Chess book recommendation - Chess Forums

ganz_unten

Feb 13, 2018

0

#1

Hello,

A have a question about chess books that maybe you could help me with.

A good friend who use to play when he was young (as an amateur) ask me to recommend him a chess book, not with the purpose for him to learn,

but just in order to read something interesting.

As said, he used to play as amateur, even he programmed a simple engine in the college.

I was thinking about something more related with the psychological aspects of playing. Such as "Chess for Zebras" or "7 deadly chess sins"

As, said he is not interested in learning or improving, it is just something that could be interesting and easy to understand to a neophyte

¿Any ideas?

Many thanks in advance

mikecantreed1

Feb 13, 2018

0

#2

Ur a good friend. Usually when someone asks me for a rec and I don't have one I just tell them I'm not informed enough to make one and then move on.

ganz_unten

Feb 13, 2018

0

#3

@FishEyedFools: Thanks for your recommendation.

@mikecantreed1: Not really I think it is an interesting topic, just that

torrubirubi

Feb 14, 2018

0

#4

Most people do not read the books they have.

In my opinion, it is better to recommend a book that he will go through from cover to cover. Go to Chessable.com and check the books they have there. Most books are on openings, but they have also several great books on tactics and some on endgames. Some are for free, other to purchase.

The main difference between Chessable-books and other books is the way how you work with them: in Chessable you learn by spaced repetition (google it). You have to be online to work with them, and you always know which positions you have to review. The positions you know well you will have to review only after a longer period of time than the positions you are answering wrong. Is that simple, but the result is just amazing - the learning process get extremely efficient and straightforward.

Just to give you one example: I have a huge library on chess books. The only books I am working regularly since I began there one year ago are the Chessable-books. I still love my books, take them with me if I go to a restaurant to have a coffe, but to learn efficiently I use Chessable.

A great thing about Chessable is that you can discuss with other students those moves that you don't understand. You can also ask the author, something that you can only dream if you work with classic chess books! At the end you have often discussions with IMs and GMs who are guiding you through complex positions.

For example, since I began to work with the repertoire books written by GM Colovic I asked him probably more than 50 questions, and he answered all of them, sometimes within 10 minutes after I asked. The answers are visible for all students, so everybody will profit from them. In a certain sense, the books in Chessable, especially on openings, are hybrids, written by the authors and the students.

Since a while I send all my chess students to Chessable. They register for free, take one of the free books there and begin to learn. It is amazing to see how strong beginners get after working regularly with one or two books.
Good luck!

kindaspongey

Feb 14, 2018

0

#5

Maybe try:
The Big Book of World Chess Championships by Andre Schulz
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-115-kings-of-chess
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9030.pdf
The Genius and the Misery of Chess
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101906/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review661.pdf

Instructive Chess Miniatures

www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Instructive_Chess_Miniatures.pdf
The Development of Chess Style by Dr. Max Euwe

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095110/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/chestyle.txt

The Fireside Book of Chess
The Great Chess Masters and Their Games
The World's Great Chess Games by Reuben Fine
Kings of Chess by William Winter
Golden Treasury of Chess by Francis J. Wellmuth
The Personality of Chess

kindaspongey

Feb 14, 2018

0

#6

From a thread, "Can you recommend chess books to read just for enjoyment":

"Novels and other books written ABOUT chess are not really chess books. But there are chess books written for pure chess entertainment. These are books which you can dip into at random and immerse yourself in the magic of chess. There are no better books for bedside reading or to spend time at the airport. Here is a list of such books, off the top of my head. These books are not pedantic instruction or mind-numbing dry-as-gravel analysis or variation-mongering exercises, but pure chess enjoyment. Any learning you do is just bonus.
All About Chess- Al Horowitz
Fireside book of chess- Fred Reinfeld & Irvin Chernev
Chess Companion- Irvin Chernev
Oxford Companion to Chess- Hooper & Whyld
Chessboard Magic!- Irvin Chernev
Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics- Van Perlo
The Joys of Chess- Christian Hesse
The Joys of Chess- Fred Reinfeld
The Tactics of Endgames- Jano Ban
Miniature Chess Problems- Colin Russ
The (Even More) Complete Chess Addict- Fox & James
Tactical Chess Endings- John Nunn
Chess Secrets I Learned from the Masters- Edward Lasker
Best of Chess Life & Review (2 volumes)- Bruce Pandolfini (Editor)
These books are the type you can dip into at random and lose yourself in marvellous world of imaginative chess, the magic possible in chess." - knickerbocker (~30 days ago)

"Daniel Gormally's book Insanity etc . S. Reshewsky's autobiography ..." - torrubirubi (~30 days ago)

"Searching for Bobby Fischer (the book) ..." - Jenium (~30 days ago)

"I enjoyed Chess Bitch by Jennifer Shahade. But that's probably not going to be to everyone's taste. I also second the recommendation of Endgame by Frank Brady." - Penfold77 (~30 days ago)

"Bobby Fischer Goes to War - Edmonds & Eidinow (Can also listen to it free on Hoopla) ...

Bobby Fischer's Conquest of the World’s Chess Championship - Fine, Reuben ...

Grandmasters of Chess (Revised and Updated - 1981) Harold C. Schonberg" - bbrad6 (~29 days ago)

kindaspongey

Feb 14, 2018

0

#7

From a thread, 'Looking for a "fun" chess book':

"Andy Soltis has a book or two. Chess Lists 1 and 2 , also Chess To Enjoy, very good author. enjoyable books." - wiscmike (~20 days ago)

"Irving Chernov's The Chess Companion is a great book. I bought it 40 years ago, and I still enjoy it. https://www.amazon.com/CHESS-COMPANION-Irving-Chernev/dp/1501116657/ref=la_B000AQTHUS_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1516842704&sr=1-18&refinements=p_82%3AB000AQTHUS Here is one story from it that is just great. http://www.wtharvey.com/lastrd.html" - kndreyn (~20 days ago)

torrubirubi

Feb 14, 2018

0

#8

ganz_unten wrote:

Hello,

A have a question about chess books that maybe you could help me with.

A good friend who use to play when he was young (as an amateur) ask me to recommend him a chess book, not with the purpose for him to learn,

but just in order to read something interesting.

As said, he used to play as amateur, even he programmed a simple engine in the college.

I was thinking about something more related with the psychological aspects of playing. Such as "Chess for Zebras" or "7 deadly chess sins"

As, said he is not interested in learning or improving, it is just something that could be interesting and easy to understand to a neophyte

¿Any ideas?

Many thanks in advance

Just to read I recommend Chess for Zebras or a chess biography. The Queen of Later is a fantastic book, a good example how chess can help someone to improve radically his life. It is a story about a girl from a slum in Uganda who learned to play chess by soccer coach. I recommend it to everyone interested in chess culture. And I feel good thinking that this girl will get some money if we buy the book.

torrubirubi

Feb 14, 2018

0

#9

I meant of course Queen of Katwee. Autocorrection.

kindaspongey

Feb 14, 2018

0

#10

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233853/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review526.pdf

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Chess-For-Zebras-81p3867.htm

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_for_Zebras.pdf