What chess book would you put on your coffee table to make people think you are really a cool cat when it comes to chess. You know, after they see the book they think you really know your stuff!  Are there such books?

The big hardcover tomes by Polgar are great for this. Huge and full of only diagrams.

- Old russian chess magazines

- Bronstein's Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 (all joking around, by all accounts this is one of the best tournament books... I'm reading Bronstein's "The Sorceror's Apprentice" and it's been awesome).

- Any of Kasparov's history books (again, these are great books by all accounts).

If your coffee table has a reinforced metal frame, you could follow kwaloffer's advice and get Polgar's massive puzzle tome.

MCO

Well, they are all good books---but, they are books most chess players have. At one time all tournament players had MCO editions. Everybody and his brother has Zurich 1953. Ditto for Polgar and the other books.

I'm not going to be too impressed with a book on someone's coffee table that I have in my own library. I was thinking of a book like "Thought and choice in Chess" by De Groot. How many people have that in their library?

What about the big red book on Spassky that Fischer used to prepare for the 72' match.

Weltgeschichte Des Schachs series:

Someone mentioned Russians chess magazines---that would impress the hell out of people!

 You gotta be friggin kiddin!  Every serious chess player has a chess set and board (probably several). Did you read in the new book Endgame by Frank Brady that the story of Reshevsky not owning a chess set was a myth?    I suspect the story of Capablanca not  having chess books is untrue.  What about the story of Capablanca learning chess by watching his dad play---didn't he get that from Morphy and just  elaborated on it somewhat.  The immortals are always trying to top each other. Look at Kasparov---he maintains that Karpov would have beaten Fischer. If so, Kasparov beat Karpov and therefore Kasparov is the greatest.  I think they will be talking about Fischer long after they stop talking about Kasparov.

By the way I always have chess books on my coffee table and I suspect 99% of all serious players do.                    

Your play would speak volumes of your strength. No chess book could do that. Perhaps a nice but durable wooden set and board and a somewhat used, non-digital chess clock on the table might hint that you do play some.

Remember, wearing Air Jordans does not make you Michael Jordan, nor does it impose on you his athletic skill.

But if you just want a "cool" chess book to display on the coffee table, then maybe a 1st edition book might do - like My 60 Memorable Games or My System. Or any chess book you are studying, have it partally open or bookmarked in between by a notebook with your copious notes.

Normal people won't think you're a cool cat when it comes to chess. As far as chess people, just put any chess book out and they will go to it like a moth to light.

However, I like this one a lot more.

Anything written in Russian, and +1 to

9th August 2011, 06:59pm

#9

by DeathScepter
Castle Red Death United States 

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 195

I find that staring at the pieces in a tournament is much different than staring at 2D chess pieces on a laptop.  I tend to miss tactics sometimes on a real board because it just looks so different.  I suspect most serious OTB players study on a board.

 There are exceptions to every rule. I am a serious chess player and have not had a chess set for years. :)

What normal person judges someone based on a game? You might want to investigate your definition of normal. If someone is intimidated by my playing a board game then I'd be a lot more worried about them.

 There is always a goofball in the mix---I said 99% didn't I!

By the way, did you give away your chess set--- or did you burn it like Chigorin?  Did you break it over someones head like king Canute?  You know what masters think when they see a fancy chess set at one of their simuls---Well, there's one easy win!

 Amigo, people have been killed for their air jordans!

 Do you think a book such as this would draw attention?

 Actually I had two chess sets but over the period of years I lost pieces and/or some of the pieces became too poor to use. [I had played speed chess with my son for a while]

 Hey pal are you a psychologist or what. I will explain the question to you.  You invite some of your chess buddies over. What book on your coffee table will impress them the most.  Please dont tell me its not normal to impress your guest.

 Well, I still believe 99% of serious chess players have a chess set, but with the advent of the computer---they dont use them as much as they used to. I think the part of chess thats really taking a licking is ---Chess Books. More people every day are collecting a cyber chess library.