The best chess book you've ever read

I have close to 400 chess books and have read a few pages in most of them. 

Prior to 2021, I had read completely a couple that are all text, like David Shenk, The Immortal Game. I also worked through the entirety of Lev Alburt, Chess Pocket Training Book and Irving Chernev, Logical Chess: Move by Move, and maybe a handful of others.

There are some books I spend a lot of time with, like Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manuel. 

But, in early 2021, something changed.

I’ve read cover-to-cover a dozen chess books in 2021. Many of these are thin books for absolute beginners that I’ve given horrid reviews on Amazon (they range from texts written by posers who have never played in a chess tournament to bad machine translations of what might be tolerable in their original language). But, I’ve also read every word and played through every move of the finest beginner books ever written, and found they are good for experienced players, too.

Jose R. Capablanca, Chess Fundamentals.

Jose R. Capablanca, A Primer of Chess

Jose R. Capablanca, Last Lectures

I read Linder and Linder’s biography on Capablanca, which is not very good. I am past the mid-point on Edward Winter’s compilation of Capablanca materials, and in Miguel Sanchez’s biography of Capablanca. These two are exemplary. 

Also finished completely: Vukovic, The Art of Attack in Chess; Eugene Znosko-Borovsky, How Not to Play Chess; Emanuel Lasker, Mein Wettkampf mit Capablanca; Frank Erwich, Tactics Training: Paul Morphy.

You made Expert Ziryab.  I salute and congratulate a talented dilettante!!

Not expert OTB. I fell short by 20 points, and that was nine years ago.

With 2021's determination aided by the lockdown...  it's time to charge up Mount Olympus!!  Break 2000 OTB!

Phil Mickelson won the PGA yesterday at age 50.  And Tom Brady won his 7th Super Bowl at age 43.

Rage against the dying light and do it for the old farts!!

They are children. 

I started playing chess before either was born.

Also, Brady cheats.

For anyone who ever got a copy - The King by Hein Donner, is easily the best. Easily.

I have it. I'm reading it. It is very good.

It is...certainly not your 'normal' chess book. A collection of articles mostly...not always 'politically correct' but one of the few chess books where you have to think the world would be a lesser place without it.