His list, �not necessarily in that order of course�:

ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein

DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
Here is Rensch�s chess book list for students:
RUSSIAN CHESS COURSE, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 by Lev Alburt
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
CAPABLANCA�S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
PAWN STRUCTURE CHESS by Andy Soltis
PAWN POWER IN CHESS by Hans Kmoch
WINNING PAWN STRUCTURES by Alexander Baburin
THE INNER GAME OF CHESS by Andy Soltis
ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS VOLUME 1 by Jeremy Silman
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
DVORETSKY�S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht
ENDGAME VIRTUOSO by Vassily Smyslov
CHESS PUZZLE BOOK by John Nunn
CHESS TRAINING POCKET BOOK by Lev Alburt
BEST GAMES OF SELF-AUTHORED WORLD CHAMPION by any world champion.
PRACTICAL CHESS ENDINGS by Paul Keres
SCHOOL OF CHESS EXCELLENCE SERIES by Mark Dvoretsky
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
[Note added by IM Rensch: "I feel like an a** for not mentioning the Great
Predecessor series by Kasparov. Of course, those books are simply phenomenal and
monumental works of art, and in my opinion, might be Kasparov's biggest
contribution to the chess community (which is really saying something). Also, my
top-six list was definitely given under the guidelines of 'my favorites for
enjoyment' and not necessarily the best books for both a 1200 and 2400 to read."]
JACK PETERS

image via wikipedia

IM Jack Peters ruled Southern California chess for over two decades and authored
several chess books. He wrote the chess column for the Los Angeles Times newspaper
from 1982 to 2011, and now teaches chess at the University of Southern California.
Peters said: �I don�t believe in the idea of �best� books. Almost any good-quality
book can seem terrific if you encounter it at the moment you are ready to learn
what the author is explaining. My list is composed of books that made a strong
impression on me. In no particular order�:
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
BASIC CHESS ENDINGS by Reuben Fine
CHESS ENDINGS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE by Yuri Averbakh
THE WORLD�S GREAT CHESS GAMES by Reuben Fine
THE SOVIET SCHOOL OF CHESS by Alexander Kotov and Mikhail Yudovich
CHESS INFORMANT #11

CYRUS LAKDAWALA
image via Chess.com
Cyrus is an international master, a highly sought-after chess teacher, and one of
the hottest chess writers in the world today.
His list:
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
CHESS SECRETS I LEARNED FROM THE MASTERS by Edward Lasker
CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 1 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 2 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
CHESS IS MY LIFE by Victor Korchnoi
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
DVORETSKY�S ANALYTICAL MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov

DAVID PRUESS

image via blogspot

David Pruess, a strong international master, helped to make Chess.com what it is
today. He is also Chess.com�s most famous rapper.
David said: �My choices depend on what is meant by �best�, most enjoyable, or most
educational? Good for a 1200 or good for a 2400? I�m not sure, so I�ll just share
with you the books that have contributed most to my chess development, by being
enjoyable, inspiring, and educational. This is in approximate chronological order,
so #1 was one of the first books I�ve read, and #12 is something I�m still reading
today! �
David's list:
WINNING CHESS STRATEGY by Seirawan and Silman
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MODERN IDEAS IN CHESS by Richard Reti
NEW YORK 1924, game annotated by Alexander Alekhine
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION by Lev Polugaevsky
CHILD OF CHANGE by Garry Kasparov
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov (mainly the Keres
sections)
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE by David Bronstein
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov (have only read parts of this
series, but it�s reallllly good).
�My overall #1 is definitely Grandmaster Preparation by Polugaevsky, who along with
Kasparov I consider my favorite chess writers,� said Pruess.

JOHN WATSON

image via wikipedia

An international master and one of the world�s best chess coaches, Watson has an
almost legendary stature as an opening theoretician and chess thinker. He gives
weekly opening repertoire lectures on the ICC, and monthly opening columns for
ChessPublishing.com.
He�s written more than 30 books on chess, the most well known being his
revolutionary series on the English Opening, his books on the French Defense, his
four volume series titled, Mastering the Chess Openings, and his award-winning duo,
Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch and Chess Strategy in
Action. His latest book (with Eric Schiller) is a revised edition of Taming the
Wild Chess Openings, due out in late spring from New in Chess.
Watson's list:
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
EMINENT VICTORIAN CHESS PLAYERS by Tim Harding
THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS by Jonathan Rowson
VAN PERLO�S ENDGAME TACTICS by Van Perlo
FIRE ON BOARD: SHIROV�S BEST GAMES (Volumes 1 and 2) by Alexei Shirov
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Genna Sosonko�s collections of essays, especially RUSSIAN SILHOUETTES, THE RELIABLE
PAST, and SMART CHIP FROM ST PETERBURG
CHESS DUELS by Yasser Seirawan
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th edition by Jeremy Silman

JEREMY SILMAN

image via wikipedia

Okay, we finally come to my favorite books. Of course, there are a huge number of
chess books that I really like, but I will only mention a few here.
Best Game Collections

TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal

THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
Everyone should get this book and play though all of Botvinnik�s games and notes.
SECOND PIATIGORSKY CUP by Gregor Piatigorsky and Isaac Kashdan
NO REGRETS: FISCHER-SPASSKY 1992 by Yasser Seirawan and George Stefanovic
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
So much fun!
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
I was never high on My System, but I love Chess Praxis!
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
You�re not a chess player until you�ve read both these books.
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE EARLY GAMES OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE MIDDLE YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE LATER YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
BENT LARSEN�S BEST GAMES by Bent Larsen
I considered the older edition to be one of the best chess books ever, but this new
edition (from New in Chess) is even better.
THE LIFE AND GAMES OF AKIVA RUBINSTEIN, Volumes 1 & 2 by John Donaldson and Nikolay
Minev
If you�re a Rubinstein fan, these two books are as good as it gets.
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS 1935-1957 by Vasily Smyslov
The games are sublime, and the notes are crystal clear.
TIGRAN PETROSIAN HIS LIFE AND GAMES by Vik Vasiliev
I have several books on Petrosian, but this is my favorite.
KARPOV�S STRATEGIC WINS VOLUMES 1 & 2 by Tibor Karolyi
Mr. Karolyi cranks out one fine book after another. As a Karpov fan, I found these
to be particularly enjoyable.
JUDIT POLGAR TEACHES CHESS, VOLUMES 1-3 by Judit Polgar
Well-written and very personal, these books are deeply autobiographical, and also
filled with world-class notes. Lots of great photos make these three great books
even better.

Middlegame Instruction

THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov

Simple, clear, instructive. I�m very fond of it!
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov
A classic.
FISCHER: HIS APPROACH TO CHESS by Elie Agur
Another book that never got its due. The author breaks down Fischer�s games into
common themes, showing you how Fischer handled various kinds of positions. So,
instead of just another game collection, we have a middlegame textbook using only
Fischer games.

Endgame

CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev

A delight.
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
Very instructive.

Tactics

CHESS GEMS: 1,000 COMBINATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW by Igor Sukhin

This little-known book deserves much more attention than it got. Other than the
incredible games, wonderful puzzles, and very nice notes, it�s also a lesson in
chess history taking you step-by-step through the tactical timeline from the 12th
century to Greco and onwards. The author put a lot of love into this book, and if
you want to study tactics, then you can�t do better than this!
THE ART OF THE CHESS COMBINATION by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
When I was 14 my tactics were pathetic. I read this book from start to finish and
went from 1300-strength tactics to 2100.

History

PACHMAN�S DECISIVE GAMES by Ludek Pachman

I lost count on how many times I�ve read this. No, it�s not about Pachman�s games.
It�s about key moments in famous tournaments. He first builds up a critical
situation, then presents the all-important game with great notes. A tournament
table is given afterwards. You learn a lot from the games, and you learn a lot
about chess history too.
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
When Andy is �on,� he�s capable of great things. This is one of his masterpieces.
MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK: THE LIFE AND GAMES OF A WORLD CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Yet another Soltis tour-de-force.
FRANK MARSHALL, UNITED STATES CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Three strikes and you�re out if you don�t buy all three of these Soltis books.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHESS: THE GREAT MASTERS AND THEIR GAMES by Fred Reinfeld
A wonderful read. The fact is, Reinfeld, Chernev, and Edward Lasker wrote many,
many really excellent books.
BLINDFOLD CHESS by Eliot Hearst and John Knott
If you have any interest in blindfold chess or chess history then this book is for
you. It�s fantastic!
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Mixing a sharp tongue with humor and fascinating insights, this book is something
that deserves a rereading every couple of years.
A. ALEKHINE: AGONY OF A CHESS GENIUS by Pablo Moran
Beautifully researched, emotionally moving.
ARON NIMZOWITSCH: ON THE ROAD TO CHESS MASTERY, 1886-1924 by Per Skjoldager and
Jorn Erik Nielsen
An epic piece of work. Games, crosstables, and a complete biography of the man, and
it shows you Nimzowitsch as you�ve never seen him before.
THE TURK, CHESS AUTOMATON by Gerald M. Levitt
The definitive work on this subject. Absolutely fascinating.
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov
Many reviewers criticized these books, but they are as wrong as wrong can be. This
five-volume set not only has tons of well-analyzed games, but it�s a complete,
easy-to-digest course on chess history from the first world champion onwards.
To finish up, I have to admit that Seirawan was right. You should look for
dependable chess authors that never let you down:
Genna Sosonko�s intimate stories about various chess greats (The World Champions I
Knew, Russian Silhouettes, Smart Chip From St. Petersburg, etc.).
Edward Winter�s historical discoveries which are candy for lovers of chess history
(Chess Explorations, Capablanca, Chess Facts and Fables, etc.).
Tibor Karolyi�s tidal wave of superb publications (Mikhail Tal�s Best Games,
Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov, etc.).
All of Nunn�s books are excellent.
Lakdawala specializes in game collections and opening books, but all of his work is
always extremely instructive and fun.
John Watson is a monster theoretician and also a thinker, so if you like serious
opening information and/or deeply considered strategic chess musings, he�s your
man.
And on and on it goes, since nowadays there are dozens of really good chess writers
(Boris Avrukh, Jacob Aagaard, David Vigorito, Mihail Marin, etc.).
To wend his way through the mass of books, a chess player needs to know exactly
what he�s looking for. If you�re looking for an opening book, you should seek out
well-known opening theoreticians. If it�s instruction, you look for an author that
addresses players at your level (buying something that�s too advanced won�t help
you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might
not be useful for you.
That�s why, when I inherited the original five My System pamphlets (they eventually
were made into the one book you see today), which were actually signed by
Nimzowitsch (perhaps the only signed copies in existence?), I gave them to a chess
historian since my library is utilitarian, and treasures like those need to be
owned by someone who can take proper care of them. Thus, buying an expensive,
critically acclaimed book is heaven for one player but might well be a waste of
money for you.
When all is said and done, the chess book experience is a very personal one. It can
be extremely frustrating (you read a few pages, realize you�re bored to tears, and
place it on the shelf, never to touch it again), or it can be transformative (the
book happens to address all your weaknesses and misunderstandings).
So choose carefully, and your chess library will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

RELATED STUDY MATERIAL

Read IM Silman's previous article: Q&A: Opening Prep And Troll Attacks.
Read Pete's article: 5 Great Chess Books For Beginners.
Take a lesson on openings in the Chess Mentor.
Solve some puzzles in the Tactics Trainer.
Looking for articles with deeper analysis? Try our magazine: The Master's Bulletin.

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Get Ready To Test Your Positional Chess Again

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His list, �not necessarily in that order of course�:

ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
Here is Rensch�s chess book list for students:
RUSSIAN CHESS COURSE, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 by Lev Alburt
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
CAPABLANCA�S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
PAWN STRUCTURE CHESS by Andy Soltis
PAWN POWER IN CHESS by Hans Kmoch
WINNING PAWN STRUCTURES by Alexander Baburin
THE INNER GAME OF CHESS by Andy Soltis
ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS VOLUME 1 by Jeremy Silman
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
DVORETSKY�S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht
ENDGAME VIRTUOSO by Vassily Smyslov
CHESS PUZZLE BOOK by John Nunn
CHESS TRAINING POCKET BOOK by Lev Alburt
BEST GAMES OF SELF-AUTHORED WORLD CHAMPION by any world champion.
PRACTICAL CHESS ENDINGS by Paul Keres
SCHOOL OF CHESS EXCELLENCE SERIES by Mark Dvoretsky
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
[Note added by IM Rensch: "I feel like an a** for not mentioning the Great
Predecessor series by Kasparov. Of course, those books are simply phenomenal and
monumental works of art, and in my opinion, might be Kasparov's biggest
contribution to the chess community (which is really saying something). Also, my
top-six list was definitely given under the guidelines of 'my favorites for
enjoyment' and not necessarily the best books for both a 1200 and 2400 to read."]
JACK PETERS

image via wikipedia

IM Jack Peters ruled Southern California chess for over two decades and authored
several chess books. He wrote the chess column for the Los Angeles Times newspaper
from 1982 to 2011, and now teaches chess at the University of Southern California.
Peters said: �I don�t believe in the idea of �best� books. Almost any good-quality
book can seem terrific if you encounter it at the moment you are ready to learn
what the author is explaining. My list is composed of books that made a strong
impression on me. In no particular order�:
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
BASIC CHESS ENDINGS by Reuben Fine
CHESS ENDINGS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE by Yuri Averbakh
THE WORLD�S GREAT CHESS GAMES by Reuben Fine
THE SOVIET SCHOOL OF CHESS by Alexander Kotov and Mikhail Yudovich
CHESS INFORMANT #11

CYRUS LAKDAWALA

image via Chess.com

Cyrus is an international master, a highly sought-after chess teacher, and one of
the hottest chess writers in the world today.
His list:
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
CHESS SECRETS I LEARNED FROM THE MASTERS by Edward Lasker
CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 1 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 2 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
CHESS IS MY LIFE by Victor Korchnoi
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
DVORETSKY�S ANALYTICAL MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov

DAVID PRUESS

image via blogspot

David Pruess, a strong international master, helped to make Chess.com what it is
today. He is also Chess.com�s most famous rapper.
David said: �My choices depend on what is meant by �best�, most enjoyable, or most
educational? Good for a 1200 or good for a 2400? I�m not sure, so I�ll just share
with you the books that have contributed most to my chess development, by being
enjoyable, inspiring, and educational. This is in approximate chronological order,
so #1 was one of the first books I�ve read, and #12 is something I�m still reading
today! �
David's list:
WINNING CHESS STRATEGY by Seirawan and Silman
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MODERN IDEAS IN CHESS by Richard Reti
NEW YORK 1924, game annotated by Alexander Alekhine
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION by Lev Polugaevsky
CHILD OF CHANGE by Garry Kasparov
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov (mainly the Keres
sections)
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE by David Bronstein
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov (have only read parts of this
series, but it�s reallllly good).
�My overall #1 is definitely Grandmaster Preparation by Polugaevsky, who along with
Kasparov I consider my favorite chess writers,� said Pruess.

JOHN WATSON

image via wikipedia

An international master and one of the world�s best chess coaches, Watson has an
almost legendary stature as an opening theoretician and chess thinker. He gives
weekly opening repertoire lectures on the ICC, and monthly opening columns for
ChessPublishing.com.
He�s written more than 30 books on chess, the most well known being his
revolutionary series on the English Opening, his books on the French Defense, his
four volume series titled, Mastering the Chess Openings, and his award-winning duo,
Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch and Chess Strategy in
Action. His latest book (with Eric Schiller) is a revised edition of Taming the
Wild Chess Openings, due out in late spring from New in Chess.
Watson's list:
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
EMINENT VICTORIAN CHESS PLAYERS by Tim Harding
THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS by Jonathan Rowson
VAN PERLO�S ENDGAME TACTICS by Van Perlo
FIRE ON BOARD: SHIROV�S BEST GAMES (Volumes 1 and 2) by Alexei Shirov
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Genna Sosonko�s collections of essays, especially RUSSIAN SILHOUETTES, THE RELIABLE
PAST, and SMART CHIP FROM ST PETERBURG
CHESS DUELS by Yasser Seirawan
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th edition by Jeremy Silman

JEREMY SILMAN

image via wikipedia

Okay, we finally come to my favorite books. Of course, there are a huge number of
chess books that I really like, but I will only mention a few here.
Best Game Collections

TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal

THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
Everyone should get this book and play though all of Botvinnik�s games and notes.
SECOND PIATIGORSKY CUP by Gregor Piatigorsky and Isaac Kashdan
NO REGRETS: FISCHER-SPASSKY 1992 by Yasser Seirawan and George Stefanovic
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
So much fun!
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
I was never high on My System, but I love Chess Praxis!
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
You�re not a chess player until you�ve read both these books.
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE EARLY GAMES OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE MIDDLE YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE LATER YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
BENT LARSEN�S BEST GAMES by Bent Larsen
I considered the older edition to be one of the best chess books ever, but this new
edition (from New in Chess) is even better.
THE LIFE AND GAMES OF AKIVA RUBINSTEIN, Volumes 1 & 2 by John Donaldson and Nikolay
Minev
If you�re a Rubinstein fan, these two books are as good as it gets.
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS 1935-1957 by Vasily Smyslov
The games are sublime, and the notes are crystal clear.
TIGRAN PETROSIAN HIS LIFE AND GAMES by Vik Vasiliev
I have several books on Petrosian, but this is my favorite.
KARPOV�S STRATEGIC WINS VOLUMES 1 & 2 by Tibor Karolyi
Mr. Karolyi cranks out one fine book after another. As a Karpov fan, I found these
to be particularly enjoyable.
JUDIT POLGAR TEACHES CHESS, VOLUMES 1-3 by Judit Polgar
Well-written and very personal, these books are deeply autobiographical, and also
filled with world-class notes. Lots of great photos make these three great books
even better.

Middlegame Instruction

THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov

Simple, clear, instructive. I�m very fond of it!
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov
A classic.
FISCHER: HIS APPROACH TO CHESS by Elie Agur
Another book that never got its due. The author breaks down Fischer�s games into
common themes, showing you how Fischer handled various kinds of positions. So,
instead of just another game collection, we have a middlegame textbook using only
Fischer games.

Endgame

CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev

A delight.
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
Very instructive.

Tactics

CHESS GEMS: 1,000 COMBINATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW by Igor Sukhin

This little-known book deserves much more attention than it got. Other than the
incredible games, wonderful puzzles, and very nice notes, it�s also a lesson in
chess history taking you step-by-step through the tactical timeline from the 12th
century to Greco and onwards. The author put a lot of love into this book, and if
you want to study tactics, then you can�t do better than this!
THE ART OF THE CHESS COMBINATION by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
When I was 14 my tactics were pathetic. I read this book from start to finish and
went from 1300-strength tactics to 2100.

History

PACHMAN�S DECISIVE GAMES by Ludek Pachman

I lost count on how many times I�ve read this. No, it�s not about Pachman�s games.
It�s about key moments in famous tournaments. He first builds up a critical
situation, then presents the all-important game with great notes. A tournament
table is given afterwards. You learn a lot from the games, and you learn a lot
about chess history too.
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
When Andy is �on,� he�s capable of great things. This is one of his masterpieces.
MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK: THE LIFE AND GAMES OF A WORLD CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Yet another Soltis tour-de-force.
FRANK MARSHALL, UNITED STATES CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Three strikes and you�re out if you don�t buy all three of these Soltis books.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHESS: THE GREAT MASTERS AND THEIR GAMES by Fred Reinfeld
A wonderful read. The fact is, Reinfeld, Chernev, and Edward Lasker wrote many,
many really excellent books.
BLINDFOLD CHESS by Eliot Hearst and John Knott
If you have any interest in blindfold chess or chess history then this book is for
you. It�s fantastic!
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Mixing a sharp tongue with humor and fascinating insights, this book is something
that deserves a rereading every couple of years.
A. ALEKHINE: AGONY OF A CHESS GENIUS by Pablo Moran
Beautifully researched, emotionally moving.
ARON NIMZOWITSCH: ON THE ROAD TO CHESS MASTERY, 1886-1924 by Per Skjoldager and
Jorn Erik Nielsen
An epic piece of work. Games, crosstables, and a complete biography of the man, and
it shows you Nimzowitsch as you�ve never seen him before.
THE TURK, CHESS AUTOMATON by Gerald M. Levitt
The definitive work on this subject. Absolutely fascinating.
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov
Many reviewers criticized these books, but they are as wrong as wrong can be. This
five-volume set not only has tons of well-analyzed games, but it�s a complete,
easy-to-digest course on chess history from the first world champion onwards.
To finish up, I have to admit that Seirawan was right. You should look for
dependable chess authors that never let you down:
Genna Sosonko�s intimate stories about various chess greats (The World Champions I
Knew, Russian Silhouettes, Smart Chip From St. Petersburg, etc.).
Edward Winter�s historical discoveries which are candy for lovers of chess history
(Chess Explorations, Capablanca, Chess Facts and Fables, etc.).
Tibor Karolyi�s tidal wave of superb publications (Mikhail Tal�s Best Games,
Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov, etc.).
All of Nunn�s books are excellent.
Lakdawala specializes in game collections and opening books, but all of his work is
always extremely instructive and fun.
John Watson is a monster theoretician and also a thinker, so if you like serious
opening information and/or deeply considered strategic chess musings, he�s your
man.
And on and on it goes, since nowadays there are dozens of really good chess writers
(Boris Avrukh, Jacob Aagaard, David Vigorito, Mihail Marin, etc.).
To wend his way through the mass of books, a chess player needs to know exactly
what he�s looking for. If you�re looking for an opening book, you should seek out
well-known opening theoreticians. If it�s instruction, you look for an author that
addresses players at your level (buying something that�s too advanced won�t help
you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might
not be useful for you.
That�s why, when I inherited the original five My System pamphlets (they eventually
were made into the one book you see today), which were actually signed by
Nimzowitsch (perhaps the only signed copies in existence?), I gave them to a chess
historian since my library is utilitarian, and treasures like those need to be
owned by someone who can take proper care of them. Thus, buying an expensive,
critically acclaimed book is heaven for one player but might well be a waste of
money for you.
When all is said and done, the chess book experience is a very personal one. It can
be extremely frustrating (you read a few pages, realize you�re bored to tears, and
place it on the shelf, never to touch it again), or it can be transformative (the
book happens to address all your weaknesses and misunderstandings).
So choose carefully, and your chess library will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

RELATED STUDY MATERIAL

Read IM Silman's previous article: Q&A: Opening Prep And Troll Attacks.
Read Pete's article: 5 Great Chess Books For Beginners.
Take a lesson on openings in the Chess Mentor.
Solve some puzzles in the Tactics Trainer.
Looking for articles with deeper analysis? Try our magazine: The Master's Bulletin.

V�ce od u�ivatele IM Silman

Get Ready To Test Your Positional Chess Again

3 Different Chess Views You Need To Know

Odstra�te reklamy

�l�nky

Pro za��te�n�ky
Strategie
Taktika
V�uka
Teorie zah�jen�
St�edn� hra
Koncovky
Vynikaj�c� partie
�achist�
Zaj�mavosti
Jin�
N�pov�da Chess.com

Auto�i
Kalend�� �achov�ch turnaj�
Studijn� pl�ny
Studijn� osnovy pro d�ti
Odstra�te reklamy

N�pov�da
Jazyk
Kari�ra
Podm�nky a ochrana osobn�ch �daj�
V�voj��i
Chess.com � 2018

His list, �not necessarily in that order of course�:

ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
Here is Rensch�s chess book list for students:
RUSSIAN CHESS COURSE, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 by Lev Alburt
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
CAPABLANCA�S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
PAWN STRUCTURE CHESS by Andy Soltis
PAWN POWER IN CHESS by Hans Kmoch
WINNING PAWN STRUCTURES by Alexander Baburin
THE INNER GAME OF CHESS by Andy Soltis
ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS VOLUME 1 by Jeremy Silman
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
DVORETSKY�S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht
ENDGAME VIRTUOSO by Vassily Smyslov
CHESS PUZZLE BOOK by John Nunn
CHESS TRAINING POCKET BOOK by Lev Alburt
BEST GAMES OF SELF-AUTHORED WORLD CHAMPION by any world champion.
PRACTICAL CHESS ENDINGS by Paul Keres
SCHOOL OF CHESS EXCELLENCE SERIES by Mark Dvoretsky
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
[Note added by IM Rensch: "I feel like an a** for not mentioning the Great
Predecessor series by Kasparov. Of course, those books are simply phenomenal and
monumental works of art, and in my opinion, might be Kasparov's biggest
contribution to the chess community (which is really saying something). Also, my
top-six list was definitely given under the guidelines of 'my favorites for
enjoyment' and not necessarily the best books for both a 1200 and 2400 to read."]
JACK PETERS

image via wikipedia

IM Jack Peters ruled Southern California chess for over two decades and authored
several chess books. He wrote the chess column for the Los Angeles Times newspaper
from 1982 to 2011, and now teaches chess at the University of Southern California.
Peters said: �I don�t believe in the idea of �best� books. Almost any good-quality
book can seem terrific if you encounter it at the moment you are ready to learn
what the author is explaining. My list is composed of books that made a strong
impression on me. In no particular order�:
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
BASIC CHESS ENDINGS by Reuben Fine
CHESS ENDINGS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE by Yuri Averbakh
THE WORLD�S GREAT CHESS GAMES by Reuben Fine
THE SOVIET SCHOOL OF CHESS by Alexander Kotov and Mikhail Yudovich
CHESS INFORMANT #11

CYRUS LAKDAWALA

image via Chess.com

Cyrus is an international master, a highly sought-after chess teacher, and one of
the hottest chess writers in the world today.
His list:
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
CHESS SECRETS I LEARNED FROM THE MASTERS by Edward Lasker
CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 1 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 2 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
CHESS IS MY LIFE by Victor Korchnoi
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
DVORETSKY�S ANALYTICAL MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov

DAVID PRUESS

image via blogspot

David Pruess, a strong international master, helped to make Chess.com what it is
today. He is also Chess.com�s most famous rapper.
David said: �My choices depend on what is meant by �best�, most enjoyable, or most
educational? Good for a 1200 or good for a 2400? I�m not sure, so I�ll just share
with you the books that have contributed most to my chess development, by being
enjoyable, inspiring, and educational. This is in approximate chronological order,
so #1 was one of the first books I�ve read, and #12 is something I�m still reading
today! �
David's list:
WINNING CHESS STRATEGY by Seirawan and Silman
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MODERN IDEAS IN CHESS by Richard Reti
NEW YORK 1924, game annotated by Alexander Alekhine
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION by Lev Polugaevsky
CHILD OF CHANGE by Garry Kasparov
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov (mainly the Keres
sections)
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE by David Bronstein
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov (have only read parts of this
series, but it�s reallllly good).
�My overall #1 is definitely Grandmaster Preparation by Polugaevsky, who along with
Kasparov I consider my favorite chess writers,� said Pruess.

JOHN WATSON

image via wikipedia

An international master and one of the world�s best chess coaches, Watson has an
almost legendary stature as an opening theoretician and chess thinker. He gives
weekly opening repertoire lectures on the ICC, and monthly opening columns for
ChessPublishing.com.
He�s written more than 30 books on chess, the most well known being his
revolutionary series on the English Opening, his books on the French Defense, his
four volume series titled, Mastering the Chess Openings, and his award-winning duo,
Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch and Chess Strategy in
Action. His latest book (with Eric Schiller) is a revised edition of Taming the
Wild Chess Openings, due out in late spring from New in Chess.
Watson's list:
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
EMINENT VICTORIAN CHESS PLAYERS by Tim Harding
THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS by Jonathan Rowson
VAN PERLO�S ENDGAME TACTICS by Van Perlo
FIRE ON BOARD: SHIROV�S BEST GAMES (Volumes 1 and 2) by Alexei Shirov
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Genna Sosonko�s collections of essays, especially RUSSIAN SILHOUETTES, THE RELIABLE
PAST, and SMART CHIP FROM ST PETERBURG
CHESS DUELS by Yasser Seirawan
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th edition by Jeremy Silman

JEREMY SILMAN

image via wikipedia

Okay, we finally come to my favorite books. Of course, there are a huge number of
chess books that I really like, but I will only mention a few here.
Best Game Collections

TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal

THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
Everyone should get this book and play though all of Botvinnik�s games and notes.
SECOND PIATIGORSKY CUP by Gregor Piatigorsky and Isaac Kashdan
NO REGRETS: FISCHER-SPASSKY 1992 by Yasser Seirawan and George Stefanovic
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
So much fun!
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
I was never high on My System, but I love Chess Praxis!
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
You�re not a chess player until you�ve read both these books.
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE EARLY GAMES OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE MIDDLE YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE LATER YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
BENT LARSEN�S BEST GAMES by Bent Larsen
I considered the older edition to be one of the best chess books ever, but this new
edition (from New in Chess) is even better.
THE LIFE AND GAMES OF AKIVA RUBINSTEIN, Volumes 1 & 2 by John Donaldson and Nikolay
Minev
If you�re a Rubinstein fan, these two books are as good as it gets.
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS 1935-1957 by Vasily Smyslov
The games are sublime, and the notes are crystal clear.
TIGRAN PETROSIAN HIS LIFE AND GAMES by Vik Vasiliev
I have several books on Petrosian, but this is my favorite.
KARPOV�S STRATEGIC WINS VOLUMES 1 & 2 by Tibor Karolyi
Mr. Karolyi cranks out one fine book after another. As a Karpov fan, I found these
to be particularly enjoyable.
JUDIT POLGAR TEACHES CHESS, VOLUMES 1-3 by Judit Polgar
Well-written and very personal, these books are deeply autobiographical, and also
filled with world-class notes. Lots of great photos make these three great books
even better.

Middlegame Instruction

THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov

Simple, clear, instructive. I�m very fond of it!
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov
A classic.
FISCHER: HIS APPROACH TO CHESS by Elie Agur
Another book that never got its due. The author breaks down Fischer�s games into
common themes, showing you how Fischer handled various kinds of positions. So,
instead of just another game collection, we have a middlegame textbook using only
Fischer games.

Endgame

CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev

A delight.
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
Very instructive.

Tactics

CHESS GEMS: 1,000 COMBINATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW by Igor Sukhin

This little-known book deserves much more attention than it got. Other than the
incredible games, wonderful puzzles, and very nice notes, it�s also a lesson in
chess history taking you step-by-step through the tactical timeline from the 12th
century to Greco and onwards. The author put a lot of love into this book, and if
you want to study tactics, then you can�t do better than this!
THE ART OF THE CHESS COMBINATION by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
When I was 14 my tactics were pathetic. I read this book from start to finish and
went from 1300-strength tactics to 2100.

History

PACHMAN�S DECISIVE GAMES by Ludek Pachman

I lost count on how many times I�ve read this. No, it�s not about Pachman�s games.
It�s about key moments in famous tournaments. He first builds up a critical
situation, then presents the all-important game with great notes. A tournament
table is given afterwards. You learn a lot from the games, and you learn a lot
about chess history too.
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
When Andy is �on,� he�s capable of great things. This is one of his masterpieces.
MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK: THE LIFE AND GAMES OF A WORLD CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Yet another Soltis tour-de-force.
FRANK MARSHALL, UNITED STATES CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Three strikes and you�re out if you don�t buy all three of these Soltis books.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHESS: THE GREAT MASTERS AND THEIR GAMES by Fred Reinfeld
A wonderful read. The fact is, Reinfeld, Chernev, and Edward Lasker wrote many,
many really excellent books.
BLINDFOLD CHESS by Eliot Hearst and John Knott
If you have any interest in blindfold chess or chess history then this book is for
you. It�s fantastic!
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Mixing a sharp tongue with humor and fascinating insights, this book is something
that deserves a rereading every couple of years.
A. ALEKHINE: AGONY OF A CHESS GENIUS by Pablo Moran
Beautifully researched, emotionally moving.
ARON NIMZOWITSCH: ON THE ROAD TO CHESS MASTERY, 1886-1924 by Per Skjoldager and
Jorn Erik Nielsen
An epic piece of work. Games, crosstables, and a complete biography of the man, and
it shows you Nimzowitsch as you�ve never seen him before.
THE TURK, CHESS AUTOMATON by Gerald M. Levitt
The definitive work on this subject. Absolutely fascinating.
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov
Many reviewers criticized these books, but they are as wrong as wrong can be. This
five-volume set not only has tons of well-analyzed games, but it�s a complete,
easy-to-digest course on chess history from the first world champion onwards.
To finish up, I have to admit that Seirawan was right. You should look for
dependable chess authors that never let you down:
Genna Sosonko�s intimate stories about various chess greats (The World Champions I
Knew, Russian Silhouettes, Smart Chip From St. Petersburg, etc.).
Edward Winter�s historical discoveries which are candy for lovers of chess history
(Chess Explorations, Capablanca, Chess Facts and Fables, etc.).
Tibor Karolyi�s tidal wave of superb publications (Mikhail Tal�s Best Games,
Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov, etc.).
All of Nunn�s books are excellent.
Lakdawala specializes in game collections and opening books, but all of his work is
always extremely instructive and fun.
John Watson is a monster theoretician and also a thinker, so if you like serious
opening information and/or deeply considered strategic chess musings, he�s your
man.
And on and on it goes, since nowadays there are dozens of really good chess writers
(Boris Avrukh, Jacob Aagaard, David Vigorito, Mihail Marin, etc.).
To wend his way through the mass of books, a chess player needs to know exactly
what he�s looking for. If you�re looking for an opening book, you should seek out
well-known opening theoreticians. If it�s instruction, you look for an author that
addresses players at your level (buying something that�s too advanced won�t help
you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might
not be useful for you.
That�s why, when I inherited the original five My System pamphlets (they eventually
were made into the one book you see today), which were actually signed by
Nimzowitsch (perhaps the only signed copies in existence?), I gave them to a chess
historian since my library is utilitarian, and treasures like those need to be
owned by someone who can take proper care of them. Thus, buying an expensive,
critically acclaimed book is heaven for one player but might well be a waste of
money for you.
When all is said and done, the chess book experience is a very personal one. It can
be extremely frustrating (you read a few pages, realize you�re bored to tears, and
place it on the shelf, never to touch it again), or it can be transformative (the
book happens to address all your weaknesses and misunderstandings).
So choose carefully, and your chess library will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

RELATED STUDY MATERIAL

Read IM Silman's previous article: Q&A: Opening Prep And Troll Attacks.
Read Pete's article: 5 Great Chess Books For Beginners.
Take a lesson on openings in the Chess Mentor.
Solve some puzzles in the Tactics Trainer.
Looking for articles with deeper analysis? Try our magazine: The Master's Bulletin.
V�ce od u�ivatele IM Silman

Get Ready To Test Your Positional Chess Again

3 Different Chess Views You Need To Know

Odstra�te reklamy

�l�nky

Pro za��te�n�ky
Strategie
Taktika
V�uka
Teorie zah�jen�
St�edn� hra
Koncovky
Vynikaj�c� partie
�achist�
Zaj�mavosti
Jin�
N�pov�da Chess.com

Auto�i
Kalend�� �achov�ch turnaj�
Studijn� pl�ny
Studijn� osnovy pro d�ti

Odstra�te reklamy

N�pov�da
Jazyk
Kari�ra
Podm�nky a ochrana osobn�ch �daj�
V�voj��i
Chess.com � 2018
His list, �not necessarily in that order of course�:
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
Here is Rensch�s chess book list for students:
RUSSIAN CHESS COURSE, VOLUMES 1 AND 2 by Lev Alburt
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
CAPABLANCA�S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
PAWN STRUCTURE CHESS by Andy Soltis
PAWN POWER IN CHESS by Hans Kmoch
WINNING PAWN STRUCTURES by Alexander Baburin
THE INNER GAME OF CHESS by Andy Soltis
ESSENTIAL CHESS ENDINGS VOLUME 1 by Jeremy Silman
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
DYNAMIC CHESS STRATEGY by Mihai Suba
UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by John Nunn
DVORETSKY�S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht
ENDGAME VIRTUOSO by Vassily Smyslov
CHESS PUZZLE BOOK by John Nunn
CHESS TRAINING POCKET BOOK by Lev Alburt
BEST GAMES OF SELF-AUTHORED WORLD CHAMPION by any world champion.
PRACTICAL CHESS ENDINGS by Paul Keres
SCHOOL OF CHESS EXCELLENCE SERIES by Mark Dvoretsky
ROAD TO CHESS IMPROVEMENT by Alex Yermolinsky
[Note added by IM Rensch: "I feel like an a** for not mentioning the Great
Predecessor series by Kasparov. Of course, those books are simply phenomenal and
monumental works of art, and in my opinion, might be Kasparov's biggest
contribution to the chess community (which is really saying something). Also, my
top-six list was definitely given under the guidelines of 'my favorites for
enjoyment' and not necessarily the best books for both a 1200 and 2400 to read."]
JACK PETERS

image via wikipedia

IM Jack Peters ruled Southern California chess for over two decades and authored
several chess books. He wrote the chess column for the Los Angeles Times newspaper
from 1982 to 2011, and now teaches chess at the University of Southern California.
Peters said: �I don�t believe in the idea of �best� books. Almost any good-quality
book can seem terrific if you encounter it at the moment you are ready to learn
what the author is explaining. My list is composed of books that made a strong
impression on me. In no particular order�:
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
BASIC CHESS ENDINGS by Reuben Fine
CHESS ENDINGS: ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE by Yuri Averbakh
THE WORLD�S GREAT CHESS GAMES by Reuben Fine
THE SOVIET SCHOOL OF CHESS by Alexander Kotov and Mikhail Yudovich
CHESS INFORMANT #11

CYRUS LAKDAWALA

image via Chess.com

Cyrus is an international master, a highly sought-after chess teacher, and one of
the hottest chess writers in the world today.
His list:
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS by Jeremy Silman
CHESS SECRETS I LEARNED FROM THE MASTERS by Edward Lasker
CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 1 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
MASTERING THE ENDGAME, VOLUME 2 by Mikhail Shereshevsky
CHESS IS MY LIFE by Victor Korchnoi
MY 60 MEMORABLE GAMES by Robert Fischer
ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
DVORETSKY�S ANALYTICAL MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov

DAVID PRUESS

image via blogspot

David Pruess, a strong international master, helped to make Chess.com what it is
today. He is also Chess.com�s most famous rapper.
David said: �My choices depend on what is meant by �best�, most enjoyable, or most
educational? Good for a 1200 or good for a 2400? I�m not sure, so I�ll just share
with you the books that have contributed most to my chess development, by being
enjoyable, inspiring, and educational. This is in approximate chronological order,
so #1 was one of the first books I�ve read, and #12 is something I�m still reading
today! �
David's list:
WINNING CHESS STRATEGY by Seirawan and Silman
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
MODERN IDEAS IN CHESS by Richard Reti
NEW YORK 1924, game annotated by Alexander Alekhine
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
GRANDMASTER PREPARATION by Lev Polugaevsky
CHILD OF CHANGE by Garry Kasparov
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal
THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov (mainly the Keres
sections)
THE SORCERER'S APPRENTICE by David Bronstein
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov (have only read parts of this
series, but it�s reallllly good).
�My overall #1 is definitely Grandmaster Preparation by Polugaevsky, who along with
Kasparov I consider my favorite chess writers,� said Pruess.

JOHN WATSON

image via wikipedia

An international master and one of the world�s best chess coaches, Watson has an
almost legendary stature as an opening theoretician and chess thinker. He gives
weekly opening repertoire lectures on the ICC, and monthly opening columns for
ChessPublishing.com.
He�s written more than 30 books on chess, the most well known being his
revolutionary series on the English Opening, his books on the French Defense, his
four volume series titled, Mastering the Chess Openings, and his award-winning duo,
Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since Nimzowitsch and Chess Strategy in
Action. His latest book (with Eric Schiller) is a revised edition of Taming the
Wild Chess Openings, due out in late spring from New in Chess.
Watson's list:
MY SYSTEM by Aron Nimzowitsch
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
EMINENT VICTORIAN CHESS PLAYERS by Tim Harding
THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
SEVEN DEADLY CHESS SINS by Jonathan Rowson
VAN PERLO�S ENDGAME TACTICS by Van Perlo
FIRE ON BOARD: SHIROV�S BEST GAMES (Volumes 1 and 2) by Alexei Shirov
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Genna Sosonko�s collections of essays, especially RUSSIAN SILHOUETTES, THE RELIABLE
PAST, and SMART CHIP FROM ST PETERBURG
CHESS DUELS by Yasser Seirawan
HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS 4th edition by Jeremy Silman
JEREMY SILMAN

image via wikipedia

Okay, we finally come to my favorite books. Of course, there are a huge number of
chess books that I really like, but I will only mention a few here.
Best Game Collections

TAL-BOTVINNIK, 1960 by Mikhail Tal

THE LIFE & GAMES OF MIKHAIL TAL by Mikhail Tal
100 SELECTED GAMES OF CHESS by Mikhail Botvinnik
Everyone should get this book and play though all of Botvinnik�s games and notes.
SECOND PIATIGORSKY CUP by Gregor Piatigorsky and Isaac Kashdan
NO REGRETS: FISCHER-SPASSKY 1992 by Yasser Seirawan and George Stefanovic
MARSHALL'S BEST GAMES OF CHESS by Frank Marshall
So much fun!
CHESS PRAXIS by Aron Nimzowitsch
I was never high on My System, but I love Chess Praxis!
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS, VOLUMES ONE AND TWO by Alexander Alekhine
You�re not a chess player until you�ve read both these books.
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE EARLY GAMES OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE MIDDLE YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
GRANDMASTER OF CHESS: THE LATER YEARS OF PAUL KERES by Paul Keres
BENT LARSEN�S BEST GAMES by Bent Larsen
I considered the older edition to be one of the best chess books ever, but this new
edition (from New in Chess) is even better.
THE LIFE AND GAMES OF AKIVA RUBINSTEIN, Volumes 1 & 2 by John Donaldson and Nikolay
Minev
If you�re a Rubinstein fan, these two books are as good as it gets.
MY BEST GAMES OF CHESS 1935-1957 by Vasily Smyslov
The games are sublime, and the notes are crystal clear.
TIGRAN PETROSIAN HIS LIFE AND GAMES by Vik Vasiliev
I have several books on Petrosian, but this is my favorite.
KARPOV�S STRATEGIC WINS VOLUMES 1 & 2 by Tibor Karolyi
Mr. Karolyi cranks out one fine book after another. As a Karpov fan, I found these
to be particularly enjoyable.
JUDIT POLGAR TEACHES CHESS, VOLUMES 1-3 by Judit Polgar
Well-written and very personal, these books are deeply autobiographical, and also
filled with world-class notes. Lots of great photos make these three great books
even better.

Middlegame Instruction

THE ART OF THE MIDDLEGAME by Paul Keres and Alexander Kotov

Simple, clear, instructive. I�m very fond of it!
THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER by Alexander Kotov
A classic.
FISCHER: HIS APPROACH TO CHESS by Elie Agur
Another book that never got its due. The author breaks down Fischer�s games into
common themes, showing you how Fischer handled various kinds of positions. So,
instead of just another game collection, we have a middlegame textbook using only
Fischer games.

Endgame

CAPABLANCA'S BEST CHESS ENDINGS by Irving Chernev

A delight.
ENDGAME STRATEGY by Mikhail Shereshevsky
Very instructive.
Tactics

CHESS GEMS: 1,000 COMBINATIONS YOU SHOULD KNOW by Igor Sukhin

This little-known book deserves much more attention than it got. Other than the
incredible games, wonderful puzzles, and very nice notes, it�s also a lesson in
chess history taking you step-by-step through the tactical timeline from the 12th
century to Greco and onwards. The author put a lot of love into this book, and if
you want to study tactics, then you can�t do better than this!
THE ART OF THE CHESS COMBINATION by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
When I was 14 my tactics were pathetic. I read this book from start to finish and
went from 1300-strength tactics to 2100.

History

PACHMAN�S DECISIVE GAMES by Ludek Pachman

I lost count on how many times I�ve read this. No, it�s not about Pachman�s games.
It�s about key moments in famous tournaments. He first builds up a critical
situation, then presents the all-important game with great notes. A tournament
table is given afterwards. You learn a lot from the games, and you learn a lot
about chess history too.
SOVIET CHESS 1917-1991 by Andy Soltis
When Andy is �on,� he�s capable of great things. This is one of his masterpieces.
MIKHAIL BOTVINNIK: THE LIFE AND GAMES OF A WORLD CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Yet another Soltis tour-de-force.
FRANK MARSHALL, UNITED STATES CHESS CHAMPION by Andy Soltis
Three strikes and you�re out if you don�t buy all three of these Soltis books.
THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHESS: THE GREAT MASTERS AND THEIR GAMES by Fred Reinfeld
A wonderful read. The fact is, Reinfeld, Chernev, and Edward Lasker wrote many,
many really excellent books.
BLINDFOLD CHESS by Eliot Hearst and John Knott
If you have any interest in blindfold chess or chess history then this book is for
you. It�s fantastic!
THE KING: CHESS PIECES by Jan Hein Donner
Mixing a sharp tongue with humor and fascinating insights, this book is something
that deserves a rereading every couple of years.
A. ALEKHINE: AGONY OF A CHESS GENIUS by Pablo Moran
Beautifully researched, emotionally moving.
ARON NIMZOWITSCH: ON THE ROAD TO CHESS MASTERY, 1886-1924 by Per Skjoldager and
Jorn Erik Nielsen
An epic piece of work. Games, crosstables, and a complete biography of the man, and
it shows you Nimzowitsch as you�ve never seen him before.
THE TURK, CHESS AUTOMATON by Gerald M. Levitt
The definitive work on this subject. Absolutely fascinating.
MY GREAT PREDECESSORS VOLUMES 1-5 by Garry Kasparov
Many reviewers criticized these books, but they are as wrong as wrong can be. This
five-volume set not only has tons of well-analyzed games, but it�s a complete,
easy-to-digest course on chess history from the first world champion onwards.
To finish up, I have to admit that Seirawan was right. You should look for
dependable chess authors that never let you down:
Genna Sosonko�s intimate stories about various chess greats (The World Champions I
Knew, Russian Silhouettes, Smart Chip From St. Petersburg, etc.).
Edward Winter�s historical discoveries which are candy for lovers of chess history
(Chess Explorations, Capablanca, Chess Facts and Fables, etc.).
Tibor Karolyi�s tidal wave of superb publications (Mikhail Tal�s Best Games,
Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov, etc.).
All of Nunn�s books are excellent.
Lakdawala specializes in game collections and opening books, but all of his work is
always extremely instructive and fun.
John Watson is a monster theoretician and also a thinker, so if you like serious
opening information and/or deeply considered strategic chess musings, he�s your
man.
And on and on it goes, since nowadays there are dozens of really good chess writers
(Boris Avrukh, Jacob Aagaard, David Vigorito, Mihail Marin, etc.).
To wend his way through the mass of books, a chess player needs to know exactly
what he�s looking for. If you�re looking for an opening book, you should seek out
well-known opening theoreticians. If it�s instruction, you look for an author that
addresses players at your level (buying something that�s too advanced won�t help
you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might
not be useful for you.
That�s why, when I inherited the original five My System pamphlets (they eventually
were made into the one book you see today), which were actually signed by
Nimzowitsch (perhaps the only signed copies in existence?), I gave them to a chess
historian since my library is utilitarian, and treasures like those need to be
owned by someone who can take proper care of them. Thus, buying an expensive,
critically acclaimed book is heaven for one player but might well be a waste of
money for you.
When all is said and done, the chess book experience is a very personal one. It can
be extremely frustrating (you read a few pages, realize you�re bored to tears, and
place it on the shelf, never to touch it again), or it can be transformative (the
book happens to address all your weaknesses and misunderstandings).
So choose carefully, and your chess library will give you a lifetime of pleasure.

RELATED STUDY MATERIAL

Read IM Silman's previous article: Q&A: Opening Prep And Troll Attacks.
Read Pete's article: 5 Great Chess Books For Beginners.
Take a lesson on openings in the Chess Mentor.
Solve some puzzles in the Tactics Trainer.
Looking for articles with deeper analysis? Try our magazine: The Master's Bulletin.

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