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This page is nearly finished, although I may update it whenever I see fit.
Click HERE to see my profile on the "Amazon.com" website. If
you want to see my "basic
library for the beginner," on Amazon.com, For a list of Irving Chernev's 12 finest chess books ... Click HERE. Click HERE to go to my web page with the best of my "Book Reviews." Click HERE to go
to my page with the "Best Players." Do you know the ONLY correct way to study a
chess book? A
reader from Wisconsin pointed out (in Nov, 2000) that this is an excellent
website, but a major oversight was prompted by the question, "Where
should I go to get [buy] my chess books?"
WOW!! I never thought of that. The second choice would be the U.S. Chess Federation's web-site. The third choice would have to be The Amazon <dot> com web-site. The next choice would be the Barnes and Noble web-site. And the next choice would have to be the chess items from the "e-bay" web-site. Here you can find many of the books that are out of print!! Click HERE to go there now. Good choices!! Another site to check out is Batsford's Web-site. Also check out this link. Eventually, I will have a list of the best chess books ever written. I will try to break them down into several different categories. (Best books, Best Match Coverage, Best Game collection, Best Analysis, Best Biography/Auto-Biography, etc.) I highly suggest before anyone criticizes my choices here that they go to Amazon.com and read the book reviews and see what EVERYONE has to say about these books.
Here I will list a {relatively} recent (?) book acquisition, and I will tell you why I liked it.
*****************************
<<
Alexander
Alekhine's Chess Games, 1902-1946. >> This is an excellent book, a truly massive volume, you can break your arm just trying to pick it up!! It is also a bit pricey, some dealers want 300 bucks (or more!) for this volume!!!!! (You can buy it on-line for $125.00 plus shipping.) Just about every game that Alekhine ever played - that could be located - will be found in these pages. Plus there are many references ... most of these articles would have remained buried in some forgotten chess magazine, if not for the labor of these two authors. THE definitive book on the games of Alekhine ... for those who can afford it. (An A.J. "Top-Ten" selection. Best Auto-Biography.)
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April - May, 2003: I am just about finished working on a big project ...... mostly connected with developing and annotating games for various web pages. I just finished analyzing a game that should eventually find its way to a page I have been working on for more than 5 years now. (Click here.) Anyway, I have had occasion - many times! - to spend days of computer-assisted analysis, often going over the games in this book. (Click here to see one such example.) I continue to be totally absorbed by this book. The analysis in this book has often - and by turns - amazed, astounded, confounded, baffled and delighted me. Anyone who spends some serious time in this book MUST improve!! (And have a lot of fun too!) |
*****
# 6.) I am going to part with tradition here and nominate a fairly new and modern book for my "Top Ten" list. I think the sixth greatest book ever written has got to be: [The Mammoth Book of] "The World's Greatest Chess Games." (By GM John Nunn, GM John Emms, and FM Graham Burgess.)
(Not to be confused with a very good book by Ruben Fine, with a similar name.) This book is one of the best instructional and analytical books I have seen in my entire chess career. It is the collaboration of three authors: GM John Nunn; GM John Emms; and FM Graham Burgess. Some of the best game analysis I have ever seen in my whole chess career is in this book!!! There is definitely a lot of meat here.
(2003: I still refer to this book on a VERY regular basis. The analysis is 'top-drawer.')
***
100 of the best games of chess ever played!! ---> The B.C.F. "Book of The Year." {for that year}
A real jewel and destined to be a true classic. A must for the aspiring Master!
***
[ I wrote these words before GM Andrew Soltis came out with his book, "The 100 Best." ("The 100 Best Chess Games of The 20th Century, Ranked." by GM A. Soltis. Copyright 2000, McFarland Books.) But this is easily a GREAT book in its own right. While the analysis of the Soltis book may not be of the same caliber as the 'Mammoth' book, I am sure the average player would find the Soltis book much easier to read, understand and absorb. I also enjoy the stories in this book far better than the 'Mammoth' book. If I had to go to a desert island today, I would take both, and I hope no one would try to force me to choose between the two!!! These 2 books may almost be interchangeable. And although from a technical viewpoint I like the 'Mammoth' book MUCH better, I think Soltis did a FAR better job in his research and in choosing the overall quality of the better, and prettier! - chess games. ]
*****
#
7.) The next book is by Irving
Chernev. I met this man several times, and he
had a real love for the game that few players today demonstrate. He would look
at games by the hour with anyone. I personally believe Chernev was at least IM
strength. (I believe he played in several U.S. Championships.) The book is:
"The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played."
[62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy]; by Irving Chernev.
It contains 62 true masterpieces of chess by various different players.
(Masters such as Fischer, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tal, etc. Plus many more of the
all-time greats!!) Each game is carefully and lovingly annotated. This book had a tremendous impact on me and
the way that I viewed and looked at chess.
{ I studied it many, many, many times. }
Chernev provides games with an almost blow-by-blow commentary. His ideas are simple, fresh, insightful, and expressed with great clarity. He explains all the basic ideas of the game in a manner that ANY chess-player can follow. The variations are perfect. (Not too much to overload the senses.) I have had players who were almost beginners to players who were accomplished tournament players ... and they all tell me that they profited from a careful study of this book. I think one should study this book, as I did. Every time your rating goes up 100 points, you should work your way through this book from cover to cover! You won't regret it and you definitely will improve!
Another unique thing is he finds one idea or theme in each game, and just hammers away at it. It is a very good study method.
It also contains some of the classics of Chess, and Chernev brings you a fresh insight and analysis to each game. (Indeed - his comments and analysis may differ greatly from the ones that may have been published in the {chess} press when the game was first played.) Chernev was (easily) one of the greatest all-time teachers and writers in the chess field. This book is a true pearl!!! I think it belongs in the library of every real chess aficionado.
Click HERE to go to Amazon.com's web page and see what ALL the reviewers though of this book!
*****
The next book in this list is one that I have given months of thought to.
(They are so many good books ... so many GREAT books ... it is hard to choose only 10!!)
# 8.)
But the next book on this list (for me) would have to be: "The Life
and Games of Mikhail Tal," by GM M.
Tal. This is one of the greatest works of love of all time that are in print.
Tal was not the world's greatest writer, although he wrote with a home-style
type of charm and honesty that few GM's today could match. An absolute work of
love. He chronicles his rise to the top of the chess world like NO OTHER GM
HAS EVER DONE, PERIOD!!!!! There is hours of great reading here, hundreds
of chess games and game positions to go along with it. ONE
HUNDRED of Tal's own favorites are analyzed in
DEPTH!! I simply cannot convey what a wonderful book this is. It is
definitely a book that I (and Dozens of other Masters too!), would take to a
desert island. (I have the original, Hard-Cover;
RHM edition of this book; along with a rather poor soft-cover edition
that was recently released.) There is so much fantastic stuff in this book, that
a lifetime is definitely NOT enough to absorb what's in it!! (I have worked my
way through this book close to 5 times.) I could just rave on and on, but by now
I trust you get the point. You should also go to Amazon.com
and read the DOZENS upon DOZENS of favorable book reviews
that this book has received. A true masterpiece!!!
*****
#
9.) The next book on my list is "Masters of the
Chess-Board," by GM Richard Reti. Here the dynamic young genius of
the hyper-modern revolution goes through all the masters that had played chess
up to that point. Reti rates "The Older Masters," in Part I.
(Anderssen, Morphy, Steinitz, Tarrasch, Lasker, Schlecter, and H.N. Pillsbury.
Apparently Reti felt this group of players had covered all the basics of chess
and showed several distinctive styles.) In Part Two, Reti rates many of the more
modern masters of that time. (Such as Maroczy, Marshall, Rubinstein, Capablanca,
Alekhine, etc.) He also gives a chapter on his opening system. I can
not emphasize too strongly what a great book this was. I was in my late teens
before I began a serious study of this book. It opened my eyes to many new ideas
and some of the greatest players of history. And to have Reti analyze these
games and tell you his opinion of the games, the ideas, etc. Also, many Masters (&
GM's) have told me repeatedly
that this was a fundamental book to read and a landmark
in the careers' of many of the great players of the 20th century. I think
history will judge this book very highly! Another one of my books that I would
feel forced to take to a desert island, if I could only bring ten.
Check it
out!! A must for the chess collector!! A true gem!!!
****
Note: (March 31st, 2002) I am in the process of annotating dozens of the older games for my various chess websites. And I have to say several really nice things about this book. A.) The analysis is always very good and penetrating; B.) Reti always points out lines and continuations that other annotators have missed; C.) I have yet to punch a hole in one of his lines with the computer, which I use CONSTANTLY!!; D.) Reti has some of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL (dang) PROSE you will ever see in any book!!!!!!!! In other words ... GET THIS BOOK!!!
(My 5-year-old daughter Ailene, approves of this note.)
*****
# 10.) Another one of the greatest books ever written has got to be: "500 Master Games of Chess," by GM (Dr.) Savielly Tartakower and J. Du Mont.
[Copyright 1952 & 1976; Dover Publications of New York. This book was originally published by "G. Bell & Sons, " of London, England; in 1951.] (There is also a nice companion volume to this book called "100 Master Games Of Chess.")
Easily a truly great book and a monumental work. Every single opening is represented. (It is actually 3 books in one!) I studied this book as a teenager. I plowed my way through it, doing anywhere from ten to thirty games a day. Later in tournaments, (after I had been studying this book for a while.); the same guys who had beaten me steadily before ... now seemed like so much cannon fodder. I remember one "Class A" player who fell to a sac on h7. He asked me where I learned this technique. I didn't tell him, but it was from this book. Think about it. 500 of some of the best chess games ever played by some of the greatest Masters of the Chess-Board, at least up to that time. Each game is carefully and lovingly annotated by one of the 'classic' Masters, and certainly maybe the one of the better chess teachers - of the 19th and 20th centuries! (Tartakower.) How could you not improve after studying this book?
This book has the best chess of over 150 years of chess praxis!!!
I remember, quite a few years
ago, there was a young expert from another state. He asked me to recommend
ONE book for him to read and get better. After asking him several questions, I told
him he should get this book. Two years later he broke into Master. (Although I
am sorry to say, I don't think he plays tournament chess anymore.) I have also
purchased a copy of this book and given it to many schools. This is a great
book. Even if you only studied the section that has the openings you played, you
would have to improve. Its also a tremendous research and reference book. Just
about all the great games of the last 200 years were incorporated into this
book. I can not think of a better book.
Maybe the best chess book of the 20th century!!
A MUST for every collector!!!
Well, that's it. My choice of the, "Ten Greatest Chess Books Ever Written." Drop me a line and tell me what your choice is. Maybe I can do a list of the "Ten Best Chess Books A.J. left off his list, but were recommended to him by his readers." !!!!
A
special recommendation [and prize] goes to Graham Burgess and "Gambit"
publications for their new book, "Chess Highlights of the 20th Century." (Published, 1999.) [The Best Chess 1900-1999 In Historical Context.]
A beautiful hard-back book,
well worth the nearly $35.00 that I paid for it!
This has got to be one of the better books of the last 25 years for a lot of different reasons.
The blurb on the back cover reads:
"Like the rest of the world, the game of chess has changed enormously during the 20th century. This book surveys these developments by focusing on the top events, the greatest achievements and the most brilliant games, year-by-year."
Each year is represented by a game or a part of a game. There is also a list of the most outstanding chess accomplishments of that year. There are a bunch of really great photo's in the center of the book. And there is a brief recap of each of the most important news [historical] events, from an international viewpoint, for each year. A book for the real collector of fine and beautiful chess books. Destined to be a Classic!!
(Make sure you read my review of this book on Amazon.com.)
(Ten of my favorite books in my chess library.)
(These Books are in no particular order, as I would part with none of them.)
'The
Best Games of Boris Spassky,' - by GM A. Soltis.
When I was just a little boy, before Bobby
won the whole shebang, there was a Chess Champion of the whole world. And he
was universally liked and respected. An average Joe, who liked to do the
things we all liked to do. An average Joe ... who also happened to be
blessed with an incredible amount of chess talent. An average Joe - who was
a real chess prodigy as a child. An average Joe who treated others like a
human being and did not act like a spoiled, rotten brat - or a Prima Donna.
An average Joe, who had to climb the summit of Mount Everest several times
before he finally claimed the ultimate prize. And this average Joe's name was
...
---> Boris Spassky.
GM Andy Soltis wrote a very captivating book about a real, nice and likable
human being who could play both awesome and unbelievably creative chess. I
have played over every game in this book at least a dozen times. If life were fair,
(and long enough!) I would be able to play over each game a thousand times.
This book is a real gem. Maybe not one of "THE"
classics, (for anyone else!); but a real
good read.
And some great chess too.
And the annotations are
crafted with
tender loving care.
Definitely one of the favorites in my library.
Stick around for the rest of this list!!
Fred Reinfeld - Maybe he does not belong on the "Ten Best" list, (And maybe.. on the other hand ... ); but he is one of my personal favorites. One of the better American authors of the 20th century. He wrote some of the better teaching books - aimed primarily at the beginner - that were written during this period. Most Masters write to impress other masters. Reinfeld wrote to a level where just about everybody could easily understand and grasp what he was writing about.
His book, "The Complete Chess-Player," is a classic. Its the book I learned from, and the first book that I give to all my students.
(Later
I will bring you a list of all the chess books this author wrote.)
No need, here is Bill Wall's page.
03/31/2006
***
I
think the best writer in the U.S.A. today (2000-2001) is easily
... GM Andy
Soltis!!!
(You should definitely read his interesting and informative column in the
monthly magazine, Chess. Not only will you learn a lot about the game of
chess you will certainly read unique ideas you will see nowhere else. And the
most important thing about GM Soltis's column? Its VERY entertaining!!)
(At one time I could say I owned every book he ever published, although I doubt if this is true today. He is simply too prolific! Although I am sure I own at least 75% of all the books he has written.) He is one of the greatest American authors of all time! (In my book, anyway.) One of the main things I love about GM Soltis is the little stories and facts he relates in the course of almost all his books. WHERE does he find all these juicy little tidbits of information? Its great!
Good job, Andy! And Thanks!!! (For ALL the great books.)
GM
Robert Byrne and IM Ivo Nei's book, "Both Sides
of The Chessboard."
A beautiful hard-back book [with a gorgeous dust jacket] with many
photo's, (a first, for me anyway - for that era of chess books); a great
story, and some of the best chess analysis of all time. (Better than most of
the match books I had seen.) Definitely one of my favorites. A truly great
book that is unfortunately no longer in print.
Click here to go to my page on "The Best Chess Matches Ever Played."
***
Stay tuned for the rest of this list!
STAY TUNED for my other lists, "The Ten Best Chess Books ever Written," in various categories. I.e., The Ten Best Instructional Books, The Ten Best Tournament Books, The Ten Best Match Books, The Ten Best Biographies, etc.
Want books that have been greatly discounted? Then click HERE.
Another good place to buy books? Its got to be this site. Click HERE.
Another good place to BUY or SELL chess books? Click HERE.
Keep watching this page ... for more of my picks ... of the best chess books of all time!
Read my book review of "The Immortal Game," by David Shenk.
An interesting blog page on the subject of the greatest chess books of all time.
(Page last updated: Saturday, March 15, 2014 .)
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Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 1985-2013.
Copyright (©) A.J. Goldsby, 2014. All rights reserved.