As most of you know, I am not just a chess player, but a game player. I played in the Backgammon World Championships in Monte Carlo one year (that's more like playing in the World Open since anyone can play). Up til recently I relaxed playing Heroes of Might and Magic III (WOG version) but the past two years I have mostly been playing the on-line game Castle-Clash. It may sound like a silly kids' game but nothing is further from the truth (just like Novice Nook is not just for novices). Castle-Clash is a very deep strategic game, and each time it is updated, the publisher IGG makes it even more complex and strategically difficult. I was hooked the first day I played it a couple years ago (It is addicting), but today it's a much better game than it was then...

I have a new column on Chess Improvement at Chess.com, titled "Get Better at Chess for Everyone", a sort of grin-nod to Novice Nook, which was definitely not just for novices. I have a link page here on my website for all the articles: http://www.danheisman.com/get-better-at-chess.html

My new puzzle book "Is Your Move Safe?", which was already out as an e-book, is now out in hard-copy (paperback). You can get it thru the publisher, Mongoose Press (www.mongoosepress.com) or order it thru Amazon: ​http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_13?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=is+your+move+safe&sprefix=Is+your+move+%2Caps%2C133