Oldest Chess Book?

I was at a bookstore a couple of years ago that listed that on their site but couldn't find it (they had recently moved). I had planned to buy it if it was in decent conditon.

I think the oldest chess books I have are from the 1930's.

I was given a 19th Century copy of Staunton's Chess-player's Handbook as a gift. Very fragile now.

I have an 1893 copy of 'Morphy's games of Chess' (his European tour games), with (probably Australian) newspaper cuttings of articles and games of that tour glued inside the cover. I found this book in an outback second-hand book store, with the original Toowoomba owner's beautiful copperplate name inside. Paid $1.

Mitchell's Guide to the Game of Chess

By David A. Mitchell

A Complete Course of Instruction for Beginners

First edition 1915

The closest I could find for value, (I paid $5.00 at an antique bookstore), was $80.00, no idea if this is correct.

David McKay , Publisher

I own over 400 books, but most are not "old".

I think the oldest book I've ever read was Horowitz's "How to Win in the Chess Endings", which was the 3rd book I ever read, but I don't possess it any more.  As for in my current possession, probably either Bronstein's book on 200 Open games, or maybe 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations, or possibly some other one.  Haven't checked dates, and those books are tucked away to the back of the shelf.

Out of the 400+ books, at most 10 of that, and I doubt that many, are older than 1991, and probably 300+ of them are 21st century.

Well...

Magnifique!

Hello all:

I found this thread and I'd like to revive it. So people post the title,  author.. Of the oldest chess book you own,  have seen or heard about. 

Thanks a bunch in advance. 

big bum bum baud bug

Haha 😂 would that be a book title or author's name!?

I have a 1750 copy of Philidor's "Chess Analysed".  It is a first edition but a sixth printing.  I got it at an estate auction in South Dakota (of all places) in 1973 or so. The auction was sparsely attended since there was a raging blizzard at the time.   From the other stuff at the auction it was from someone who had some money (at least at one time).  One of the other books in the box I bought led me to believe that someone (maybe the husband and the estate was of the widow?) that the owner was a member of the US Congress in 1904 or so.   I paid the grand sum of $20 or so for a box of books and a few other small items.  The book is in storage right now so I can't readily access it for pics.

I just got the American Chess Player's Handbook with a date of 1917 from the Goodwill Book store, $12! Really good condition!

How old does a chess book have to be to be considered old in your opinion. Some people say that chess books are usually timeless, but I don't quite agree. There is a limit.

@34

'In chess the tactics may change but the strategic fundamental principles are always the same,
so that Chess Fundamentals is as good now as it was thirteen years ago.
It will be as good a hundred years from now; as long in fact as the laws and rules of the game remain what they are at present.' - Capablanca, 1934

I recently inherited my late moms collection. One book was a Greco first edition from 1659 and two others from 1833 and 1847. Very grateful.

I wouldn’t mind owning a book that was actually owned/used by a former WCC like Fischer’s books replete with hand-written notes and markings regardless of publication date. But those really should belong in a museum as Indiana Jones would say. 
I do own one of the late Larry Evans’ personal copy of a self-published manuscript from the 80s.