What It’s Like To Write A Chess Book
The first book I ever wrote about chess was called, “20 King Pawn Endgames Explained.”
Originally my idea was to write this book in order to improve my play, since I knew relatively little about these types of endgames. At the time I was living in Guam, as I was sent there for an exercise with the Air Force. After the workday came to an end, I’d go home and stay up late trying to figure out different types of king and pawn configurations. Some were simple, while others took copious amounts of time to understand.
White to play and draw
After some nine months of struggling to explain the concepts to myself, I finally managed to attain a decent grasp of the puzzles I’d wrestled with for so long. The most annoying part of finishing a chess book, is that you slowly forget how to solve the positions over time. I mean, it’s astonishing; I can write a fiction book and remember where I ended it, and where it’s supposed to go in a future sequel. It’s just there, it sticks so easily. With chess however, in the span of just a few years. I completely forget the move order and sometimes the ideas behind a position completely. It’s insulting how the brain can toss away things you care so much about.
Hello! We’re D.J. Hoskins
We are Davena and Jason Hoskins, co-authors of 30+ books and siblings who write under the pseudonym D.J. Hoskins. Three years apart and in our twenties, we have been fascinated by stories from a young age. Davena is a student attending Princeton University, and Jason attends Georgetown University.
