Loyd believed that a great chess problem should have a "sparkle" to it. Unlike standard chess studies that might resemble real-game positions, Loyd’s compositions were often abstract and focused on a "surprise trick" rather than a grueling calculation of variations. He famously noted that the difficulty of a problem should lie in the surprise of the solution, not the mere labor of finding a move. Famous Examples of Loyd’s Wit
The Puzzle King: Sam Loyd’s Chess Problems and the Art of Deception
Loyd often enriched his puzzles with anecdotes and a sense of mischief. Puzzle King - ChessProblem.net