Top 10 chess books of all time, chess books reviews

“Zurich International Tournament” by David Bronstein

An author of the collection, D.I. Bronshtein, was a Soviet grandmaster and well-known chess analyst. The book contains all the games of the tournament contenders, which was held in Zurich in 1953. This tournament’s creative content was one of the most meaningful in the postwar years. In the comments, the author focuses on the middle of the game. The book is considered one of the best in chess literature, and interest in it over the years has not diminished. All 210 games from the greatest tournament since World War II: Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky, Petrosian, and 10 others, with perceptive annotations by Bronstein. Read the full review, book in .pdf included.

“My System” by Aron Nimzowitsch

“My System” was required reading for many outstanding players past and present. The blockade and prevention, erosion of the pawn chain base and maneuvering, excessive protection and the mysterious course — these and many other devices have been placed on shelves by the famous educator Grandmaster Aron Nimzowitsch. Written in a living, figurative language, it is not just a classic, but really a brilliant textbook on positional play. Chess players seriously study it, learning to deeply penetrate the mysteries of the ancient game. The book will be useful for a chess player just beginning to climb the ladder of classification, as well as for more experienced colleagues. Get “My System” in .pdf for evaluation purposes only at the bottom of our full review!

“My Great Predecessors” series by Garry Kasparov

This book contains not only the best games of former giants, studied again with the help of a computer, but also the “hot spots” of chess history — the critical, crucial moments of matches at the World Championship. Champions in chess were replaced for various reasons, yet the main one was purely evolutionary: the continuous and rapid development of the game itself. This book has its own charm — it contains so many rare historical photos from the 19th century that it just blows your mind. You can understand that long ago chess was a game of kings; nowadays even diplomats look more casual than an average top chess player did two centuries ago. It’s hard to explain, but everyone should check out this series of books just for the included photos.

“School of Chess Excellence” by Mark Dvoretsky

The second, revised and enlarged edition of the book begins the “Higher School of Excellence” series by Honored Coach of the USSR, Russia and Georgia, Mark Dvoretsky. This is the first textbook in world literature for chess players of the highest quality — up to and including grandmasters. The book was written in cooperation with another well-known Russian grandmaster and author, Artur Yusupov, who at the peak of his career reached the final round of the Candidates Matches and played against Anatoly Karpov. Why is this work so authoritative among strong chess players? It reveals many secrets of the Soviet Chess School. You will learn how to improve an opening repertoire, what to remember about endgame theory, how to find a player’s weakest side, and many other ideas.

“Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess” by Bobby Fischer

Here is the fastest, most efficient, most enjoyable book on chess ever compiled. As the student, you start at the beginning and progressively develop your skills as you apply Bobby Fischer’s principles and learn how to play chess the Bobby Fischer way. When you finish this book, you will not be able to beat the greatest chess player the world has ever known, but you will be a much better chess player than you were. Bobby Fischer was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1943. He was introduced to chess and learned the moves when he was six years old. In his teens he achieved international prominence by winning every United States Chess Championship for four years running without the loss of a game. He was the youngest International Grandmaster in chess history.

“The Road to the Top” by Paul Keres

The story of the chess career of Paul Keres could take more than one book, and the most valuable source of information can be considered the author’s own thoughts on his great sporting career. The world first heard of the young Estonian in 1937 after he took first place in tournaments in Margate and Ostend. After this event, it became clear that there was another contender for the chess crown — apparently only the beginning of World War II prevented this from happening. The greatest benefit will be found by chess players with a dynamic style of piece play — this was one of Keres’s strongest traits. Each chapter begins with a detailed description of some period of his career. Read the full review, link to .pdf available.

“Endgame Manual (2nd edition)” by Dvoretsky

A modern classic. The first edition of Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual was immediately recognized by novices and masters alike as one of the best books ever published on the endgame. This second edition is revised and enlarged, now over 400 pages, covering all the most important concepts required for endgame mastery.

“My Best Games” by Alexander Alekhine

Alexander Alekhine comments on his best games (1909-1937, including his best games from the 2nd match vs Euwe), with a foreword by Kasparov (who is the most famous “pupil” of Alekhine — he studied Alekhine’s books and games extensively in his youth). Alekhine’s books teach very effectively; they have great clarity of explanation. Alekhine is one of the few real chess philosophers in history, able to explain very complicated situations on the board using brilliant abstract ideas. Probably one of the best ways to improve your chess understanding if you are a qualified amateur (especially of an active style) — also pay attention to “107 Great Chess Battles”, 118 games in all, with useful notes from elite GM John Nunn.

“New York International Chess Tournament 1924” by Alexander Alekhine

Many experts consider this the best book about tournaments — 110 games. Taking part in the competition: Capablanca, Em. Lasker, Alekhine, Marshall, Bogoljubov, Janowsky, Reti, Maroczy, Tartakower, Ed. Lasker, and Yates.

“My Best Games” by Anatoly Karpov

In 1975, Anatoly Karpov was declared chess champion of the world when the eccentric Bobby Fischer declined to defend his title against his Russian challenger. “Tolya” went on to prove that he was no paper tiger over the next three decades, during which he held the FIDE world championship for 17 years and won more than 160 major chess tournaments, an all-time record. The unique career of the Russian grandmaster can be appreciated through these 100 games, each of which is annotated by Karpov. All chess enthusiasts can profit and learn from these incredible matches.