About the Author

GM Axel Smith is the award-winning author of Pump Up Your Rating and e3 Poison, both of which were enthusiastically received by readers and reviewers. Using the Woodpecker as part of his training, as an adult he improved from a rating of 2100 to becoming a Grandmaster.

GM Hans Tikkanen is a five-time Swedish Champion whose live rating peaked over 2600. His interest in chess-improvement methods, and how they work, led him to study for a degree in psychology.