If there were only 1 chess book you could reccomend what would it be ?

Simple chess by Stean.

+100

If you can't pick up basic positional ideas from this classic then nothing will help you. Its ok saying 'just study tactics' but what are you going to do in the vast majority of positions where isn't a tactical shot? Most players just blindly push their pawns to 'gain space' without realising they are destroying their own position. Simple Chess teaches you what to look for in relatively quiet postions in language that even beginners can understand, even though the examples are going to be useful for the rest of your chess playing life...

Yes Simple chess is good, it would probably be second just behind Logical Chess, by Chernev for me.

Fischer's 60 memorable games.

The insight is profound, particularly in a match situation, with explanations and analysis behind the ideas. Contrary to his later paranoia, Bobby included some losses and it was top class chess on a knife edge.

I agree that My 60 Memorable Games is a classic of objective analysis and interesting games. But if you want a good, well annotated collection of Fischer's games, and the games of other great players as well all in one book, get On My Great Predecessors IV by Kasparov. It is perhaps slightly less pithy, but in every other respect it's a better book.

In fact, I'd recommend any one of the five volumes of KOMGP as an excellent single book to own. Each of them contains fantastic games, deep analysis, and interesting (if not always factually accurate) stories.  

My 60 Memorable Games is one of the few chess books left that could think to add to a library that is already too big for its britches.  But its an interesting point you make here, my question is which of the two M60MG or Vol IV of MGP would be of most value to the sub 1600 player?

My 60 Memorable Games is one of the few chess books left that could think to add to a library that is already too big for its britches.  But its an interesting point you make here, my question is which of the two M60MG or Vol IV of MGP would be of most value to the sub 1600 player?

I watched the Q and A with Dan Heisman today who talked about going through master games - which was the question I posted, although someone else posted a similar one. He didn't recommend My 60 Memorable Games for such a rated player, only higher because the analysis/commentary for the book is better for higher rated players. He actually recommended Chernev Logical Chess!!! (And also his new book, plug, plug, which I forget the name of.) He recommended going though master games relatively quickly, as many as possible, maybe 20-40 min max - as I later saw from his website.

Any book by Reinfeld because I Iearnt the moves from one of his beginner books in 1983.

Thanks Benedictine, Logical Chess is the first book can recall reading cover to cover (many years ago) and could probably use a second helping as I've had several year plus breaks from the game since "taking it up."

Reason I asked the question is more to find out which of the two options would be more use to some one in the rating range I mentioned (or maybe a different option all together).  Am a Capablanca fan (one of his collections is by Reinfeld ;) and have read more then once that Fischer's play is similar so beyond me or not will get a book with his games for art's sake. 

The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games

Chess for Dummies if you are a beginner

This might be a better "only" book for a beginner then Chess for Dummies imo (still find going over some of the test puzzles useful).

Capablanca's chess fundamentals

Picked up the latest edition several weeks ago, which according to reviews has been severely butchered by De Firmian.  Not knowing any better I still enjoyed it. 

I don't necessarily have one book but I would recommend one author... Bruce Pandolfini.  He has written numerous books on chess basics that I found quite helpful and it was not too high brow to understand.  He was also the chess tutor in the Movie, In search of Bobby Fisher

I highly recommend Silman's Endgame course.

True. His books were extensively used in the former USSR. They were given to kindergartens, and kids made nice paper shuttles out of them.

Lol!!!

(I agree with IM pfren's sentiment).

Chess Fundamentals by José Capablanca