One Chess Book for a Lifetime in Space – What’s Your Pick?
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synthesechess
Mar 17, 2025
0
#1
Hi,
imagine this: You’re leaving Earth forever, traveling to a distant galaxy with no way back. Your only companion is a single chess book. The only one you’ll ever have for the rest of your life.
Which book would you take?
Best regards,
Harry
Mar 17, 2025
0
#2
Calculate like a Grandmaster : Alex Kotov: also if there comes another version namely 'Calculate like a Grandmaster in bullet chess', y'all have to send me a copy via ISS.
Mar 17, 2025
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#3
Are you sure that isn't "Think Like A Grandmaster"? I know of the other Kotov book that isn't as good: "Play like a Grandmaster" but "Calculate"?
Mar 17, 2025
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#4
I would bring a good chess puzzle book. A thick book titled 5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games by Polgar comes to mind.
Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies --- you would become fascinated by the beauty in chess.
Mar 20, 2025
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#7
Falkentyne wrote:
Are you sure that isn't "Think Like A Grandmaster"? I know of the other Kotov book that isn't as good: "Play like a Grandmaster" but "Calculate"?
I like the book that I mentioned more than 'Play like a grandmaster' in the trilogy for some reason, sorry for the late reply, I do not get notifs for forum and I've been a bit dilly dally.
Mar 21, 2025
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#9
I only own the books "Think like a Grandmaster" and "Play like a Grandmaster". Bought them a very long time ago (so long ago in fact, that Think is written in DESCRIPTIVE NOTATION. Yikes).
I know there were others, but "Think" is the one people who enjoy Klingon Pain Sticks should buy.
And as far as "the one chess book you will need for being Major Tom?"?
Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual 
I think I would go for a collection of games from world championship matches, from the 1800s through the present. Or maybe a book of a great tournament: Hastings 1895, New York 1924, Zurich 1952, or the Piatigorsky Cup 1966. These would show great players in competition, with the drama of the match/tourney.
A popular collection of 145 great chess games compiled and annotated by five highly-regarded GM's.....
"The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games" (the most recent, 2021 edition) by So, Adams, Burgess, Nunn & Emms (view & download the pgn's of the games of the 2010 edition here). Note former World Champions Judit Polgar and Magnus Carlsen on the book's cover.
Mar 22, 2025
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#12
Simple Chess: A great explanation of strategy, making it very easy to understand. You have it on YT as well: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUrgfsyInqNbkyiwPSSBQ6ALkkccKItPE
