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

The Game of Chess -  Tarrasch 

I see a lot of recommendations for chess fundamentals by Capablanca. I agree that this is an excellent but and add to this that it is available free of charges in an absolutely excellent version from e+chess. Just download their free app and you can download the book for free

Simple Chess by John Emms.

It gives you a god positional understanding.

Sorry! I spelt good as god.

I agree about Pandolfini's books.Chess Openings:Traps and Zaps was fun. Also the Endgame Course.
I love Silman's books as well. He really breaks everything down move by move. It gets a little tedious when you are looking to spend more time studying the board and less time reading analysis (if you get what I mean).

Capablanca is a great way to go as well.

Thanks for all responses.....tallying up the votes...for my next book....

-Sal

Thanks, may have a look at that somewhere along the line. :)

That's OK, but if you were anything like me I would have ordered 27 by now...

I'm interesting in getting a collected games of Capablanca. Can I just ask if anyone would recommend The Immortal Games of Capablanca or Capablanca Move by Move. Thanks a lot.

OK, great thanks, I think I'll go for The Immortal Games of Capablanca. In terms of Chernev, I think I am in love with Chernev! (Logical Chess) I have his second book in the post at the moment. Cheers.

Jeremy Silman and Yasser Sierwan are both great

I think I'll go for The Immortal Games of Capablanca.

Now ordered. Admins please delete this thread as it is offensive to my wallet!

I am very excited about Capablanca though. I have been loving playing through his games recently and can't wait for the Amazon fairies to come.

I have Chernevs "Most Instructive Games Ever Played", solely because my dad used to own it (he doesn't play much chess either), but I thought it was a half decent book. Certainly was fun to read through at least.

Yes, you can learn a lot of basic strategy from that book. The problem with Chernev is that he gives the impression that every game reduces to the conversion of a basic positional advantage to a straightforward win. He rarely gives any lines showing how the loser could have played better so you just get a one sided view of the game.

Hi! This is my first post to chess.com!

I have been reading "Every Great Chess Player Was Once a Beginner" by Brian Byfield, Alan Orpin, and Alan Cracknell. My son and I have been reading this book together a little bit a time and he has really been enjoying it! He's 6 and the large text and clear pictures help. We got our copy from the library.

-=- Boris

Good to know ....something to purchase my little one when she gets a bit older

If I there were only one chess book I could recommend, it would be David Bronstein's Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953. Whenever I read this book, I always feel like I was there (in the tournament Zurich 1953 I mean). A strange feeling, but a real one!

You may also like to try Golombek's Capablancas 100 best games. I have the immortal games too but Golombeks book i think is better but just the same all capa books are best (for me)

if only one, get Polgar's "Chess" with like 6,000 puzzles and games in it. If you can only have one. 

Oh, I'm blown away by your expertise. 

Don't know what planet you are on now, but on Earth Chernev was a brilliant and prolific author who produced many many books, some of the best out there. I can list the ones I own but don't want to waste time justifying myself against such a ridiculous claim.