Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond
Recommended Chess Books?
Sort:
"... If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Here are some reading possibilities that I often mention:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1948)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fc0ca5790af7895297e4/1486224396755/btbtactics2excerpt.pdf
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090448/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review750.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
Some people think very highly of Chess Fundamentals, but even Capablanca himself let it be known that:
"... 'Chess Fundamentals' ... does not deal so minutely as this book will with the things that beginners need to know. ..." - from Capablanca's A Primer of Chess
One 21st century view:
"... For let’s make no mistake, what ground Capablanca covers, he covers well. I enjoyed reading Capablanca’s presentation of even well-worn and standard positions. ...
Still, when compared with other instructional books for beginners and intermediate players, Capablanca’s Chess Fundamentals would not be my first choice. Other books cover the same or similar ground with a less confusing structure and more thoroughness. The following works come to mind as equal or in some ways superior: Lasker’s Common Sense in Chess; Znosko-Borovsky’s series of books; and Edward Lasker’s Chess Strategy. Later works that equal or surpass Chess Fundamentals would include Reuben Fine’s Chess the Easy Way and any number of Horowitz tomes.
Capablanca’s work has historical interest and value, of course, and for that reason alone belongs in any chess lover’s library. But there are better instructional books on the market. Certainly the works of Seirawan, Silman, Pandolfini, Polgar, Alburt, etc. are more accessible, speak a more modern idiom, and utilize advances in chess teaching and general pedagogy, etc. ..." - David Kaufman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20131010102057/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review564.pdf
There is (or was) an available free online version of Chess Fundamentals. You might want to try to get a look at that before buying a hard copy. If you do decide to get a hard copy, you might want to go for the Everyman edition with three Capablanca books in one (My Chess Career, A Primer of Chess, and Chess Fundamentals).
https://everymanchess.com/products/capablanca?_pos=2&_sid=690ae5f7d&_ss=r
If you decide to go for a hard copy of Chess Fundamentals by itself, I believe that it is possible to get an edition that is essentially just an algebraic conversion of the original. However, there has also been a modern version revised by GM Nick de Firmian. Make sure that you get what you want.
One can get some idea of the lasting scope of the respect for My System by looking at:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Still, it might be noted that My System apparently did not occur to GM Yasser Seirawan as something to include in his list of personal favorites, and Aaron Nimzowitsch was not identified by the GM as a very worthy author.
https://www.chess.com/blog/RoaringPawn/an-open-letter-to-the-four-time-us-chess-champion-gm-yasser-seirawan
https://www.chess.com/blog/GMYAZ/open-letter-response-user-radovics-letter-to-me
My System has accumulated some direct negative commentary over the years.
"... I found [the books of Aaron Nimzowitsch to be] very difficult to read or understand. ... [Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal by Raymond Keene explains his] thinking and influence on the modern game in a far more lucid and accessible way. ... The books that are most highly thought of are not necessarily the most useful. Go with those that you find to be readable; ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2010)
In 2016, IM pfren wrote:
"My System is an iconoclastic book. A lot of things in there is sheer provocation, and it does need an expereienced player to know what exactly must be taken at its face value.
I love 'My System', and I have read it cover to cover one dozen times, but suggesting it to a class player is an entirely different matter."
Also: "[Some things] ARE wrong, and it's not easy for a non-advanced player to discover those wrong claims.
Nigel Short has claimed that 'My System' should be banned. Stratos Grivas says that the book is very bad. I don't share their opinion, but I am pretty sure that there are more useful reads for class players out there."
Although he is a fan of My System, IM John Watson similarly acknowledged (2013) that:
"... Not everything in it has stood the test of time, ..."
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-108-of-eplus-books-part-2-nimzowitsch-classics
One last point to keep in mind is that, even if My System would eventually help a player, it might not necessarily be helpful to a player now.
"... Just because a book contains lots of information that you don’t know, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be extremely helpful in making you better at this point in your chess development. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf
A My System sample can be seen at:
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/MySystem-excerpt.pdf
A Chess Praxis sample can be seen at:
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/ChessPraxis-excerpt.pdf
Various samples:
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9027.pdf
RussBell wrote (June 1, 2019):
"My System is of course one of the great masterpieces of chess literature, compulsory reading for generations of players...I recommend My System[...]as strongly as I do any other chess book. These days most classic works are no longer essential to a chess education, especially since the Internet; but if there's an exception, Nimzowitch's work is it." - from IM John Watson's book review here...
https://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-108-of-eplus-books-part-2-nimzowitsch-classics
Perspective on Aron Nimzowitsch's "My System"...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/perspective-on-my-system-by-aron-nimzowitsch
I haven't read much in books, but I am currently working on it. I own like 10 books. At your level and as a eyeopener I am pretty sure The Amateur's Mind by Silman is your best choice. I also have the Endgame book and How to reassess your chess by Silman. If you only pick two as a starter I would add Logical Chess by Chernev. I can't put my finger why I like it so much. I just do, most likely because it's so simple and a perfect way to learn/understand why and where the pieces belong.
If you go to Google Store og Apple Book Store you can download free samples of books. Atleast on Apple Book Store you can download free samples of How to reassess your chess and the endgame book by Silman. Also the Logical Chess.
2Late4Work wrote:
... At your level and as a eyeopener I am pretty sure The Amateur's Mind by Silman is your best choice. ...
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/amateurs-mind-the-2nd-edition/
2Late4Work wrote:
... I also have the Endgame book and ...
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103149/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review594.pdf
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/silmans-complete-endgame-course/
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/theres-an-end-to-it-all
Thanks alot guys! And special thanks to kindaspongey for those detailed answers! Sorry for the bit of a necro and not responding sooner. I thought the app would notify me when someone posts to this thread, but I guess not. I ended up going on a gut feeling and buying neither of the books on my list, instead I bought The Game of Chess and 300 games of chess, both by Tarrasch. Not the smartest move I could have made in retrospect but the reviews I read about them at the time convinced me. Anyways... I still have some money left over and I'll be sure to check out your guys recommendations!
Please Sign Up to comment.
If you need help, please contact our Help and Support team.
Hello! So I just came across some extra funds recently and was wanting to invest it towards chess. Now, as you can see from my rating, I'm not very good at the game but I'm trying to get better! So I'm looking for some physical books to improve my skills (I don't read books online well) Also, I should add, the kind of notation doesn't matter much as I can understand descriptive if I move slowly though it.
The contenders I have on my list:
Chess fundamentals by Capablanca: This seems to be a classic, and from I saw of it could help my chess by quite a bit
My System/Chess Praxis by nimzowitsch: this one is more likely than not too advanced for me, but from what I heard it has some good/useful ideas in it and I think I should soak in at least a few of them if I work hard enough at it.
Currently I think I should also try to get some annotated game collections, probably of classic games. But I don't even know where to start with that, does anyone have any recommendations or favorites?
I think that's enough of my rambling... What are your guys thoughts on the books I listed? And do you have any books you'd recommend? Thanks in Advance!