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Favorite books I can't remember the titles of!

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apawndown
apawndown
Jul 10, 2012
0
#1

I've read through and played through dozens of chess books over a long life.  Here are a few favorites, but I can't remember their titles!  Can you help me out? 

The first was old and small when I read it.  It's author: "Assiac" ("Caissa"  backwards,  get it?)  I was enthralled with what for me was the brand new world of K+P endings,  opposition play,  etc.

The second was by feared Russian tactician Alexander Kotov.  He started by telling of the time his  tactics,  calculation of variations,  etc.,  simply stunk.  Mine did too,  then,  so I really got into Kotov's method of learning to calculate.  But I don't remember the title.

Finally,  a book by another Russian,  Shereshevsky,  excellent on endgame strategy,  which may have been the book's name,  but I'm not sure. . .    

waffllemaster
waffllemaster
Jul 10, 2012
0
#2

Shereshevsky does have a somewhat well known endgame book called endgame strategy.

Kotov is well known for his book "Think like a Grandmaster" where he elaborates on his systematic method of calculation with the "tree of analysis"

I don't know of any author whos last name is cassia backwards.  Doesn't sound like the actual author's name does it :)  How long ago was it?  I've been told Reinfield was the only author available to united states player before the Fischer boom launched a new era in english books on the subject.

goldendog
goldendog
Jul 10, 2012
0
#3
waffllemaster wrote:

  I've been told Reinfield was the only author available to united states player before the Fischer boom launched a new era in english books on the subject.

It wasn't that bad. The USCF was selling a fair array of serious books, as was Chess Digest.

apawndown
apawndown
Jul 10, 2012
0
#4
waffllemaster wrote:

Shereshevsky does have a somewhat well known endgame book called endgame strategy.

Kotov is well known for his book "Think like a Grandmaster" where he elaborates on his systematic method of calculation with the "tree of analysis"

I don't know of any author whos last name is cassia backwards.  Doesn't sound like the actual author's name does it :)  How long ago was it?  I've been told Reinfield was the only author available to united states player before the Fischer boom launched a new era in english books on the subject.

 

Thanks!  I think "Assiac" was English.  I read the book in the early '70s,  but it dated back to the '40s or '50s.  Fred Reinfeld was immensely popular and prolific.  But Reuben Fine did some good books in the 40s. Everyone's "bible" in those days (60s, early 70s) was Fischer's MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES

apawndown
apawndown
Jul 10, 2012
0
#5
[COMMENT DELETED]
MrEdCollins
MrEdCollins
Jul 10, 2012
0
#6

Two books I have by Assiac are "The Delights Of Chess" and "The Pleasures of Chess."  Maybe one of those is the book you are thinking of.

Four books that I have by Kotov (or co-authored by Kotov) are "Grandmaster At Work," "The Soviet School Of Chess," "Think Like a Grandmaster," and "The Art of the Middle Game."

And yes, there is a book called "Endgame Strategy" by Shereshevsky:

http://www.amazon.com/Endgame-Strategy-Cadogan-Chess-Books/dp/1857440633

waffllemaster
waffllemaster
Jul 10, 2012
0
#7
goldendog wrote:
waffllemaster wrote:

  I've been told Reinfield was the only author available to united states player before the Fischer boom launched a new era in english books on the subject.

It wasn't that bad. The USCF was selling a fair array of serious books, as was Chess Digest.

I wasn't sure how accurate that was, but I was told that. Thanks for the clarification Smile

seffa
seffa
Jul 10, 2012
0
#8

How about this:  Assiac (AKA Heinrich Fraenkel) has several titles listed at Amazon:  Delights of Chess; Pleasures of Chess; Adventure in Chess.

batgirl
batgirl
Show your flair!
Jul 10, 2012
0
#9

Assiac, aka Heinrich Fraenkel, wrote such books as  "The Pleasurse of Chess" 1974, "The Delights of Chess" 1952, "More Delights of Chess" date unknown, and "Adventure in Chess" 1951. He also translated into English "Emmanuel Lasker: Life of a Chess Master," by Jacques Hannak in 1959.

apawndown
apawndown
Jul 10, 2012
0
#10

Thanks for the feedback,  everyone.  I think "Pleasures of Chess" was my Assiac title.  Goldendog's mention of Chess Digest reminds me of what a great publisher CD was,  led by Ken Smith.  Does it still exist?  It's catalog famously featured titles something like "The Trompowsky:  A Winning System For White,"  followed by "How to Smash the Tromp"! Great fun. . .

goldendog
goldendog
Jul 10, 2012
0
#11
Estragon wrote:

USCF really didn't sell much of anything until after acquiring Chess Review when Al Horowitz needed to retire, shortly before his death.  Even then the book catalog was very limited, only those few major publishing houses which handled chess books, and none outside the USA. 

Al got 2+ years break away from his constant hustling for his magazine, at least.

It was Ken Smith and Chess Digest that imported chess books, at first from UK but soon English editions from all over the world, and many foreign language editions as well.  It was Smith who Fischer and Hanon Russell relied upon to obtain the Russian books and periodicals for translation.

Dover reprints were also on the scene in the pre-boom days. Those bindings are still holding up very well for paperbacks.

Smith also began publishing books himself, mostly on cheap photo-offset (high volume xerox copying, in effect) paper, with openings books and for the first time to the US mass audience, tournament books from GM events which including all the games.

I still have some chess pamphlets that rolled off Smith's off-sets, from those pre-boom days.
goldendog
goldendog
Jul 10, 2012
0
#12
apawndown wrote:

Thanks for the feedback,  everyone.  I think "Pleasures of Chess" was my Assiac title.  Goldendog's mention of Chess Digest reminds me of what a great publisher CD was,  led by Ken Smith.  Does it still exist?  It's catalog famously featured titles something like "The Trompowsky:  A Winning System For White,"  followed by "How to Smash the Tromp"! Great fun. . .

Someone bought out his inventory. I forget who it was--but the CD enterprise was dead as we knew it. I still keep around one of his big, thick catalogs from the 90s. Great fun to read, and has an entertaining step-by-step improvement section in the back with advice for each level of player accompanied by at least one of the books he was selling.

That catalog really was packed.