The Greatest Chess Books Ever Written. Question Answered Once And For All

Here is the list. These books have been published and republished. They have stood the test of time. Every serious chess player should own these books. 

My System - Aron Nimzowitsch

Pawn Power in Chess - Hans Kmock

Art of Attack in Chess - Vladimir Vuković

Ideas Behind The Chess Openings - Rubin Fine

Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead - Irving Chernev & Fred Reinfeld

Think Like A Grandmaster - Alexander Kotov

How to Reassess Your Chess - Jeremy Silman

Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual - Mark Dvoretsky

Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 - David Bronstein

Chess Fundamentals - José Raúl Capablanca

Masters of the Chessboard - Richard Reti

Now no one need ever ask this question again. ;-) Right?

Which ones are good for advanced players?

2000+ rating

I hate to kind of adv a book of mine here, but The Secret of Chess is not bad at all.

In it you will find things, you will definitely not find in the other books.

Where's Zürich 1953? Also approaching it as an adult, I was disappointed with the Reinfeld book you mention (but I loved it many years ago as a child. It might be partly due to the strange Kindle formatting theyve done with it. But I think it may no longer be the best puzzle book).

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112658/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review315.pdf
About half a century ago, I think Ideas Behind the Chess Openings was considered to be nearly essential reading, but now, I fear that its information is seriously out-of-date

One can get some idea of the lasting scope of the respect for My System by looking at:
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Still, it might be noted that My System apparently did not occur to GM Yasser Seirawan as something to include in his list of personal favorites, and Aaron Nimzowitsch was not identified by the GM as a very worthy author.
Also, My System has accumulated some direct negative commentary over the years.
"... I found [the books of Aaron Nimzowitsch to be] very difficult to read or understand. ... [Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal by Raymond Keene explains his] thinking and influence on the modern game in a far more lucid and accessible way. ... The books that are most highly thought of are not necessarily the most useful. Go with those that you find to be readable; ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2010)
In 2016, IM pfren wrote:
"My System is an iconoclastic book. A lot of things in there is sheer provocation, and it does need an expereienced player to know what exactly must be taken at its face value.
I love 'My System', and I have read it cover to cover one dozen times, but suggesting it to a class player is an entirely different matter."
"[Some things] ARE wrong, and it's not easy for a non-advanced player to discover those wrong claims.
Nigel Short has claimed that 'My System' should be banned. Stratos Grivas says that the book is very bad. I don't share their opinion, but I am pretty sure that there are more useful reads for class players out there."
Although he is a fan of My System, IM John Watson similarly acknowledged (2013) that:
"... Not everything in it has stood the test of time, ..."
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-108-of-eplus-books-part-2-nimzowitsch-classics
One last point to keep in mind is that, even if My System would eventually help a player, it might not necessarily be helpful to a player now.
"... Just because a book contains lots of information that you don’t know, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be extremely helpful in making you better at this point in your chess development. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf
A My System sample can be seen at:
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/MySystem-excerpt.pdf

My System and Pawn Power are both great books, because they are

invested with a new approach, search for the truth and idealistic attitude.

That is what most modern books lack: almost none of them(well, maybe 1% at most)

offer something new, not to speak of trying to build a whole theoretical system.

Contemporary books are mostly repeating one and the same mantra:

- doubled pawns

- isolated pawns

- backward pawns

- pair of bishops

- open files, and a bit more

Each and every theoretical book is repeating that, so how could they

be interesting?

That is why I almost dont'read them any more.

You need a new theoretical foundation, in order to achieve something of value,

Nimzovich and Kmoch have offered that, but not quite the contemporary

authors.

Could theoretical chess boil down to just solving puzzles,

discovering a single new move in a long variation of a specific opening,

and repeating the same old mantra?

I simply don't buy that, especially in a computer-introduced age,

when top engine playing strength warranties a lot of discoveries.

I would better not write a book at all, rather than making one of those

trivial 'masterpieces'.

On the other hand, I have to mention, that I find too many of Kmoch's,

less so Nimzovich's ideas incorrect and sometimes even funny.

The development of chess programming theory and related tests have

simply refuted them.

With all that said, again, both My System and Pawn Power are great books,

precisely because of their inspirational foundation.

You're right kindaspongey. For all the qualifications given. I love the article you linked https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever . It is very good. For those of us with the time and inclination to read the whole thing. I think my list still stands if you make a list of greatest books of all time without qualification and explanation.

None. If your above 2000 you've already read them. :-) Just joking. Probably Pawn Power and Art of Attack.

I think it was the first book to organize and explain the various tactics so completely. I find it still helps me open my mind's eye to hidden tactics. Also the before and after two diagrams per example is awesome if you don't have a board to set up.

You've written a book? Your rated 1400 on Chess.com. Isn't it hard to get people to consider your book with such a low rating? Most of them are written by Grand Masters.

Writing a book and selling a book are two different matters. :)

I have not played a single game on chess.com until now, so I guess, when

you register, they just assign you that rating.

Oops, just check the Table of Contents of the Secret of Chess, that is freely accessible:

https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Chess-Lyudmil-Tsvetkov-ebook/dp/B074M85CVV

When you see 300 positional evaluation terms, half of which completely new,

while Nimzovich, Kmoch and Silman will offer 1/3 of that at most, you might judge for

yourself.

It is precisely with those positional terms that I am able to frequently beat

Stockfish and Komodo.

So now at least two people in the world can beat Stockfish - Lyudmil and Anthony R. Brown...

And you are totally wrong here.

Judging by your posts, I had a different opinion of you.

Why don't you just browse even only the Contents(click Look inside),

and then be back with more feedback.

Only what concerns pawn features, I have enumerated more than 100.

Other authors see just 10.

What do you conclude from that?

Btw., my terms have been successfully tested on Stockfish framework,

- advanced levers, bonus for pawns attacking enemy pawns on the 5th and 6th ranks,

Kmoch's definition does not work, mine does

- twice defended pawns, other authors even don't mention that, successfully implemented in

Stockfish

- central bind, c4 and e4 or d4 and f4 pawns, successfully implemented in Stockfish,

other authors, apart from Fischer don't even mention it

- penalty for low mobility pieces on the edge of the board, successfully implemented in Stockfish

- 3 minors versus queen imbalance, successfully implemented in Stockfish, etc., etc., too many to

enumerate all my successful ideas implemented in Stockfish.

So that, it is not me who is funny, but you, as you are talking without previously having checked

how things stand.

Btw., do you know whose first positive review is, you might check the site?

Mark J Lefler, the author of Komodo.

Why would the main programmer of Komodo want to review my book with 5 stars?

Any guess?

Well, I do believe I detected a wink from the OP. :)

Who is pFRen?

I can readily send him a pdf copy, if he wants to.

Life is more fun when you are smiling. Don't fight over this. I think this is a pretty good list. You can disagree without getting angry. Without personal attacks on each other or me.