The worst chess book I've ever read, and why...

A lot of under-rated (literally) chess players have written some fine  diamonds in the rough. My best example of this is my first chess book ever, which was given to me by my grandfather. It was called "Chess Made Easy" and was written by Milton Hanauer. If you were to look him up on the database here, you would hardly have as many pages as you have fingers; however, his writing was clear, descriptive, simple and insightful. I used his annotations to study the Mackenzie-Tarrasch game I analyzed for a forum post.

Well, sometimes it's the lower rated players that use the most detail as they know how hard it is to understand certain positions, wheras a GM may assume more about what people know and tends to not say everything he knows, and instead show a bunch of variations, which he understands but it might be hard for him to explain. Maybe I should write a chess book when I get better.

Glenn Flear Endgame Books

The are so borrrrring. You have to keep resetting the positions and everything is so out of order, I didn't learn a thing

I have to admit this has become a really interesting thread!

Speaking of I. A. Horowitz, I was at the Goodwill store just yestarday looking for some cheap science fiction books, and I just happened to see "Chess for Beginners" by Horowitz, so I figured what the hell, and bought it. I figure it ought to be worth the 25 cents I paid for it.

So was it any good?

lol tonydal

for my two penn'orth, my first chess book was Harry Golombek's "The Game of Chess" which I obtained at about age 8 - quite a fantastic book for a beginner which really fired my enthusiasm

Then I bought, from my scrupulousy saved pittance of pocket-money (allowance if you're American), "How to think ahead in chess" - I felt totally rooked !! I was only 9, but I wanted my money back Didn't teach me a single bloody thing as far as I recall - apart from to be a darn sight more careful when buying chess books.

btw I got to meet old man Golombek at a couple of Congresses much later on, and I explained to him his part in my introduction to chess - he was a charming man and very pleased that his book had had such an influence on my generation.

I haven't had a chance to look at it yet. I'm working 12 hour days. 

The worst chess book I have been through was by Ruben Fine, The Psychology of the Chess Player. I have never read such hogwash in my life ! It didnt teach me anything about chess and it even made me wonder if I should keep playing ?! It did make me wonder about his own sanity though and his own relationship with his father.  Oddly enough, his Ideas behind the Chess Openings was one of my first and favorite , books on chess.

The funny thing is, you can't even quote from this book without upsetting someone!

"The Psychology of the Chess Player" - a candidate for the one and only X-rated chess book. William Hartston's "[comment deleted] - The Uncensored Sequel to How to Cheat at Chess" would only be R-rated.

Wow, great stuff guys!

keep 'em coming....

Fine's article can be found online if you google it.  something tells me i shouldn't post the link.

oh, but it is: the content is just, umm, not family appropriate?

It certainly seems very freudian. Who is this inappropriate for though? Maybe some people aren't mature enough to handle the false info given in the book.

I've got to buy this book and give it to my Psych teacher. He would laugh maniacally. He would appreciate it too...

Oh, no!! The "M" word!!!