Would very much like to track down this chess book...!

Hi there,

I know this is a long shot, but I’m trying to identify a particular book I came across about 20 years ago (on a random shelf at a random hostel I stayed at for a day or two)… I’ll have a go at describing it, and if anyone thinks they recognise it, I’d really appreciate a title or an author so I can track it down!

It was a long time ago, but what I remember is that the chapters seemed to focus on a ‘good’ position to be in, or a ‘good’ strategy in a certain general situation. For example, there was a chapter on why it’s good to get your rook to the seventh rank. I also remember a chapter, I think, on how best to use two bishops together.

So I think you’d categorise it as a ‘strategy’ book or a ‘middle game’ book, though I can’t remember if there were also any chapters on end game or opening strategies. (The book was in English, though have no idea if it was translated or not.)

But what I do remember (I think!) is that the learning was given via words, and probably with some position diagrams, but I don’t think it ever went through full games or anything. So it was really digestible, useful and easy to learn from - for the stage I’m at anyway.

And that’s why I want to track this book down! It’s been at the back of my mind for 20 years, as the ‘piece of the puzzle that got away’ in the journey of trying to improve my chess game. I’m sure I wrote the name of the book down on a piece of paper at the time… but said piece of paper long gone after 20 years…

Any help from the community here - who collectively would probably know every chess book under the sun - would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Unfortunately for you, your scant description of the book could apply to the many thousands of chess books that have been written over the years that treat such topics.

However, your description applies 100% to one of, if not the most famous chess book ever written. It is a book of chess strategy. I tend to believe that this could be the book you are looking for...

"My System" by Aron Nimzowitsch...

In particular you can see in the book excerpt here (using Amazon's "Look Inside" feature, just above the book's cover image), the book's table of contents, and the titles of Chapter 3 - 'The Seventh and Eighth Ranks' and Chapter 13 - 'The Two Bishops'...

https://www.amazon.com/My-System-Century-Aron-Nimzowitsch/dp/1880673851/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VH21ET5CCLXO&keywords=aron+nimzovich+my+system&qid=1687081492&s=books&sprefix=aron+nimzo%2Cstripbooks%2C133&sr=1-

The book has been edited, translated and republished many times over the years. It also contains a number of example games illustrating the featured positional-strategic concepts. My favorite edition is the Lou Hays Publishing 21st Century edition, edited by Lou Hays, for being (IMO) the easiest English language translation to read.

Here a Google Books excerpt from the New In Chess (publishers) edition of "My System" where the content relating to play with the two bishops is incorporated into Chapter 12. It is a 2-in-1 edition, as it also contains Nimzowitch's instructive annotated example games collection "Chess Praxis"...

https://www.google.com/books/edition/My_System_Chess_Praxis/_37ODAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=my%20system%20chess&pg=PA20&printsec=frontcover

you might also be interested in my blog article....

Perspective on Aron Nimzowitsch's "My System"...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/perspective-on-my-system-by-aron-nimzowitsch

and/or...

 Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond.....(which also contains "My System" - the last entry)..

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

@DesperateKingWalk -

That's it. The Lou Hays 21st Century Edition of "My System" (the one that I had described earlier as my preference, for being the easiest English language translation to read).

Thank you,

RussBell

Thanks so much for your assistance, guys - I really appreciate it.

I feel bad because you're right: There's not a lot to go on in my 20-years-after-the-fact description... and it could point to so many hundreds of books I now realise...

And I feel worse, because I know it's not 'My System' unfortunately! I have that book, and it's definitely not that one. You're right, those chapter descriptions match up well (chess strategy being what it is), but the main difference I remember is how very easy-to-read this other book was (not so much the case with 'My System', even the Lou Hays 21st Century Edition, which is the one I have).

So perhaps that's two extra clues for us: The ease of the language makes me think it was written in English originally, not translated. And, although I don't remember clearly, I'd now bet my bottom dollar that it is a much more recent book compared to 'My System', now that I look at the old language style in 'My System'. It was a more modern language style.

Do those two extra things point us further along the track, perhaps? I'd still really love to identify it, as there was something so incredibly well-suited to my particular stage, it's one of those missing pieces I really regret not having... Yeah, kinda' like getting to the end of a 1000 piece puzzle you've been doing for 20 years and finding at the end you're missing one piece!... This is bugging me

@Flyhawk5000 -

Unfortunately the information you have provided is insufficient to uniquely identify the book you seek.

In case you are curious about how I can be so confident in this conclusion, I own over 600 chess books which I have collected over 30+ years, including many, if not most of the most popular and highly regarded books that have been published in English since "My System" was first published.

I'm beginning to see what you mean, it really isn't much information to go on... If there are 50-100 books that might match the description, then any time someone says 'it might be such and such', that gives me a 1-2% chance of striking it lucky each time... Possible... but unlikely...

I did try to contact the 'hostel' about it (it's actually a Buddhist monastery in South Korea where travellers stay sometime) but didn't receive a reply. I'll try again, on the off-chance it's still sitting there happily on that shelf after all this time... Then if I find it, I can let you know the name of it instead of the other way around : )

Thanks very much for taking the time to reply though, Russ. I really appreciate it.

@Flyhawk5000, although your information is insufficient, I shortlist some books out of which you may find what you're looking for:-

Planning in the Middlegame by Nikolay Yakovlev

Positional Handbook of Chess by Israel Gelfer

The Middle Game in Chess by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky

Thanks so much - I'll give those three a go! That's 3-6% possibility of success right there : )

@Flyhawk5000 -

Another shot in the dark....two well-known chess books that spring to mind with content that match your criteria...

Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman

Use the "Look Inside" feature on the book's Amazon webpage to see the Table of Contents. In particular, noting Chapter 2, page 33 for the two Bishops and Chapter 4, p.53 for Rooks on the 7th & 8th ranks....

https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Chess-Strategy-Ludek-Pachman/dp/0486202909/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PX98L7PGET9A&keywords=modern+chess+strategy+ludek+pachman&qid=1687177712&s=books&sprefix=modern+chess+strategy+ludek+pachman%2Cstripbooks%2C144&sr=1-1

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Modern_Chess_Strategy/BbfCAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Modern+Chess+Strategy&printsec=frontcover

Note that while Pachman's book was originally published (probably in either Czech or German) in 1963, this English language edition by Dover Publications was initially published in 1971. Also the Dover edition is written using the older, obsolete Descriptive Notation (as opposed to the current standard, Algebraic Notation) - another criteria, clue which could potentially be useful to know for narrowing your search.

Another famous chess book with related content - "The Game of Chess" by Siegbert Tarrasch. Here the Dover Publications English language edition in Descriptive Notation. The book was originally published in German in 1931 as "Das Schachspiel"; the Dover edition in 1987.

Again, use Amazon's "Look Inside" feature to see the Table of Contents, p. 181 (Two Bishops) & p. 190 (Rooks on the 7th)...

The Game of Chess by Siegbert Tarrasch

https://www.amazon.com/Game-Chess-Dover/dp/048625447X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1O2CDFFUKGDSC&keywords=the+game+of+chess+siegbert+tarrasch&qid=1687179564&s=books&sprefix=the+game+of+chess+siegbert+tarrasch%2Cstripbooks%2C142&sr=1-1

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Game_of_Chess/Fg5x9KIwxlEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=the+game+of+chess&printsec=frontcover

there is also an Algebraic Notation edition of Tarrasch's classic text...

https://www.amazon.com/Game-Chess-Algebraic-Siegbert-Tarrasch/dp/1880673940/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3OFO0W4Y36IPB&keywords=the+game+of+chess+siebert+tarrasch&qid=1687200235&s=books&sprefix=the+game+of+chess+seigbert+tarrasch%2Cstripbooks%2C150&sr=1-3

Do you happen to remember what the cover looked like? Or any images besides the board diagrams? Maybe a visual will jog someone's memory.

Weapons of Chess by Bruce Pandolfini , perhaps. My copy is from 1989. Your description does sound like it: no full games, english explanations of concepts with minimal endgame or openings.

It's a possibility!

There are separate chapters on the Two Bishops and Doubled Rooks (rooks on the 7th rank, etc.). It's very easy to read...clear explanations....no chess notation used. A very instructive book!

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Weapons_of_Chess_An_Omnibus_of_Chess_Str/A6c6jzJkMj4C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=weapons+of+chess&printsec=frontcover

I love you guys - you’re awesome! Thank you.

RussBell and Xynoid - Thanks for those suggestions, and I’ll have a close look at them along with the suggestions from rivuchess.

ChessAuthor - I don’t have any direct recollection of the cover (was probably more interested in the inside), but it’s possible that the covers of the suggestions might help me narrow things down if something triggers my own memory perhaps…

Powerdigit - Thanks for cheering us on : )

So I’ll go through those Kindle samples today (hoping that some of the sample pages might cross over with the chapters I read or vaguely remember), and although that Buddhist monastery doesn’t seem to be answering emails yet, there is a phone number listed, so I might try that too…

I’ve got a feeling we’re going to nail this, despite the bad odds… : )

Let's hope we do nail this, for this is as much as a challenge for us as it is for you 

@Flyhawk5000 -

Note that Amazon "Look Inside" tool will display either a pdf or a Kindle excerpt. I believe it defaults to Kindle if a Kindle edition of the book exists. Otherwise it will display a pdf excerpt. Note also that the formatting of the Kindle version bears no resemblance to the print edition. Many folks (myself included) don't care for the Kindle edition of chess books. Primarily because the chess diagrams and the text pages they refer to in many instances end up on separate pages, so you have to keep clicking back and forth to view the text and any related diagram. It's a pain. IMO, print editions are so much easier to navigate through.

It's essentially like looking for a needle in a haystack. Unless many more unique clues can be provided, the probability of success is, IMO, very small.

Maybe the "logical approach to chess" it uses diagrams with just the relevant pieces

Another possible longshot could be books by Reinfeld, Horowitz, Soltis, Silman and Pandolfini. You might try Fred Wilson's Rare Books. He has a lot of vintage Chess books as well as other subjects. I believe that he is based in NYC.

The diagrams are not always visible in Kindle also