★ This work is by Dana Mackenzie, a National Master of chess and a Life Master of the United States Chess Federation.
★ Since 2007, Dana Mackenzie has been writing the chess blog "Dana Blogs Chess". In 2021, this blog won the "Best Chess Blog" award from the Chess Journalists of America. On his blog, he shares his love for chess, his tournament experiences, and game analyses.

Dana Mackenzie celebrates the joys of chess – the kind of chess that we amateurs play every day. He has selected 40 of his favorite articles from his award-winning chess blog, covering a wide range of stories, philosophical musings, chess improvement tips, and game analyses. In each story, the fun shines through.

We attend club nights, team championships, and state championships. We are on the road, at the chessboard. We are accompanied by famous and not-so-famous chess personalities. You will read about the "hook ladder" and Dana's personal favorite opening, the Blumenfeld Gambit (the analysis provided here is not found elsewhere). There is also a dedicated chapter on Mike Splane's private chess parties, a monthly "brainstorming session" for masters and aspiring masters in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this group, no one rests on their laurels. No matter how good you think you are, you are likely to encounter some tough problems and heated debates.

This book continues the spirit of the blog, retaining the dialogue between the author and readers that is rarely found in other chess books, and indeed in any other books.

Dana Mackenzie

A versatile writer, mathematician and chess enthusiast. His writing covers multiple fields including science, mathematics and chess, and he is particularly renowned for his chess blogs and related books.
Mackenzie holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University. Before becoming a full-time science writer, he served as a mathematics professor at Duke University and Kenyon College. His writing career began in the fields of science and mathematics, with works published in magazines such as Science, New Scientist and Discover. He has also authored several popular science books.