Best/Favourite/Most Instructive Chess Books

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Best/Favourite/Most Instructive Chess Books

    I may have posted these links a few years ago. If so, sorry for wasting your time. I'd be interested in people's comments on these lists, books they would add or delete, etc. Something about a real chess book - the look, the heft, the feel of the pages - leaves an ebook in the dust.

    https://canchess.tripod.com/favorite.htm

    https://www.chess.com/article/view/t...ess-books-ever
    "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
    "Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
    "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey

  • #2
    My 20 favorites, 5 Canadian favorites, and hopes!:

    1) My 60 Memorable Games, by Bobby Fischer, 1969 (Batsford re-issued this legendary title in 2008, converted to algebraic notation);
    2) The Sorcerer's Apprentice, by David Bronstein, 1995 (unmatched in many of its strengths);
    3) The Inner Game of Chess, by Andrew Soltis, 1994 (chess calculation and tactics, very well explained for players of ALL strengths);
    4) The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games, 2010 edition, by Graham Burgess, John Nunn, and John Emms (125 fantastic games, very thoroughly annotated);
    5) The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, by Mikhail Tal, 1975 (re-issued in 1997, converted to algebraic, with errors fixed; poor-quality binding is still a problem, carrying over from original edition);
    6) Practical Chess Endings, by Paul Keres, 1973 (if you buy one endings book, this is probably the best one, but tough to find);
    7) Best Chess Games 1970-1980, by Jon Speelman, 1981 (he picks more than 40 outstanding games from that decade, and annotates them exceptionally well);
    8) The Art of Chess Analysis, by Jan Timman, circa 1980 (similar format to Speelman's book, with some of the same games);
    9) Chess Tactics for Advanced Players, by Yuri Averbakh, circa 1985 (similar to a mathematics text with its rigor and clear explanations);
    10) How To Open A Chess Game, by 7 GMs, 1975 (unmatched practical advice);
    11) Grandmaster of Chess, by Paul Keres, AVCO books edition, 1972 (his 80 best games to 1962, thoroughly analyzed, with great text);
    12) Smyslov's Best Games, late 1980s edition, by Vassily Smyslov (125 games against all the greats of his era, exceptional openings variety);
    13) The Application of Chess Theory, by Efim Geller, circa late 1980s (100 selected and well-annotated games from his long career);
    14) My Best Games, 1908-1923 and 1924-1937, two volumes, by Alexander Alekhine (despite some fabrications, still an exceptional set);
    15) 107 Great Chess Games, 1939-1945, by Alexander Alekhine; collected, translated, and edited by Edward Winter, 1980 (a unique snapshot into a neglected era);
    16) Pawn Power In Chess, by Hans Kmoch, 1959 (despite some overly complex terminology, exceptionally important treatise, mainly dealing with blocked center positions);
    17) My System, by Aron Nimzowitsch, 1928 (likely the most influential chess book of all time; every serious player must read this);
    18) 300 Games of Chess, by Siegbert Tarrasch, circa 1925, (valuable work from one of the game's greatest teachers);
    19) The Bobby Fischer I Knew And Other Stories, by Arnold Denker and Larry Parr, 1995 (short biographies and player impressions, some crazy stories, and plenty of great games);
    20) Flank Openings, by Raymond Keene (his best book; I really learned from this one!).

    Canadian Section:
    1) Chess The Hard Way, second edition, by Daniel Yanofsky (his wonderful games collection and history);
    2) Chess On The Edge, by Bruce Harper, 3 vols. (complete games of GM Duncan Suttles);
    3) Nick's Best, by Lawrence Day (best games and stories of IM Bryon Nickoloff's career), [I could add a few stories that didn't make it into print!];
    4) Diamond Dust, by Jonathan Berry (tournament book of the 60th anniversary tournament of the Canadian Correspondence Chess Association);
    5) Montreal 1979, by Jean Hebert (in French language; tournament book of the strongest event ever held to that juncture).

    I await Games Collections featuring IM Lawrence Day, GM Igor Ivanov, and GM Kevin Spraggett.

    Cheers,
    Frank Dixon
    NTD, Kingston

    Comment


    • #3
      I used to joke with friends that I was working on a book myself. A collection of my games, but not your normal collection book that everyone writes. My book would focus on my blunders. I was going to title it something like "How to beat Bob". I never expected to sell very many copies, if any. But it would be more as an exercise for myself to learn from my mistakes. My friends always told me to study my losses, not my wins. Good advise, which I rarely took. Who wants to look at their loses?

      Anyway, I abandoned that project some time ago. I think somebody may have already wrote this book.

      Apparently, it must be a bestseller. Does anyone know where I can get a copy?


      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Frank Dixon View Post
        My 20 favorites, 5 Canadian favorites, and hopes!:

        .....

        I await Games Collections featuring IM Lawrence Day, GM Igor Ivanov, and GM Kevin Spraggett.

        Cheers,
        Frank Dixon
        NTD, Kingston
        Hi Frank. Thanks for taking the time to compile your list. I have 16 of your 20 and many of them would also appear on my list of favourites. The Arco collection of Keres' games is one of my most treasured books but it's in rather fragile condition. I know Keres' games have been reprinted in 3 volumes but hoping someday there will be a one volume reprint. Your post jogged my memory and so off I went searching through closets and desk drawers. Finally found my copy of 107 Great Chess Games still in the bag it came home in 30 or more (?) years ago. Playing through the games now and enjoying them! Another book I like from that same period is Fifty Chess Masterpieces 1941-44, annotated by Reuben Fine.
        "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
        "Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
        "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by Bob Gillanders View Post
          I used to joke with friends that I was working on a book myself. A collection of my games, but not your normal collection book that everyone writes. My book would focus on my blunders. I was going to title it something like "How to beat Bob". I never expected to sell very many copies, if any. But it would be more as an exercise for myself to learn from my mistakes. My friends always told me to study my losses, not my wins. Good advise, which I rarely took. Who wants to look at their loses?

          Anyway, I abandoned that project some time ago. I think somebody may have already wrote this book.

          Apparently, it must be a bestseller. Does anyone know where I can get a copy?

          Hi Bob. If memory serves, I think two former chesstalkers published personal games collections and were satisfied with the results: Neil Sullivan and Andy Fletcher (?). Maybe you should reconsider?
          "We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office." - Aesop
          "Only the dead have seen the end of war." - Plato
          "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." - Thomas De Quincey

          Comment


          • #6
            My subjective list:
            -My Great Predecessors-Kasparov 5 vols
            -Kasparov on Kasparov 3 vols
            -Gelfand Decision Making-4 vols
            -My Best ganes Botvinnik-3 vols
            -My Best games Smyslov 2 vols
            -Python Strategy-Petrosian
            -Chess Nemesis-Geller
            -Winning-Short
            -My Most Memorable games-Gelfand
            -Gata Kamsky Vol1+2
            -The King's Indian according to Petrosian-Yanvarjov
            -Larsen's Best games-Larsen(updated edition)
            -Vishy Anand: Anand and Nunn
            -Jussupov's 10 vols Training series
            -Chess Structures-Flores Rios
            -Winning Chess Middlegames-Sokolov
            -Small Steps to Giant Improvement-Shankland
            -Small steps 2 Sucess-Shankland
            -Universal Chess Training-Moranda
            -Strategic Chess Exercises-Bricard
            -100 Endgame Patterns You Must Know and 100 Endgames You must know-de la Villa
            -How to Study Chess on Your Own-Kuljasevic
            -Beyond Material-Kuljasevic
            -Carlsen's Middlegame Evolution Vol1-Sokolov
            -Grandmaster Chess Move by Move-Nunn

            I am sure I forgot some

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by Bob Gillanders View Post
              I used to joke with friends that I was working on a book myself. A collection of my games, but not your normal collection book that everyone writes. My book would focus on my blunders. I was going to title it something like "How to beat Bob". I never expected to sell very many copies, if any. But it would be more as an exercise for myself to learn from my mistakes. My friends always told me to study my losses, not my wins. Good advise, which I rarely took. Who wants to look at their loses?

              Anyway, I abandoned that project some time ago. I think somebody may have already wrote this book.

              Apparently, it must be a bestseller. Does anyone know where I can get a copy?


              I don't know if this is the book you were thinking of Bob G. but i was reminded of a book called "How Not To Play Chess". Here is a link to it...

              https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/..._to_Play_Chess

              However, I don't thing the author uses his own games.

              Comment


              • #8
                On the subject of books, here's my Globe and Mail column from today about Joshua Doknjas, who at 19 has already written two books and co-written another. Quite an achievement! https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life...through-books/

                Comment


                • #9
                  https://en.chessbase.com/post/chess-...the-chessboard - a great review!

                  Comment

                  Working...
                  X