Can you suggest any good chess books?
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Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld
Mar 18, 2020
0
#2
My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer.
Zurich 1953 by Bronstein
My System by Nimzovich
Pawn Power in Chess by Kmoch
and Tal's book on his 1961 World Chess Championship match with Botvinnik.
Thanks !!
"... 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/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
https://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/https://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/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/https://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/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
https://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.chess.com/blog/ForwardChess/book-of-the-week-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/
https://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090448/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review750.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
https://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090229/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review492.pdf
https://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-openings
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
blueemu wrote:
... My System by Nimzovich ....
https://www.chess.com/blog/GMYAZ/open-letter-response-user-radovics-letter-to-me
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-108-of-eplus-books-part-2-nimzowitsch-classics
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/MySystem-excerpt.pdf
blueemu wrote:
... Pawn Power in Chess by Kmoch ...
In a previous discussion, someone reported a passage from Pawn Power in Chess by Kmoch: "The lengthening of the rearspan is often favorable, inasmuch as the expansion of territory behind the pawn increases the freedom of the pieces. By the same token, the shortening of the frontspan limits the freedom of the opposing pieces."
I'm not exactly a big fan of that sort of writing, but there nevertheless seems to be a widespread opinion that the Kmoch book is worthwhile.
"... [Pawn Power in Chess] should be on everyone's list [of favourites]. ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2010)
Another point of view:
"... Hans Kmoch’s Pawn Power in Chess is considered a classic by many. Nonetheless, most people found it daunting and confusing, given its weird terminology. Also the scope of the book was more theoretical than practical; not an easy book to read and study with. ... must be frustrating to read and study from for those rated below 1700. ..." - Stephen Ham (2000)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708110136/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review249.pdf
One can see a sample at:
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486264866.html
Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman. Targeting roughly 1400 to 1700 USCF players, although it's probably somewhat useful to someone as high as 1850, but perhaps more as a refresher or reference book.
LOGICAL CHESS: Move by Move, Every Move Explained
By Irving Chernev
This is an insanely insightful book. I lived near Bruce Pandolfini in NYC in the 1990s. I started playing chess because he showed me some really cool moves and I fell in love with the game. I didn't know who Bruce was, but he saw a chess board my friend had and very politely and with great delight asked us if he could show us how to mate with two rooks, etc. I immediately wanted to know everything about chess. Anyway, I learned a lot from his early books: great for learning tactics and strategy. But I had no one to play against. So I'd set up my board and solve his puzzles, and puzzles from other books, respectively. I got good at tactics, but when I found people to play, I won a couple times, but mostly lost. I had no understanding of openings, e.t.c. None of the books I had explained how or when to use the tactics.
I just started studying chess seriously a month ago, so for me, where I'm at, nothing compares to this chess book.
I played guitar for 44 years: I understand the fretboard inside and out. Ted Greene's book CHORD CHEMISTRY did that for me.
This book by Chernev is doing the same thing for me with the chess board and pieces, openings, tactics, etc. I'm starting to see the entire "puzzle" now.
Each chapter focuses on one opening, and using many examples of full games with the PGNs, explains, with in depth analysis, why every move was made and why; what other moves could have been made and why... I'm only rated on tactics and strategy with around 1500. But playing the computer on the original CHESS AI app, I fluctuate. I'd say I'm only 900-1000 at most. So I don't know if this is only for intermediate beginners, but I think everyone who's not yet a GM would benefit in one way or another.
I would highly recommend this to anyone who understands tactics, and loves to learn strategy. Priceless.
I hope this helps. In closing I'd like to explain that I love logic puzzles and excel intellectually at spacial math (I guess that explains why I was a successful photographer before becoming disabled). I see patterns in things--l always have.
So it REALLY frustrated me that I just couldn't get the hang of chess! As I stated, this book created a paradigm shift where I see the board differently; it explains why certain squares are important-- and now I understand why. I use the first four opening moves from some of the games in this book and then try on my own to figure out my next best move against the computer (an app), and try to figure out what my opponent is thinking. Again, I'm only on Level 1 on Chess.com, but after reading this book for three days... very slowly, I'm almost ready to try for Level 2. I'm still practicing on another chess engine.
I think this book will be a resource for me, and an incredible learning guide, for years to come.
I know many others have read this. Anyone else find it just helped you reach a new plateau in "seeing" and understanding the game?
(It was published in the 1950s, but I do think although opening trends come and go, the way it teaches you to analyze the chess board in any situation is valuable in whichever openings and defenses you prefer at any time.)
"... How to Reassess Your Chess, 4th Edition was designed for players in the 1400 to 2100 range. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/how-to-reassess-your-chess-4th-edition/
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf
"... The Amateur's Mind … (for players 1000 to 1600) …" - IM Jeremy Silman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf
https://www.silmanjamespress.com/shop/chess/amateurs-mind-the-2nd-edition/
"... Logical Chess … written in 1957 ... In many ways, it would [be] a wonderful 'first' book (or first 'serious' book, after the ones which teach the rules and elementary mates, for example), and a nice gift for a young player just taking up chess. … My only warning would be that the impressionable student should be gently reminded by a friend or mentor that most of the rules and principles Chernev so dogmatically states do not actually have any consistent validity in real-world chess, so that the book should be looked at as a way to get started thinking about positions, not as a reliable guideline to what chess is really about. With that proviso, I would recommend it heartily to anyone just starting to explore the game, and therefore, to scholastic chess teachers as well." - IM John Watson (1999)
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/assorted-recent-books
DLB777 wrote:
… This book by Chernev … Each chapter focuses on one opening, and using many examples of full games with the PGNs, explains, ...
Seems to be thinking of the wrong book. There are 33 games, mostly not organized by opening.
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chesscollection?cid=1004861
I'm not qualified to assess the merits of the Mastering book, but one often sees it praised, so it seems like a good guess that it is valuable to the right sort of reader. However, as an ~1500 player who has seen it, I can say some things about its contents. It does have illustrative games (like this one),
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328973
and, consequently, I suppose that there is the potential that someone like me could just play through the games and ignore most of the comments, but the book does not give the impression of being intended for that sort of use. A sample:
"26 … Nxg6? would have led Black to defeat after 27 Qxg6+ Kh8 28 Nf5 Qd7 (or 28 … Rg8 29 Re6) 29 Ne6 etc. Possible was 26 … Kh8 because after 27 Bxe8 Qc5! (but not 27 … Nxe8? 28 Rxe5! Bxe5 29 Ng6+ Kg7 30 Nh5+ Kh7 31 Nxe5+ Qe4 32 Qxe4+ and White slips into an endgame a pawn up) Black retains the better chances."
No doubt, there are players who could look at something like that, pause briefly, nod, and think, "of course", but I am not one of them. A reader starts to feel left out, skipping one comment after another.
In addition to the games, the book has pages and pages of "Strategic Ideas" and "Tactical Ideas" with observations like:
"It is clear that the provocative stance taken by White's light-squared bishop with regard to the enemy queenside (Bb5 a6, Ba4 b5, Bb3) is not without danger for the bishop itself. One such danger can crop up at an early stage in the game when the bishop has completed its mission but the white pawn structure on the queenside has not shifted from its starting position. The Bb3 thus has no flight square and this can lead to its demise at the hands of Black's queenside pawns …"
Not so bad, but there is really a lot of that stuff to get through in every chapter. This book is a major project.
One other point to mention: the book was published in 1993, and I would worry about all the stuff that has happened since then.
Cool game kindaspongey
kindaspongey wrote:
DLB777 wrote:
… This book by Chernev … Each chapter focuses on one opening, and using many examples of full games with the PGNs, explains, ...
Seems to be thinking of the wrong book. There are 33 games, mostly not organized by opening.
Hi! I have the book right here, I'm just reading it now. You are correct...I thought the games were in order by opening, and they're not.
Thank you for pointing that out.
I also agree 100% with the IM post you quoted: essentially that this book should be used as a tool to begin looking at all positions and moves, like I stated, to help gain an understanding of said things. But I know the book couldn't possibly translate into real games because my thoughts on that were: the book is 70+ years old, and defenses e.t.c (if that's what you call them...I am new to really studying chess in depth), and therefore, there's no way to predict what your opponent or the computer will play. But I do find it beneficial in beginning to "see" the board differently. It's helped my games tremendously. I just played an endgame against the chess.com computer Level 1 Learning on my own, using info I learned since studying that book and the lessons on this site. My second checkmate against this computer without help.
Off topic here, but my ranking on here is listed as 1000, and I'm, as stated in a question I posed but didn't get answered, I'm listed as 1400 on one chess app and in the 2000s (ha!) on another based on skill in tactics and strategic tests (I studied tactics and strategies in the 1990s and 2005, but never studied chess in depth).
My rating is around 600.
700 on a GOOD day.
How do I change this on chess.com as I don't have an official rating? I'm afraid to play anyone because it keeps saying my rating is 1000 and it's not.
Sorry to go off topic.
If someone could message me or answer here. I did enquire and never got a reply.
Thank you kindly.
And thank you kindaspongey for correcting my err regarding Logical Chess.
kindaspongey wrote:
I'm not qualified to assess the merits of the Mastering book, but one often sees it praised, so it seems like a good guess that it is valuable to the right sort of reader. However, as an ~1500 player who has seen it, I can say some things about its contents. It does have illustrative games (like this one),
https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1328973
and, consequently, I suppose that there is the potential that someone like me could just play through the games and ignore most of the comments, but the book does not give the impression of being intended for that sort of use. A sample:
"26 … Nxg6? would have led Black to defeat after 27 Qxg6+ Kh8 28 Nf5 Qd7 (or 28 … Rg8 29 Re6) 29 Ne6 etc. Possible was 26 … Kh8 because after 27 Bxe8 Qc5! (but not 27 … Nxe8? 28 Rxe5! Bxe5 29 Ng6+ Kg7 30 Nh5+ Kh7 31 Nxe5+ Qe4 32 Qxe4+ and White slips into an endgame a pawn up) Black retains the better chances."
No doubt, there are players who could look at something like that, pause briefly, nod, and think, "of course", but I am not one of them. A reader starts to feel left out, skipping one comment after another.
In addition to the games, the book has pages and pages of "Strategic Ideas" and "Tactical Ideas" with observations like:
"It is clear that the provocative stance taken by White's light-squared bishop with regard to the enemy queenside (Bb5 a6, Ba4 b5, Bb3) is not without danger for the bishop itself. One such danger can crop up at an early stage in the game when the bishop has completed its mission but the white pawn structure on the queenside has not shifted from its starting position. The Bb3 thus has no flight square and this can lead to its demise at the hands of Black's queenside pawns …"
Not so bad, but there is really a lot of that stuff to get through in every chapter. This book is a major project.
One other point to mention: the book was published in 1993, and I would worry about all the stuff that has happened since then.
Thank you for sharing this game. I actually just watched a Scholastic chess lecture on e4 openings and I saw the first 5 moves, respectively, explained. The first time the Bb6 was played (I believe by Petrov), his opponent literally jumped off his seat!
My point in writing this besides the thank you: After the first 7 moves of this game I started getting lost in understanding the WHY of the moves. I didn't take the time to study them. But my point is thank you Kindaspongey for pointing out that this book, while it appears to be similar to LOGICAL CHESS, it definitely would not help someone like me with a 700 rating on a good day. What you quoted from the book went right over my head.
Thank you for all that info and that game.
(It's interesting how new players, like me in the 1990s, would start capturing as soon as we could. Game over by move 19. I found this game, and others like it, fascinating, because there were no captures until move 19! I hope to understand that logic someday. It's hard to practice that though at my level because playing against the computers with my level or lack of expertise, the computer takes pawns in the center asap. Just like a newbie.)
DLB777 wrote:
... I know [Chernev’s Logical Chess] couldn't possibly translate into real games because my thoughts on that were: the book is 70+ years old, and defenses e.t.c (if that's what you call them...I am new to really studying chess in depth), and therefore, there's no way to predict what your opponent or the computer will play. ... My rating is around 600. 700 on a GOOD day. ... I actually just watched a Scholastic chess lecture on e4 openings and I saw the first 5 moves, respectively, explained. ... After the first 7 moves of this game I started getting lost in understanding the WHY of the moves. ... thank you Kindaspongey for pointing out that [Mastering the Spanish], while it appears to be similar to LOGICAL CHESS, it definitely would not help someone like me with a 700 rating on a good day. What you quoted from the book went right over my head. ...
It is often (and, I think, mostly correctly) said that openings should not be a big priority for someone around your rating. On the other hand, I do think that there might be some benefit to doing some reading in a book like Discovering Chess Openings about opening principles.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
However, it does not have much in the way of illustrative games. Here are some recent books that are, for the most part, collections of illustrative games, explained in a style somewhat like that used by Chernev:
First Steps: 1 e4 e5
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
https://chesscafe.com/book-reviews/first-steps-1-e4-e5-by-john-emms/
First Steps: Queen's Gambit
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
My own experience, when watching a chess lecture, has been that the information is presented too quickly for me to take it in properly.
Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
kindaspongey wrote:
DLB777 wrote:
... I know [Chernev’s Logical Chess] couldn't possibly translate into real games because my thoughts on that were: the book is 70+ years old, and defenses e.t.c (if that's what you call them...I am new to really studying chess in depth), and therefore, there's no way to predict what your opponent or the computer will play. ... My rating is around 600. 700 on a GOOD day. ... I actually just watched a Scholastic chess lecture on e4 openings and I saw the first 5 moves, respectively, explained. ... After the first 7 moves of this game I started getting lost in understanding the WHY of the moves. ... thank you Kindaspongey for pointing out that [Mastering the Spanish], while it appears to be similar to LOGICAL CHESS, it definitely would not help someone like me with a 700 rating on a good day. What you quoted from the book went right over my head. ...
It is often (and, I think, mostly correctly) said that openings should not be a big priority for someone around your rating. On the other hand, I do think that there might be some benefit to doing some reading in a book like Discovering Chess Openings about opening principles.
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
However, it does not have much in the way of illustrative games. Here are some recent books that are, for the most part, collections of illustrative games, explained in a style somewhat like that used by Chernev:
First Steps: 1 e4 e5
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7790.pdf
https://chesscafe.com/book-reviews/first-steps-1-e4-e5-by-john-emms/
First Steps: Queen's Gambit
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7652.pdf
My own experience, when watching a chess lecture, has been that the information is presented too quickly for me to take it in properly.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this info, kindaspongey!
Yes, the videos I often have to rewind and watch and listen over and over. That's exactly why I started watching the Scholastic videos.
I realized something really important after watching the game you shared: I have been playing a computer computer app to practice (the original Chess AI app). I won 125 games on Level 1, about 35 on Levels 2 & 3; I have trouble around Level 4.
I have a 90% win rate.
But here's what I learned from the game you shared: no one captured the other opponent's pieces until after move 19, yet in the games I play on this other app, that computer captures everything it can. So, for example, I mentioned I had just watched a video with the same first 7 moves, if I remember correctly, and this video stated that Petrov started the idea of moving Bb5 instead of Bb4. Well, when I played this in the past (Bb5), this computer always plays h3 and then captures! Every time.
Yet, I watched some videos on here last night, and no GMs or the like took the bishop on g5.
My point, I learned that this other app is teaching me really bad habits.
I played the chess.com computer today and won on Level 2 finally (on Challenge, not Learning) because I stopped capturing and trading pieces after move 4. Ha!
I made more blunders than usual, but I studied my analysis of the game and realized, although I was paying attention to what my opponent was doing, I wasn't taking enough time to look at every one of my pieces and realizing I missed a lot of captures in the middle game, because I was more worried about getting attacked.
Anyway, there is a point here: I studied tactics and strategies from Bruce Pandolfini's books in the 1990s (he lived in my neighborhood in NYC... check out my profile info. He introduced me to chess after I was hit by a car in 1997. I had no idea who he was...he was so kind).
Those books, and studying tactics on various Chess apps and on here the past two months helped me win the endgame, even though I was down 2 points!
You're exactly right: I think studying openings only (I got so hooked into trying to understand them the past two weeks, I just got confused).
So, having said all that, should I just practice one opening (I actually love playing Black. I don't know why). Would you suggest studying one opening, and study white and black's options?
I think in answering the original question: what books would anyone suggest--I would suggest studying our own game analysis. I wonder what the best book for understanding our own blunders and mistakes would be. 🤔
Do you think LOGICAL CHESS is the best book for that? I'll definitely look up all the books you suggested.
I realize my questions are all over the place: I'm 100% disabled physically from spine injury. I'm so into studying chess right now. A bit overwhelmed: but it's a great diversion from not int my physical pain, but this stress from this virus pandemic.
I guess my biggest question is-- after everything I wrote to you, what would you suggest I focus on?
Thank you again for your gracious reply.
(Please forgive any typos, I don't have the energy to look over for typos again [I do that while I'm swyping, but sometimes don't catch everything.)
Thanks again. ♟🏁