The publication presents two books of problems on the retrospective analysis of a chess game, invented by R. M. Smullyan, logician, philosopher and musician. These books are united not only by an ancient game loved by millions of people, but also by a deep analysis of logical methods of reasoning. The author, with great literary skill, shows how Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve intellectual puzzles, and describes the fascinating adventures of living chess pieces in the world of enchanted castles, genies and other wonders. Such books are not only interesting to read, they captivate, excite the desire to test your capabilities in situations in which you need to think strictly logically and at the same time creatively, outside the box. Contents: Acknowledgments 7 CHESS SECRETS OF SHERLOCK HOLMES Note for the chess player detective 8Part I. Sherlock Holmes at the chessboard 10Question of direction 10Charming option 17Small exercise 19What color? 22Another Monochromatic Problem 24A Question of Survival 25The Mystery of the Missing Pawn 27You Really Can't, You Know! 34Two Trifles 38Sir Reginald's Joke 40Return Visit 42Mycroft's Problem 46A Little Question of Location 48Knowing the Past 52A Study of Imaginary Checks 55An Unsolved Problem 57Part II. Marston Island 60On Board a Ship 60The Indian Chess Set Mystery 63Another Location Question 63Holmes Resolves a Dispute 64The Case of the Lost Pawn 65From Where? 66Is it difficult? 66Reflections of a logician 67The question of turning a pawn into a piece 71Secrets of the past 71Terrible memories 75Displaced bishop 79Remarkable monochromaticity 80Sherlock's chess secrets Holmes's Lady Ashley's Riddle 80 A Little Hoax 81 On Marston's Island 81 Holmes's Explanations 84 Epilogue 92 Moriarty's Riddles and Solutions 93 Appendix I. Moriarty's Problems 93 Appendix II. Solutions 98 Solutions to Moriarty's problems 108 CHESS SECRETS OF THE ARAB KINGS How to solve these problems 119 Characters 124 Book I. The reign of Harun Al Rashid 1251. Where is Harun Al Rashid? 1252. Invisible, but not invincible 1263. The Camouflaged Harun 1264. The Tale of the Enchanted Stone 1275. The Hidden Castle 1286. A Vital Decision 1297. The Mystery of the Buried Castles 1308. The Case of the Disputed Castle 1319. The Mystery of the Black Castle 13210. The Tale of the Veiled to the queen 132Book II . Tales of Treasure 13411. Tale of a Stolen Treasure 13412. Stolen Treasure II 13513. Stolen Treasure III 13614. Stolen Treasure IV 13615. The story of the cunning bishop 13716. The second story of the cunning bishop 13817. Archie's coup 13918. Two handicaps 139Book III. Arabian horses 14119. The case of the lazy horse 14120. Lazy horse? 14421. Which horse is lazy? 14422. A story about a mischievous horse 14623. Horses that exchanged armor 14724. An ancient riddle 14825. An invisible horse 14826. Which horse is guilty? 15127. Vizier Harun reveals the mystery of the murder 152Book IV. Palace Stories 15428. The Tale of a Spy 15429. The Second Tale of a Spy 15530. The Tale of a Master Spy 15531. The Trial of the Bishop 15632. The Mystery of the Missing Pawn 15733. The Princess and the Knight 15834. The Tale of the Magic Carpet 15935. The Ghost Bishop 16036. The Bishop ghost II 16137. Two ghost elephants 16138. The best of the ghost elephants 162Book V. Tales of magic and supernatural phenomena 16339. A story about a genie 16340. A second story about a genie 16541. A story about an unnoticed genie 16942. Another story about a genie 17043. A story about a transformed elephant 17144. A story about an enchanted horse 172Book VI. The Story of Amelia 17545. The Case of the Suspected Queen 17546. Which Queen? 17847. New difficulty 17948. Rescue of Amelia 18049. Adventure in the forest 18250. In search of living water 183Appendix I. Problems compiled in the castle of Casira 186Appendix II. Answers 189Afterword 232Translator's Afterword 235