Exeter Chess Club: Educational Chess Books
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"Books should be used as we use glasses: to assist
the sight. But some players make use of them as though they
conferred sight"
-- Jose Raul Capablanca
[P.S. I have been asked, is that quote really Capa or in fact
from Lasker? Search me, I've been quoting it for years and
forgotten where I saw it. Anyone?]
Contents
There are also books recommended in the CHESS FAQ: the rec.games.chess
newsgroup Frequently Asked Questions list (with answers).
Canonical books:
the sources for the games and some of the notes
- CHESS magazine
- BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE
- **Alekhine - My Best Games of Chess (3 vols.) [Bell/Batsford]
Descriptive (new one-volume Algebraic edition)
- Avni - Danger in Chess [Pergamon]
- Basman - Chess Traps (J) [Pergamon]
- Batsford Chess Yearbooks 1975,1976 [Batsford]
- **Botvinnik - 100 Selected Games [Dover] Descriptive
- *Bronstein - The Chess Struggle in Practice [Batsford]
Descriptive
- *Chernev - Logical Chess [Faber] Descriptive
- *Chernev - The Most Instructive Games of Chess ever Played
[Faber] Descriptive
- Dubois - Steinitz Best Games of Chess [Dover] Descriptive
- DuMont - 200 Modern Chess Miniatures [Bell] Descriptive
- Dvoretsky - Training for the Tournament Player [Batsford]
- *Euwe & Kramer - The Middle Game I/II [Bell/Batsford]
Descriptive
- Evans - The Chess Opening for You [R.H.M.] Descriptive
- Fine - Basic Chess Endings [?Bell] Descriptive
- *Fine - The Ideas behind the Chess Openings [Batsford]
- **Fischer - My 60 Memorable Games [Faber] Descriptive
[Batsford] Algebraic
- **Gligoric - The Nimzo-Indian Defence [Pergamon]
- Hartston - The Kings of Chess
- James & Hartston - The Master Game
- Keene & Edwards - The Chess Player's Bedside Book
[Batsford] Descriptive
- **Keene & Kasparov - Batsford Chess Openings
[Batsford]
- Korchnoi - Chess is my life [Batsford]
- Kosteev - 40 Lessons for the Club Player [Batsford]
- *Kotov - Think Like a Grandmaster [Batsford]
- Kotov - Plan Like a Grandmaster [Batsford]
- Krogius - Psychology in Chess [R.H.M.] Descriptive
- *Littlewood - Chess Coaching [Crowood]
- Lombardy - Snatched opportunities at the chessboard []
Descriptive
- Mednis & Crouch - Rate your Endgame [Pergamon]
- **Nunn & Griffiths - Secrets of Grandmaster Chess
[Batsford]
- **Nunn - My Best Games of Chess [Batsford]
- Nimzovitch - Chess Praxis [Bell] Descriptive
- **Nimzovitch - My System [Batsford]
- Pfleger and Treppner - Chess: the Mechanism of Mind
[Pergamon]
- Reinfeld - Improving Your Chess [Faber] Descriptive
- *Reti - Masters of the Chessboard [Dover] Descriptive
- *Reti - Modern Ideas in Chess [Dover] Descriptive
- Schoenberg - Grandmasters of Chess []
- Shatskes - English Opening [Chess Player] Descriptive
- Sokolsky - Pawns in Chess [Chess Player] Descriptive
- Soltis - The Art of Defence in Chess [] Descriptive
- **Speelman et al. - Batsford Chess Endings [Batsford]
- *Stean - Simple Chess [Faber] Descriptive
- Taimanov - Winning with the Sicilian [Batsford]
- Tartakower & DuMont - 500 Master Games of Chess
[Bell/Batsford] Descriptive
- Tartakower & DuMont - 100 Master Games of Modern Chess
[Bell/Batsford] Descriptive
- Tal & Damsky - Attack with Mikhail Tal [Cadogan]
- *Walker - Chess Openings for Juniors [Oxford UP] (J)
- *Walker - Test Your Chess: Piece Power [Oxford UP] (J)
- *Walker - Attacking the King [Oxford UP] (J)
- **Webb - Chess for Tigers [Pergamon]
- **Vukovic - The Art of Attack [Pergamon] Descriptive
- Znosko-Borovsky - How to Play the Opening in Chess [Dover]
Descriptive
* Recommended (Chernev and Walker particularly)
** Recommended for advanced study (Webb, Nunn and Dvoretsky
particularly)
... (J) Junior book
*** Other book recommendations: ***
Botvinnik: Selected Games 1967-1970 [Dover] Descriptive
Chernev & Reinfeld - Winning Chess [Faber] Descriptive
Livshitz - Test Your Chess IQ (3 vols.: BCF 160+, 180+, 200+)
[Pergamon]
Silman: Re-assess your chess [?]
I've not read many of these myself, but these
recommendations will have been made carefully by the BCF. I'd
welcome opinions of yours. All the books in the "collections of
games" section are in Descriptive notation; the Fischer book is for
advanced players only.
Verbatim... (DrD)
A STARTER BOOK FOR ABSOLUTE BEGINNERS
- PURNELL'S CHESS FOR CHILDREN by MJ Richardson (Pergamon)
Some editions have the title PERGAMON'S CHESS FOR CHILDREN
- The alternative is STARTING CHESS by AJ GILLAM
A CO-ORDINATED COURSE FOR BEGINNERS
- MOVE ONE by R James (Faber)
- The alternative recommendation is THE BATSFORD CHESS COURSE by
MJ Basman (Batsford), followed by THE SECOND BATSFORD CHESS COURSE
by the same author
ADDITIONAL BOOKS FOR ESSENTIAL DAILY PRACTICE
- HOW TO PLAY THE OPENING LIKE A MASTER by MJ Basman
- SIMPLE CHECKMATES by AJ Gillam (Batsford), also SIMPLE CHESS
TACTICS
- CHESS SKILLS pamphlets (BCF)
USEFUL BOOKS FOR THE IMPROVING PLAYER
- CHESS TRAPS FOR YOUR UNWARY OPPONENT by MJ Basman
- SPIKE'S CHESS PRIMER by DG Ellison (Crowood)
- CHESS FOR TIGERS by S Webb
- FIND THE MATE by MJ Basman
PLAYING IN SERIOUS COMPETITIONS
The young tournament player should select from the following list:-
- PLAY BETTER CHESS by LW Barden (Octopus)
- CHESSERCIZES by B Pandolfini (Octopus)
- CHESS OPENINGS FOR JUNIORS by JN Walker (OUP)
- ATTACKING THE KING by JN Walker (OUP)
- CHESS ENDINGS - ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE by Y Averbach
(Pergamon)
- WINNING ENDGAMES by A Kosten (Crowood)
- NIGEL SHORT'S CHESS SKILLS by ND Short (Hamlyn)
- BLUNDERS AND BRILLIANCIES by I Mullen and M Moss
(Pergamon)
COLLECTIONS OF GAMES
- WINNING CHESS by I Chernev and F Reinfeld (Faber) (N.B.
Not a game collection but a collection of tactical ideas from
actual play - DR)
- LOGICAL CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by I Chernev (Faber)
FOR PARENTS
- THE COMPLETE CHESS ADDICT by M Fox and R James (Faber)
- THE OXFORD COMPANION TO CHESS by Hooper & Whyld (OUP)
A word about descriptive
notation:
learn it! (actually, that's two words - but you get the
point. There is a host of really cracking chess literature in
English which is often too cheap to pass up [second-hand or, like
the Dover editions, not in need of re-setting]. Can you really wait
for Batsford to commission a "Twentieth Century Edition" of Reti's
Modern Ideas in Chess, on sale at £12.99
when you can pick it up for a fraction of that price, brand new
from Dover? Of course not. It's worth becoming bilingual.)
Pricing: as accurate as I could get June 1993.
Look around for bargains - I nearly fell for a John Walker classic
for £9.99 then saw it brand new for £3.95
elsewhere!
- I grew up on Raymond Bott and Stanley Morrison:
Chess for Children, More Chess for Children, and
The Chess Apprentice. (Descriptive, £
op)
Straightforward and engaging treatment for junior school ages,
although rather old now and sadly only in Descriptive. For a more
contemporary Algebraic treatment, John Walker's First Steps
in Chess is good.
- Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld. Winning
Chess. Faber, 1956 (Descriptive, £3.95/Algebraic,
£6.99).
isbn 0 571 09231 4
Well-illustrated training programme in chess tactics.
- John Walker. Chess: Attacking the
King. Stephens, 1989. (Algebraic, £3.99)
isbn 1 85260 220 1
The basics of attacking play, clearly explained. Good
examples.
- John Walker. Chess Openings for
Juniors. Stephens, 1989. (Algebraic, £3.99/9.99)
isbn 1 85260 219 8
The basics of opening play, clearly and entertainingly
explained.
- Irving Chernev. Logical Chess, Move by
Move. Faber, 1962 (Descriptive, £5.99)
isbn 0 571 09039 7
Light-hearted and thorough exploration of chess ideas through
detailed commentary of master games. Covers material to take
beginners to next level.
- Michael Stean. Simple Chess. Faber,
1978. (Descriptive, £3.99) isbn 0 571 11257 9
Wonderfully clear discussion of some difficult strategical themes
in the middlegame. A little gem.
- Simon Webb. Chess for Tigers. Maxwell
Macmillan, 1991 ( Algebraic, £5.95)
isbn 1 85744 021 8
Practical guide to making the most of your chess style.
"I'm still confused, but now I'm confused on a much
higher level"
-- ANON.
- Reuben Fine. The ideas behind the chess
openings. (algebraic edition) Batsford, 1989. (Algebraic,
£11.99).
isbn 0 7134 5788 0
A real classic - occasionally hard work but the best single volume
on the openings around. Made so much clear to me; rather dated, but
because it does not concern itself with variations, not as much as
you might fear.
- Kasparov, G and Keene, R. Batsford Chess
Openings 2. Batsford 1992 (Algebraic, £19.99).
isbn 0 7134 6099 7 or Korn, W (Ed.) Modern Chess Openings
13th edn. (Descriptive)
Do get one of these for reference and study of your chosen
lines.
- Richard Reti. Modern Ideas in Chess
and Masters of the Chess Board. Dover, 19.
(Descriptive, £)
Rich and clear exposition of the development of chess strategy and
then-current opening theory, explained through a review of the
masters of the day. Charmingly written in a rather old-world
English - for good readers only, but some of the best advice for
any player. Perhaps juniors could look at the games with an older
partner.
- Pachman, L. Modern Chess Tactics, Attack and
Defence in Modern Chess Tactics, and Complete
Chess Strategy. (Descriptive) Dover.
Slightly old-fashioned style (fewer diagrams) but as clear and
comprehensive a treatment of the game of chess as you could wish.
His books on the openings (Open games, Semi-Open Games,
Indian Defences and The Queen's Gambit
from Chess: Sutton Coldfield ) are also comprehensive for their
day, but now rather dated - which means of course, that they are a
good second string if you have a modern book which neglects
unfashionable lines.
- Tartakower,S and Du Mont,J 500 Master Games of
Chess. (Descriptive) Batsford. The idea of explaining
openings and their characteristic middlegame ideas through complete
games is nothing new - here's the grandparent of them all, a really
good read, games from every opening with commentary and diagrams.
Naturally dated but the basic chess sense is as good now as ever.
My guess is they tried to find games that illustrated every idea in
chess they could think of, because the attention to the range of
strategical themes and tactical ideas is meticulous.
- Mednis, E and Crouch, C. Rate your
endgame. Algebraic: Maxwell Macmillan, 1992.
isbn 1 85744 020 X
Nice collection of practical advice and endgames, with
test-yourself sections.
- Fine, R: Basic Chess Endings
(Descriptive) /Speelman et al.:
Batsford Chess Endings (Algebraic)/Keres:
Practical Chess Endings (Either). Do get one of
these for reference and basic study of the key endings (K and P,
K+R, K+B, K+N, K+Q).
For entertainment and browsing:
- Chernev, I. The Chess Companion.
Faber. (Descriptive)
A charming collection of chess writing and short stories, together
with classic games, problems and oddities.
- Hooper,D and Whyld,K. The Oxford Companion to
Chess. (Algebraic) Oxford.
A marvellously thorough reference book, but also great fun to
browse in.
- James,M and Fox,D. The Even More Complete
Chess Addict. (Algebraic) Faber.
A vigorous and cheerful collection by two real enthusiasts - some
games, but at its best with a glorious set of stories and
gossip.
"Chess is a game of understanding and not of
memory"
-- ZNOSKO-BOROVSKY.
- Alexander Kotov. Think like a
grandmaster (isbn 0 7134 3160 1), and Play like a
grandmaster. Batsford (Algebraic, £12.99 ea.).
Influential and comprehensive texts on every aspect of chess; there
is overlap between the two volumes. Nice to see self-assessment
exercises. A companion volume Train like a
grandmaster is a potboiler - avoid.
- Max Euwe and Hans Kramer. The Middle
Game, Vols I and II. Bell, 19. (Descriptive, £ and
Descriptive, £).
A complete handbook of middle game themes and structures. A host of
basic instruction for budding masters that haven't budded.
- Aaron Nimzovitch. My system. Bell,
1950. (Descriptive/Algebraic, £)
Now classic, a brisk re-assessment of chess strategy, although
needs a pinch or two of salt. His pungent style has made this one
of the most widely-quoted chess books. See also his Chess
Praxis, a games collection with his commentary. Keene has
written a good book on Nimzovitch.
- Michail Botvinnik. Selected games
1947-70. Batsford. (Descriptive, £).
The dominant figure of post-war chess describes his games.
Botvinnik makes it all sound so simple.
- Alexander Alekhine. My best games of chess
1923-35. Bell, 19. (Descriptive, £)
[New (Algebraic) edition, Batsford 1996] The greatest games of the
greatest player, with his own notes. Brilliant, precise,
dynamic.
- Mark Dvoretsky. Secrets of Chess
Tactics and Secrets of Chess Training.
(Algebraic) Batsford.
The Soviet Union's premier trainer reveals his best methods and
positions. For budding masters who fancy something chewy.
![[cool blue cat says:]](../GIFs/cool_cat.gif) |
COOL TIP: It's always a good idea to borrow these
before spending money on them: they will all repay study over time
but all could do with balancing ideas from other
authors. |
HOME | EXETER
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Gerzadowicz, S Thinker's Chess (Thinker's
Press)
MacDonald, N Defence in Chess (Master Class)
My current favourite is Play Anti-Indian Systems
by Egon Varnusz, cover by Pintail Design for
Maxwell Macmillan Chess (published in 1991). The board depicted on
the cover is quite OK (position after 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. Bg5),
but the design is dominated by two chess knights, one done up like
a Native American Indian with a feather head-dress, and one done up
like the 7th Cavalry. Of course, the WHITE Knight is the Indian,
and the BLACK Knight is the 7th Cavalry...
Any more? Or similar? For example, Otherwise OK Books
with a Confidence-Sapping Error on the contents page: No.1:
The London System by Andrew Soltis advertises a
line of the Advance French on the contents page!
This document (books.html) was last modified on 30 Apr 1996 by
Dr. Dave