Lately I’ve gotten several letters from chess fans who want to know what kind of chess books I like, and what books I consider to be the best of all time.
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That kind of “best-ever” list is very much a matter of taste, and a small list is impossible due to the enormous number of books that are written every year.
Games from Andrew Soltis' great book, 'The Inner Game of Chess', as and where I can find them here. I feel like I'm falling. Zsuzsa Polgar vs Beliavsky, 1991. The Inner Game of Chess - How to Calculate and Win ebook by Andrew Soltis. In The Inner Game of Chess, GM Andy Soltis shows that the key to good calculation is good visualization of the. Books related to The Inner Game of Chess.
Keep in mind that more chess books have been written than books about all other sports and games combined! And though I have around 4,000 chess books, a couple of my friends have far more than that!
In fact, my collection is considered to be nothing more than a good “working” library.
I asked a few chess friends to chime in about their favorite chess books, and I’ll give their lists before sharing my views on the subject.
You’ll notice that some books are in just about everyone’s list, which tells you a lot about those particular tomes.
YASSER SEIRAWAN
A grandmaster and four-time U.S. chess champion, Yasser is also a fantastic chess writer and has written many fine chess books.
His Play Winning Chess series is highly thought of, and is a favorite of players from beginner to 1800. His book (with co-author George Stefanovic) on the 1992 rematch between Fischer and Spassky (No Regrets: Fischer-Spassky 1992) is one of the finest match books ever written. His latest book, Chess Duels: My Games With the World Champions is a fantastic read.
Yasser pointed out that any list is very subjective, but he listed the following as personal favorites:
Seirawan said: “All these books have held me in endless fascination. Indeed, I feel like I’ve read them many times. Instead of simply naming titles, I prefer to mention authors. I enjoy the works of Larsen, Bronstein, Tal, Kasparov, Karpov, Silman, Nunn, Watson, and Christiansen, among others. Their works stand out against other very worthy authors. We will have to wait for the autobiographies of Carlsen, Caruana, Aronian, Nakamura…”
JOHN DONALDSON
John is an international master, six-time captain of the U.S. Chess Olympic team, chess historian, and author of many chess books, including his two-book masterpiece on Akiba Rubinstein (co-authored by Nikolay Minev). John is currently working on the ultimate book about Fischer. I’ve been following his progress on this book for quite some time, and when I say it’s the ultimate book on Fischer, I mean it.
Knowing John was completely immersed in his Fischer project, I didn’t expect him to give me any feedback about the “best books.” However, he innocently mentioned one and I grabbed it since it’s also a favorite of mine!
He had this to say about this particular book: “I would go with the Second Piatigorsky Cup where eight of the participants annotated all of their games (Donner did nine and Bobby sadly only one). I’ve always been fond of games annotated by both players.”
ANTHONY SAIDY
Dr. Anthony Saidy (the real star of the HBO Fischer movie) is a legendary IM who played Fischer (a close friend of his) many times, and beat many big names (Korchnoi, for example). He also happens to have a magnificent chess library that dwarfs mine. His book, The Battle of Chess Ideas (written in Reti’s tradition), is a classic (available in paper and in e-book format for iOS), and his coffee table book, The World of Chess, is something all chess fans should own. His novel, 1983, a Dialectical Novel, was given high marks by Harrison Salisbury, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Moscow correspondent of the New York Times.
His list:
DANIEL RENSCH
Rensch is an international master and supreme ruler of Chess.com.
His list, “not necessarily in that order of course”:
Here is Rensch’s chess book list for students:
[Note added by IM Rensch:'I feel like an a** for not mentioning the Great Predecessor series by Kasparov. Of course, those books are simply phenomenal and monumental works of art, and in my opinion, might be Kasparov's biggest contribution to the chess community (which is really saying something). Also, my top-six list was definitely given under the guidelines of 'my favorites for enjoyment' and not necessarily the best books for both a 1200 and 2400 to read.']
JACK PETERS
IM Jack Peters ruled Southern California chess for over two decades and authored several chess books. He wrote the chess column for the Los Angeles Times newspaper from 1982 to 2011, and now teaches chess at the University of Southern California.
Peters said: “I don’t believe in the idea of ‘best’ books. Almost any good-quality book can seem terrific if you encounter it at the moment you are ready to learn what the author is explaining. My list is composed of books that made a strong impression on me. In no particular order”:
CYRUS LAKDAWALA
Cyrus is an international master, a highly sought-after chess teacher, and one of the hottest chess writers in the world today.
His list:
DAVID PRUESS
David Pruess, a strong international master, helped to make Chess.com what it is today. He is also Chess.com’s most famous rapper.
David said: “My choices depend on what is meant by ‘best’, most enjoyable, or most educational? Good for a 1200 or good for a 2400? I’m not sure, so I’ll just share with you the books that have contributed most to my chess development, by being enjoyable, inspiring, and educational. This is in approximate chronological order, so #1 was one of the first books I’ve read, and #12 is something I’m still reading today! ”
David's list:
“My overall #1 is definitely Grandmaster Preparation by Polugaevsky, who along with Kasparov I consider my favorite chess writers,” said Pruess.
JOHN WATSON
An international master and one of the world’s best chess coaches, Watson has an almost legendary stature as an opening theoretician and chess thinker. He gives weekly opening repertoire lectures on the ICC, and monthly opening columns for ChessPublishing.com.
He’s written more than 30 books on chess, the most well known being his revolutionary series on the English Opening, his books on the French Defense, his four volume series titled, Mastering the Chess Openings, and his award-winning duo, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch and Chess Strategy in Action. His latest book (with Eric Schiller) is a revised edition of Taming the Wild Chess Openings, due out in late spring from New in Chess.
Watson's list:
JEREMY SILMAN
Okay, we finally come to my favorite books. Of course, there are a huge number of chess books that I really like, but I will only mention a few here.
Best Game Collections
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Everyone should get this book and play though all of Botvinnik’s games and notes.
So much fun!
I was never high on My System, but I love Chess Praxis!
You’re not a chess player until you’ve read both these books.
I considered the older edition to be one of the best chess books ever, but this new edition (from New in Chess) is even better.
If you’re a Rubinstein fan, these two books are as good as it gets.
The games are sublime, and the notes are crystal clear.
I have several books on Petrosian, but this is my favorite.
Mr. Karolyi cranks out one fine book after another. As a Karpov fan, I found these to be particularly enjoyable.
Well-written and very personal, these books are deeply autobiographical, and also filled with world-class notes. Lots of great photos make these three great books even better.
Middlegame Instruction
Simple, clear, instructive. I’m very fond of it!
A classic.
Another book that never got its due. The author breaks down Fischer’s games into common themes, showing you how Fischer handled various kinds of positions. So, instead of just another game collection, we have a middlegame textbook using only Fischer games.
Endgame
A delight.
Very instructive.
Tactics
This little-known book deserves much more attention than it got. Other than the incredible games, wonderful puzzles, and very nice notes, it’s also a lesson in chess history taking you step-by-step through the tactical timeline from the 12th century to Greco and onwards. The author put a lot of love into this book, and if you want to study tactics, then you can’t do better than this!
When I was 14 my tactics were pathetic. I read this book from start to finish and went from 1300-strength tactics to 2100.
History
I lost count on how many times I’ve read this. No, it’s not about Pachman’s games. It’s about key moments in famous tournaments. He first builds up a critical situation, then presents the all-important game with great notes. A tournament table is given afterwards. You learn a lot from the games, and you learn a lot about chess history too.
When Andy is “on,” he’s capable of great things. This is one of his masterpieces.
Yet another Soltis tour-de-force.
Three strikes and you’re out if you don’t buy all three of these Soltis books.
A wonderful read. The fact is, Reinfeld, Chernev, and Edward Lasker wrote many, many really excellent books.
If you have any interest in blindfold chess or chess history then this book is for you. It’s fantastic!
Mixing a sharp tongue with humor and fascinating insights, this book is something that deserves a rereading every couple of years.
Beautifully researched, emotionally moving.
An epic piece of work. Games, crosstables, and a complete biography of the man, and it shows you Nimzowitsch as you’ve never seen him before.
The definitive work on this subject. Absolutely fascinating.
Many reviewers criticized these books, but they are as wrong as wrong can be. This five-volume set not only has tons of well-analyzed games, but it’s a complete, easy-to-digest course on chess history from the first world champion onwards.
To finish up, I have to admit that Seirawan was right. You should look for dependable chess authors that never let you down:
And on and on it goes, since nowadays there are dozens of really good chess writers (Boris Avrukh, Jacob Aagaard, David Vigorito, Mihail Marin, etc.).
To wend his way through the mass of books, a chess player needs to know exactly what he’s looking for. If you’re looking for an opening book, you should seek out well-known opening theoreticians. If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you.
That’s why, when I inherited the original five My System pamphlets (they eventually were made into the one book you see today), which were actually signed by Nimzowitsch (perhaps the only signed copies in existence?), I gave them to a chess historian since my library is utilitarian, and treasures like those need to be owned by someone who can take proper care of them. Thus, buying an expensive, critically acclaimed book is heaven for one player but might well be a waste of money for you.
When all is said and done, the chess book experience is a very personal one. It can be extremely frustrating (you read a few pages, realize you’re bored to tears, and place it on the shelf, never to touch it again), or it can be transformative (the book happens to address all your weaknesses and misunderstandings).
So choose carefully, and your chess library will give you a lifetime of pleasure.
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