Chess Writing GOATs: Irving Chernev
Chess is not for the timid. - Irving Chernev Chess Quotes - Chess
This is my take on the greatest chess authors of all time...and some who didn't quite check the box. Today I present the fourth in this new series, presented one at a time and in alphabetical order...mostly...unless I add someone midway through, or just felt like mixing things up.
So, who are the chess writing GOATs? Who didn't quite make the cut, but certainly merited consideration? Do you have an opinion? What about those who wrote prolifically, but not necessarily great stuff? Or perhaps their subject matter just didn't appeal to me or thee, or at least to peers of mine when I was a rising teen.
Hey, it's no problem if you haven't considered the issue! I'm more than willing to fill that particular void in your thoughts with my own opinions!! An opinion informed by decades of chess and a (diminished) chess library that takes up multiple shelves in my library. And if you don't fully agree with my opinions (though I can hardly imagine such a contumacious state of mind) then chess.com generously provided a comments section so you can express your agreements, disagreements, quibbles, corrections, expansions, nominations, and questions. Some of which I will respond to!
Heads up! Some of these authors are NOT the nicest or most ethical people. Over the next months, you'll encounter a multiple plagiarizer and at least one famous player who altered history to present brilliant analytic lines as though they were played in the game. Furthermore, it cannot be known which ancient authors made up games out of whole cloth. They certainly didn't adhere to modern considerations about plagiarism, as those notions didn't have much if any moral traction at the time those individuals wrote.
It's time to introduce our fourth potential Chess Author GOAT. We'll be meeting them in alphabetical order, so...
Irving Chernev (January 29, 1900 – September 29, 1981), a member of the World Chess Hall of Fame, was a Ukrainian-born American NM, and prolific author. Interestingly, he is not an entry in ChessMetrics. I am unsure what criteria he failed to meet for inclusion. I'm taking a WAG and presuming he didn't play internationally.
I will not be providing a list of all the works written by most of the authors. Some of them penned nigh on a hundred books, and I find myself disinclined to fit that many images together in a single page, or to bore the casual reader with a bulleted list.
Chernev wrote twenty chess books, introducing many readers worldwide to the Royal Game. Among his offerings were: The Fireside Book of Chess (with Fred Reinfeld); Practical Chess Endings; and Capablanca's Best Chess Endings which was the most highly regarded of his efforts by the critic Edward Winter. Finally, his book An Invitation to Chess, published in 1945 with Ken Harkness as a co-author, was one of the most successful books written in terms of sales, selling over 100K copies. Even more popular was his book Logical Chess: Move by Move.
At one time I owned several of his books, though the one I remember most fondly was The Fireside Book of Chess. It was a good book to read on a lazy evening when I didn't want to tax my brain, I just wanted to reward myself for a day of endeavors well done!
Let's get to some more specific feedback from others in the industry. We'll start with Logical Chess: Move by Move which is listed at #3 among the 100 Best Chess Books of All Time (Updated for 2025). Here's their description of his book,
Having learned the basic moves, how exactly should a player improve? In this popular classic, the author explains 33 complete games, in detail, move by move, including the reason for each one. Playing through these games and explanations gives real insight into the power of the pieces and how to post them most effectively.
What did others have to say about that book?
Unlike traditional chess manuals, the book excels in its clear, step-by-step analysis of each move. The author’s commentary demystifies complex strategies, making it an unparalleled resource for learning and appreciating the game’s finer points. 40 Best Chess Books [Your Ultimate Guide to Chess Mastery]
... a foundational text in chess literature. Its detailed approach teaches the game’s mechanics and instills a profound appreciation for chess strategy, making it indispensable for beginners and seasoned players. [Ibid]
Its in-depth game analysis inspires readers to study and understand chess’s complexities deeply. [Ibid]
It lacks in-depth coverage of advanced tactics and strategies, possibly disappointing advanced players. [Ibid]
Its focus on classical chess may not appeal to those interested in modern or unconventional styles. [Ibid]
Meanwhile, from that Top 100 list, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played is listed at #48, Capablanca's Best Chess Endings at #57, and Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead at #71. Now that is a heckuva resume. Four books in the Top 100.
What other folks had to say about some of his books:
The Chess Companion, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played, Logical Chess Move by Move and Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings are all works of exceptional erudition and value as well as of humour and warmth. Irving Chernev by Edward Winter
Although Chess Notes items have shown that he sometimes cut corners, he was active at a time when writing and scholarship were not regarded as a natural pairing and when anecdotes and other chestnuts were particularly prevalent. Few were interested in sources. Above all, in the pre-digital age the work of writers in his field was far harder; they could not fill in gaps in their knowledge with press-of-a-button 'research.' Ibid
Chernev's output — clear, humorous and easy-going — gave the impression of effortlessness, but much industry lay behind it all. Ibid
Although his prose was often conversational, it was literate and carefully structured, bearing no resemblance to the ultra-casual 'I'm-just-one-of-the-lads' stuff increasingly seen in chess books and magazines since his time. We have also been struck by the scarcity of typographical errors in Chernev's writing throughout his life. Ibid
Published by the Oxford University Press in 1978 and reprinted by Dover in 1982, Capablanca's Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev presents (in full algebraic notation) sixty complete games, annotated with emphasis on the final phase. Well over half are absent from the Golombek volume, a fact which underscores not only the inadequacy of Golombek's selection but also Chernev's readiness to embrace newly-found material. Written with deceptive casualness, Capablanca's Best Chess Endings was, perhaps, Chernev's finest book, combining hard analytical work and his customary screwball levity. Only Chernev could write annotations like (page 169) '“Don't simplify against Capablanca!”, I keep telling them at the office.' The authors and editors of Irving Chernev - Wikipedia
A chess author GOAT? Of course! The lists don't lie and the praise is piled high. It does my heart good to see a NM joint the lists, much like a hedge knight who fares well in comparison to the royals listed at the top in jousting competitions and swordplay (aka, wordplay, in the case of authors).
Because he did not make the list of Chess Quotemasters (QMs) I'll offer a bit more in this section than usual.
The sign of a great Master is his ability to win a won game quickly and painlessly. Chess Quotes - Success
Play the move that forces the win in the simplest way. Leave the brilliancies to Alekhine, Keres and Tal. Chess Quotes - Strategy
If once a man delays castling and his king remains in the center, files will open up against him, bishops sweep the board, rooks will dominate the seventh rank, and pawns turn into queens. Chess Quotes - Strategy
The greatest compliment one can pay a master is to compare him with Capablanca. [The Chess Companion]
The best initial move for white is 1.e4. TOP 8 QUOTES BY IRVING CHERNEV | A-Z Quotes
That's a wrap!! I'm intending to keep these relatively short. Hope you enjoyed it! If you'd like to read more about Chernev I've provided a few links below. Well, more than a "few" if you're going to be pedantic about my not infrequent abuses of the King's English (not the opening, the language).
It's an alphabetic list...who do you think will be next? Another GOAT? Or someone who didn't quite fit onto my list of the greatest?
Care for a journey down memory lane? Just pick your path! The whole purpose of this section is to address some obvious questions that might pop into your head. How come Kevin didn't talk about this? Or that? Not to mention the other thing! Well, just call me lazy! Or you could appreciate the fact I'm limiting the word count that is imposed on you😏.
Nonetheless, in the series I'll be using this little section to provide links to more fulsome discussions that revolve around some well-known and lesser-known facets of the featured chess giant. That might range from videos to links to other chess.com articles and blogs, usually by Top Bloggers. Enjoy or skip, it's your call, as always.
For bloggers looking for topics that haven't been covered over a hundred times, you might find Chernev an interesting exploration! I limited myself to my usual sources, skipping over the ads of companies trying to sell his books.
- Top Blogger @kamalakanta Nostalgia- Why do I Love Chess?....and Irving Chernev. I love that he brought up a puzzle in which White is to move and mate all ten kings with one move. It's worth visiting this post just for that! But there's far more.
- Irving Chernev by Edward Winter
- Irving Chernev - Wikipedia
- TOP 8 QUOTES BY IRVING CHERNEV | A-Z Quotes
- 100 Best Chess Books of All Time (Updated for 2025)
- The 20 Chess Books That Helped Me To Become a Grandmaster | Rafael Leitão
- The Very Best Chess Books (list by Edward Winter)
- The Best Chess Books Ever - Chess.com IM Jeremy Silman
- Five chess books that have helped me become a Grandmaster - Chess.com Ginger_GM
- 40 Best Chess Books [Your Ultimate Guide to Chess Mastery]
- 25 Books Guaranteed to Improve Your Chess - Chess.com NM Sam Copeland
Other Chess Writing GOAT Blogs
- Chess Writing GOATs: Alexander Alekhine
- Chess Writing GOATs: David Bronstein
- Chess Writing GOATs: José Raúl Capablanca
SOURCES:
Data on the authors was compiled from sources in Wikipedia, my chess library, chess.com, chessable.com, Chess Notes by Edward Winter, archived news articles, individual's websites, FIDE, and my faulty memories. Any and all errors should be deemed the fault of gremlins in the system or glitches in the matrix.
