700 Chess Problems - Selected from the Compositions of Mrs. W. J. Baird [1902]

The Chess Problems contained in this volume are the product of the labour and recreation of some fourteen years. I say “labour,” because I am not such a Chess enthusiast as to believe that a collection such as this can be produced without persistent application partaking of the nature of work ; and “recreation,” because the work has been a pleasure—how great a pleasure only a composer can fully realize.

Although a large number of the problems have been republished in numerous papers at home and abroad, only the name of the publication in which each originally appeared is given. Exclusive of the prize list, in about a dozen cases with a view to an improvement, they have been more or less reset since their first appearance. The six added to this collection in letterpress at the end of the Solutions are the last composed. 

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PREFACE TO THE ELECTRONIC EDITION

The original edition was published by Henry Sotheran & Co, London, 1902. As the original preface indicates, it was printed in red and blue.

In the present edition, solutions have been converted from descriptive notation to algebraic, using the letter ‘S’ to indicate knights. The distinction between plain, double and discovered mates present in the original has not been retained, except as far as lines that were considered separate because of this distinction have also been kept separate here. One example of this is the first and third line in the solution to problem 24.

Variations omitted in the original solutions, and indicated by ‘&c.’, have been restored, in brackets.

An extra section, containing publishing information (with occasional corrections of publishing sources), and notes about the problems taken from Mrs. Baird’s notebooks has been added after the solutions. The years given for problems in the original proved to be the date of the award given. The present edition tries to make this clearer by placing the date together with the award, rather than with the source, as in the original.

In the original several unnumbered problems were given in letterpress: these problems have been set in diagrams, and, if associated with another numbered problem, given the same number followed by A, B, C, etc. in brackets. The six diagrams appearing last in the two-mover section were originally printed at the end of the solutions section.

All problems have been computer tested, using Matthieu Leschemelle’s program Problemist, except for the last two problems which were checked with Popeye. Only four unsound problems have been found altogether: 307, 627, 643 and 697.

In those very few cases where computer testing showed the presence of moves or variations not completely covered in the original, these have been added to the solution in brackets, and set in italics.

Occasional errors in mating moves have been silently corrected.

About Chess:

Chess is an abstract strategy board game and mental sport for two players. The object of the game is to checkmate the opponent's king. This occurs when the king is under immediate attack (in check) and there is no way to prevent it from being captured on the next move.

Chess is one of the world's most popular games; it is played both recreationally and competitively in clubs, tournaments, online, and by mail (correspondence chess).

Many variants and relatives of chess are played throughout the world. The most popular, in descending order by number of players, are xiangqi in China, shogi in Japan, janggi in Korea, and makruk in Thailand. The game described in this article is sometimes known as FIDE Chess, Western Chess or International Chess to distinguish it from other variants. (From Wikipedia)

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