I have a book from the Fischer Spassky World Championship which has a diagram of every move of every game.
Help ID an old chess book?
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Jul 23, 2025
0
#3
Invitation to Chess sounds like that may be it! The Fireside Chess Library part rings a bell, also. I'll see if I can find a copy. Thanks a lot for the help!
tm255 wrote:
I'm trying to remember the title of a book and thought if I describe it someone here may know what I am talking about.
The book was available in the 1970's, so obviously it was published sometime before then but I don't know when. The author might have been Reinfeld, but not at all sure about that.
It described itself as being a book of "chess movies," where one could follow along the games without having a board and pieces. I realize that in the early 2000's someone (Pandolfini?) came out with a book having the same claim, but that obviously isn't it.
Ring any bells, anyone? Not a big deal if I can't figure it out, just curious.
The Pandolfini books are not a bad update to the Chernev book since he uses the algebraic notation which has been the standard for a few decades by now.
The Chernev book does have a place in my heart since it was my first chess book and is responsible for getting me back into chess.
Jul 25, 2025
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#5
chessroboto wrote:
tm255 wrote:
The Pandolfini books are not a bad update to the Chernev book since he uses the algebraic notation which has been the standard for a few decades by now.
The Chernev book does have a place in my heart since it was my first chess book and is responsible for getting me back into chess.
Are you saying that the Pandolfini books are essentially the same as the Chernev book, except for the updated notation?
Yes. It reads with diagrams and explanations for each algebraic move.
Aug 1, 2025
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#7
Well I found a copy of Invitation to Chess, and unfortunately it is the not the book I was looking for.
Additional prowling around makes me think that The Fireside Book of Chess may be it, so I'm going to try to find a copy of that.
I bought the fireside book of chess recently. The first half consists of short stories with chess subjects. I haven't yet finished the first half but I don't think it matches your description in the original post. Maybe you want Chernev's Logical Chess.
Aug 3, 2025
0
#10
mjeman wrote:
I bought the fireside book of chess recently. The first half consists of short stories with chess subjects. I haven't yet finished the first half but I don't think it matches your description in the original post. Maybe you want Chernev's Logical Chess.
Thanks for commenting! You may have saved me some money. I have Logical Chess, and that's not it.
Part of the problem may be my misremembering. IIRC, one of the chapters starts off with something like "and now for our next feature movie, we have the French Defense" followed by a game in which white wins in 30-something moves. The illustration of a movie reel was used in several places, consistent with the "movie" theme. It was a relatively thin book.
No big deal if I can't find it, just a nostalgia thing.
I'm trying to remember the title of a book and thought if I describe it someone here may know what I am talking about.
The book was available in the 1970's, so obviously it was published sometime before then but I don't know when. The author might have been Reinfeld, but not at all sure about that.
It described itself as being a book of "chess movies," where one could follow along the games without having a board and pieces. I realize that in the early 2000's someone (Pandolfini?) came out with a book having the same claim, but that obviously isn't it.
Ring any bells, anyone? Not a big deal if I can't figure it out, just curious.