If you could buy ONE chess book and ONE chess book only, to go from an  intermediate or average player to advanced, which ONE would you buy?

tks, lee 

Depends which kind of book you want. If you want an opening book(if so ,depends on the openings you want to explore),midllegame book or endgame book.

How to reassess your chess. I always suggest this book and it may seem like its all i have read but its such a good clear book.

 In saying that, you need a good opening repitoire to get to advanced level imo so i dont think one book would suffice :) Needless to say; playing a decent amount of games would have to help too rite?

A good and hard question to answer!

Understanding Chess: Move by Move.  It has opening theory, tactics, attacking principles, sacrificial principles, and endgame principles (basic), as well as wonderful annotated grandmaster level games.

Thank you Mr. Unbeliever.  I just ordered off of Alibris and got a first edition first printing.  Yea!  I am a book nut.  Look forward to reading it and then a challenge.  It will be like Darth Vader vs Luke Skywalker.  lol :-)   Thanks again...   lee

I recently asked this very same question of a great chess player in my town - his recommendation was "Logical Chess: Move by Move" by Irving Chernev.  So far I can see why he recommends it - it's fantastic! 

The Amateur Mind,  by  Jeremy Silman

 

Without a doubt.

Logical Chess may be great for getting, or rather helping,  one to intermediate stage but for advancing beyond that...not really. Understanding Chess Move by Move picks up at this point in the same vein.

Amateur's Mind followed by How to Reassess your Chess seems sensible.

 Pawn Structure Chess by Soltis might be very helpful too.