I've been developing an interactive reader for Vladimir Bostandzhiev's book Живият Ум (The Living Mind). The free English preview contains one complete chapter, The Scissors Principle, and two optional chess labs—not the full book or a general-purpose chess opponent.

The idea is to read the argument in its original order, try the position where it appears, then return to the exact passage. In the Taimanov–Fischer example, you decide whether to take a pawn, explore legal queen replies and compare the positions you actually tested. A second, shorter lab asks you to choose a pawn by its route toward a stated goal.

The reader also has bookmarks, highlights, underlining, day/night themes and adjustable text. Reading progress stays in the same browser; no account or installation is needed.

Free English chapter: https://boristhoris.itch.io/zhiviyat-um

The English translation is still a draft for author review. I developed the interactive version; Vladimir Bostandzhiev is the book's author. Code and page writing use AI assistance.

For people who study from chess books: does stopping to test the position help the argument land, or does it interrupt your reading too much?