Vladimir Nabokov, the great novelist and chess aficionado, they are the poetry of chess, demanding of their creator the same virtues that make all art worthwhile: originality, invention, harmony, conciseness, complexity, and splendid insincerity!

New to this artful corner of our beloved game? Well, let us lead you in a waltz…