Chair Test ebooks are a popular thing in magic these days. Much like “Any Card At Any Number” and “Torn and Restored Card,” it seems as if everybody has their own version. TC Tahoe details his work on the plot in this short 15 page PDF. While many routines in this genre are complicated and convoluted, TC’s presentation is as direct as it gets.

1. Three volunteers sit on any of three chairs at random.

2. Each participant randomly selects a colored slip of paper.

3. The colors they choose match the colors on the back of their chairs.

Boom-Boom-Boom. There are a few extra bits of business thrown into the presentation, but the effect is as simple as that. Like other routines in this genre, getting three participants on stage for this quick effect may seem a bit clunky. It’s best if you can use at least one of them for a follow-up routine. This helps keep the show moving at a brisk pace and allows you to select the person that you feel would be best after having the change to observe them on stage for a few moments.

The method is also extremely direct. So direct, in fact, that I could describe the method in three words… I won’t do that here. Suffice it to say that if you saw TC perform this in his show, you would not be fooled in any way. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. You wouldn’t be fooled by him performing the Invisible Deck either, but we all know that it kills laymen.

The routine will require you to purchase (or create) a specific prop that may be hard to come by. There’s a good chance that you have a version of it already in your collection, but to perform the routine exactly as written, you may have to do some searching. I tried finding the prop online to no success. You could make one on your own relatively easily if you had access to the right materials.

There is a second routine explained in the eBook as well, but it suffers from a fundamental flaw that renders it almost completely useless. The effect is simple. Two chairs are on stage with an envelope on each one. You ask the participant to select a chair for himself leaving one for you. The envelopes are opened. The participant removes a slip of paper from his envelope; it has “YOURS” printed in big bold letters. You open your envelope to reveal a paper that says “MINE.”

While the use of “YOURS” and “MINE” lends itself to a cute presentation, it also has the possibility of confusing the audience. It’s not that much of a stretch to see how the performer could have used these same words to interpret the spectator’s choice in another way if the situation were reversed. While this isn’t the method used, if the audience thinks this is how the effect could have been accomplished, all has been lost. To be fair, you could use TC’s method to reveal the volunteer’s name and the magician’s name on the papers. However, this would require you to know their name in advance.

Both routines in the eBook are taught clearly. However, a few misspellings, missing words, and grammar mistakes are present throughout the document. There are at least two sentences that make no sense when reading them. In a publication of this size, there is absolutely no excuse for this. One proofreader would have found most of these mistakes on the first read through. While they won’t impair your ability to learn the workings of either routine, they are certainly frustrating.

Overall, while there’s nothing innovative here in terms of method or presentation, it is a fine way to perform a chair test. If you’re looking for one to add to your act and want to find a routine that is direct, packs flat, and is easy to do, I think you’ll enjoy what TC has to offer.

- Available for $15 from www.Lybrary.com