Stefanie's Athenaeum
Stefanie's Chess Book Recommendations
I haven't yet written any reviews, but I have compiled a couple of recommendation lists from my personal library. Enjoy.
My Favorite General Chess Books
My Favorite Instructional Chess Books
Recommendations for Beginners
Top Ten General
These are my ten favorite general chess books, not intended as study manuals
(but they could be used as such). Aside from being the top ten, it's difficult
for me to compare and rank them any further, so I've just listed them in alphabetical
order.
Alexander
Alekhine's Chess Games, 1902-1946
by Alexander Alekhine, Robert G. P. Verhoeven, and Leonard M. Skinner, 1997
(McFarland & Company) Cover
At 807 pages, this is a monster of a book. It's a bit pricey, but both the
content and quality justify the price, espcially if you're an Alekhine fan.
Capablanca:
A Compendium 1888–1942
by Edward Winter, 1989 (McFarland & Company)
Cover
De la Bourdonnais versus MacDonnell, 1834
by Cary Utterberg, 2005 (McFarland & Company)
Cover
If you like wide-open, tactical chess, and some games that end in "checkmate"
instead of "resigns," then you won't be disappointed. Photography was still too
new at the time for there to be any photos, but this book is the closest thing
to being there.
Pal Benko: My Life,
Games, and Compositions
by Pal Benko and Jeremy Silman, 2004 (Siles Press)
Cover
I just purchased this book and haven't finished reading it, but it's already one
of my favorites. It's very well-written, contains lots of great photos, and looks
beautiful. Brian showed me his copy when it was initially published, and I was very
impressed then... I don't know why I waited so long to get it.
St. Petersburg 1914:
International Chess Tournament
by Siegbert Tarrasch, reprinted 1993 (Caissa Editions)
Cover
Some of the strongest players and most important authors in chess history were
present for this tournament. It's difficult to imagine so many historical figures
in one place at the same time. The book includes lots of classic games and photographs.
The Caissa books are almost as nice as the McFarland editions... almost.
Players Photo
Soviet Chess
1917-1991
by Andrew Soltis, 1999 (McFarland & Company)
Cover
Some reviewers have criticized Soltis for taking sides politically, and for a
few historical inaccuracies in this book. Cold War sympathies aside, it's still
a very interesting read, and like all McFarland hardcover books, it's of the
highest quality.
The
King: Chess Pieces
by J. H. Donner, 1997 (New In Chess)
Cover
The Life
and Games of Mikhail Tal
by Mikhail Tal, 1976 (Everyman Chess)
Cover
The
Steinitz Papers: Letters and Documents of the First World Chess Champion
by William Steinitz and Kurt Landsberger, 2002 (McFarland & Company)
Cover
William
Steinitz, Chess Champion: A Biography of the Bohemian Caesar
by Kurt Landsberger, 1992 (McFarland & Company)
Cover
Top Ten Instructional
These are my ten favorite instructional chess books (at the moment), intended for
studying openings, endings, tactics, strategy, etc. Aside from being the top ten,
it's difficult for me to compare and rank them any further, so I've just listed them
in alphabetical order.
Basic Chess Endings
by Reuben Fine & Pal Benko, 1941 & 2003 (McKay)
Chess Fundamentals
by Jose Raul Capablanca, 1921 & 1994 (Cadogan Chess) Cover
Chess Openings: Theory
and Practice
by I. A. Horowitz, 1964 (Fireside)
Yes, I know it's old and outdated (and uses descriptive notation), but that's why
I have Nunn's Chess Openings as a companion volume. I just like Horowitz's writing
style, and it doesn't hurt for a player at my level to see some of these old lines,
anyway.
Fundamental
Chess Endings
by Karsten Muller, 2001 (Gambit)
This is probably my favorite ending book, but Silman's new ending book (below) is growing on me.
How to Reassess Your Chess,
3rd Edition
by Jeremy Silman, 1993 (Siles Press)
My System
by Aron Nimzowitsch, 1925 & 1991 (Hays)
I tend to think of Nimzowitsch's follow-up book,
Chess Praxis (1929), as the second part of My System, so
it gets included here by association.
Nunn's Chess Openings (NCO)
by John Nunn & others, 1999 (Everyman Chess)
This is nowhere near as fun to read as Horowitz's opening book, but it's probably
the most complete opening encyclopedia available in one volume. I use other books
for descriptions of the opening lines, and this one for the sheer volume of variations.
It comes in handy when you're just not in the mood to stare at a computer monitor.
Play the Ruy Lopez
by Andrew Greet, 2007 (Everyman)
You might not think a book focusing on a single opening belongs in a list like
this, but this one is an exception. This is how all opening repertoire books
should be approached. If I need to see tables of the lines, I've got NCO.
Silman's Complete Endgame Course
by Jeremy Silman, 2007 (Siles Press)
The Game of Chess
by Siegbert Tarrasch, 1935 & 1994 (Hays)
***
Honorable mention also goes to the seven volume
Winning Chess series by Yasser Seirawan and Jeremy Silman.
The series is great for beginners, but a good refresher course for intermediate
players, too.
There are also three series of
opening books by Everyman Chess that I really like: Starting Out, Play,
and Dangerous Weapons, all of which include some solid titles by various authors.
So far, Andrew Greet's Play the Ruy Lopez (listed above) is my favorite of the
series, but the Ruy Lopez is my favorite opening, so I'm a bit biased.
Books for Beginners
For the player who is completely new to chess, or just new to organized chess,
I highly recommend Play Winning Chess by Yasser Seirawan and Jeremy Silman as
a first chess book. As I mention in my top ten list, I think the whole series
is great, especially for someone who's considering playing in a tournament for
the first time. Even if one just wants to play casual games with friends though,
this book will give the beginner a good foundation for understanding the game.
On the other hand, I do not recommend Bruce Pandolphini's
Chess Complete
as a first chess book. It's not a bad reference book for beginners to have on
the side, but it's not a good book for learning how to play or how to play better.
Jeremy Silman's How to
Reassess Your Chess, 3rd Edition is a great book for intermediate players, but
I can't recommend it for beginners. The book assumes that the player already knows
the basics, such as those found in Seirawan's Winning Chess series.
José Raúl Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals
is a good second chess book, because it covers concepts beneficial to both beginners
and intermediate players, but I'd suggest studying a more basic manual before this one.
I don't consider the books by Tarrasch or Nimzowitsch suitable for absolute beginners,
but I do suggest them for all intermediate players. Some of their attitudes and approaches
have been controversial over the years, but it's important to understand their contributions
to chess theory.
Chess:
5334 Problems, Combinations, and Games by László Polgár is a great second book
for beginners. It doesn't teach theory, but I think it's great for training a player's
board vision. It's a perfect companion book for other books that actually explain chess.
Ending Books: Silman's Complete Endgame Course is my recommendation for beginners
to intermediate players. I'm studying it, myself.
Opening Books for Beginners: If you've studied the basics and you're ready to focus on understanding the concepts
behind the various openings, you might want to read Sam Collins' Understanding the Chess Openings and maybe follow up with John Watson's two volume
Mastering the Chess Openings. If you just need an opening
encyclopedia, you might be better off with a computer database for researching all of the various lines, but
as books go, I suggest Nunn's
Chess Openings (NCO). It's the most comprehensive and up-to-date of the major opening books. It wouldn't
hurt to have this book around for reference, but I think a beginner would be better served by reading the first
three volumes of Seirawan's Winning Chess series before investing in any opening encyclopedias.
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