Greatest Chess Books (Part I)

November 15, 2008

You know that guy who you didn’t invite to your party but shows up anyway, wielding his guitar like a blunt musical instrument, trying hard to be soulful, earnest, totally in love with music but totally and absolutely horrible at making it? That’s me playing chess. I love the game… to the point of literal obsession at times in the past. I enjoy reading about the history, the players, the intrigue and the contretemps. I play through games and solve puzzles. I’ve built and given up gigantic databases. I’ve played online, offline and through correspondence on paper and electronically. I own a variety of boards and tournament sets and clocks. I’ve bought But I’m just not very good at it!

For the past five years or so I’ve almost completely avoided playing for fear that the obsession would set in again… but I haven’t stopped reading about the game. Following is a selection of the greatest chess books I’ve ever read (in no particular order).

Zurich: 1953 (David Bronstein)

I prefer creative, attacking chess ala Mikhail Tal, Bobby Fischer, Paul Morphy, and David Bronstein remains one of my favorites. But what makes this book special is a combination of high-level play and Bronstein’s fantastic annotations. For readable but accurate annotations for players at all levels, there was none better. Bronstein’s annotations are not packed full of variations– he prefers plain language musings– but this isn’t a book intended for Masters to prepare for the next tournament. Bronstein clearly enjoys himself while providing a keen perspective on every game, and the way his affection for the players and the play shines through makes this a must-have.

The Search for Chess Perfection (C. J. S. Purdy)

C.J.S. Purdy was an Australian and Correspondence World Champion whose writing has developed a cult following amongst devotees of the game. And for good reason: in addition to having a strong grasp of the game, Purdy is a fine prose stylist. This is one of those books that has relatively deep annotations in places but that can be just as easily read for pleasure without a board in sight or in mind. Purdy spends a lot of time delving into the psychological aspects of the game and the importance of developing a coherent system for approaching each game, move, and decision.

The Sorceror’s Apprentice (David Bronstein)

Bronstein’s other classic work, this book has it all, opening with 40 of his favorite combinations in “figure out the next move” style, followed by a section of about 50 annotated games featuring Bronstein’s clear analysis and fun stories and anecdotes about the game, tournaments, and players involved, then another section of 50+ games featuring enough diagrams to be playable without a board, and finally a section of 75+ games that Bronstein considered “picturesque.” In between each section are prose pieces about Bronstein’s life and career.

Chess Explorations (Edward Winter)

These two volumes (Chess Explorations and Kings Commoners and Knaves: Further Chess Explorations) feature a compendium of the most interesting entries in Edward Winters’ famed “Chess Notes” series. Winters is a well-known chess historian who delights equally in discovering new and interesting historical facts on his own and skewering the poor writing, shoddy history, and shameless lifting that has long been a habit of many chess writers. As far as I know, no one actually knows who Edward Winter is, but that added bit of mystery is unneeded… his fascinating work ranging from true historical discovery to amazing oddities– and everything in between– more than speaks for itself. There are two more volumes in the series I don’t yet own…

My 60 Memorable Games (Bobby Fischer)

Bobby Fischer was a maladjusted prodigy who turned into a raving, cracked anti-semite… but he was also arguably the best chess player that ever lived, champion of a bold, attacking style whenever possible and without being one-dimensional, and an iconic, controversial figure who remains to this day the symbol of chess in much of popular culture. I love Fischer’s style of play and his way with words. He didn’t write many books, but this is a classic. In this memorable book– written before Fischer ascended to the World Chess Championship and long, long before he slowly went mad– Fischer examines some of his greatest victories, often not just beating his opponent but completely and utterly dominating him.

Profile of a Prodigy (Frank Brady) and Bobby Fischer Goes to War (David Edmunds)

Fischer is a fascinating character and these two books cover his life and career from childhood to his winning of the 1972 World Chess Championship in Reykjavik. Brady’s writing is that of a seriously interested journalist, full of anecdotes and stories that don’t delve too deeply into anything disturbing. Edmund’s thick book is really a book of history and politics and creates a rich counterpart to Brady’s coverage of the ‘72 match with Spassky, delving deeply into the antics of Fischer, Spassky, their seconds, and (thanks to the end of the Cold War) the Russian delegation, the KGB and much more. I’m tempted to call Bobby Fischer Goes to War the definitive entry in the long list of books about Fischer and the ‘72 championship match. Look for analysis of the games themselves elsewhere (has any other match been so scrutinized?)… but everything else is here.

The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal (Mikhail Tal)

Of the players in the modern era, Mikhail Tal stands at the top of my personal pantheon alongside Bronstein and Fischer. As a player he was fond of the speculative attack and the shocking sacrifice, employing famous moves that won the game despite often being found unsound later when analyzed outside the pressure of a real-time game. As a writer he is funny and sharp. If you’re looking for serious analysis of many of Tal’s games, look for the three volume set of his complete games, but if you want great stories and insight into the game interspersed with carefully selected games and positions, this book is one of the best going.

Tags: books, chess