It will take quite a while if we start counting the books that are written about the game of chess. This may sound good but does not prove to be when you go out and want to buy one for yourself. To make it easier for you to decide, which book you want to use to decorate your shelf, we have devised a list of the best chess books you can find.
The Best Books Every Chess Player Should Read
1. Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess – Bobby Fischer
To be the best, you have to learn from the best and to learn from the best, what better player than Bobby Fischer. The book Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer, Stuart Margulies, and Don Mosenfelder remains one of the best-selling books of all time. This book by Bobby Fischer has proved beneficial for a lot of new players. Owning this masterpiece can teach you a lot about the game, from the basics to an all-out attack. Even if you know how to play chess, owning this book is still a plus. Pass it on to the people who want to learn and start playing chess. Being one of the best chess books of all time, the paperback version is relatively cheap and easy to acquire.
2. How to Reassess your Chess – Jeremy Silman
If you are a chess player and struggle midgame, How to Reassess your Chess by Jeremy Silman is one of the best chess books that you can own. The book specializes and focuses on positional plays and tactics that you may encounter in the middle of an intense chess duel. Through this art piece, you can learn how to maintain a better positional play in-game, or how to regain a position if you are losing it or have lost it.
Moreover, Jeremy Silman, a world-class author, has written this book in a humorous style that agrees with the mentality of amateur chess players and is available easily worldwide.
3. My System – Aron Nimzowitsch
If talking about classic chess books, My System by Aron Nimzowitsch has maintained a position in the top 5 best chess books in terms of sales. The book has a high reputation in the elite chess community and has been a top recommendation of Grand Masters since the year 1925. My System by Aron Nimzowitsch is known as the very first work in writing in the field of positional and tactful chess playing. It touches on different aspects and strategies such as prophylaxis, pawn chains, passed pawns, utilizing the center, and blockading, etc.
My System by Aron Nimzowitsch is not only for the players who want to enter the chess scene but also for the ones who might be reentering. One drawback of this book is that it is not as easily accessible as the other classics.
4. Zurich International Chess Tournament – David Bronstein
Entering the list with one of the best tournament books of all time, comes David Bronstein with his Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953. The book encompasses and relays the picture of the top-tier chess matches onto the reader. The exceptional writing style of David Bronstein is what makes it stand out and maintain a reputation as one of the best books of all time.
The book has a huge pool of target audiences that can take notable benefit from it. If you are a chess fan, then this book is the one to own, and if you are more interested in the tournaments of the past, New York 1924 and New York 1927 by Alexander Alekhine are the books for you to check out.
5. My 60 Memorable Games – Bobby Fischer
If there is one book that has to make it in the best chess books of all time, the My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer is the one. Bobby Fischer is one of the most decorated chess players has a reputation in the fans’ hearts as one of the top 3 chess players of all time, with Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen. For a chess fan, the fact that this book revolves around the most memorable Bobby Fischer games is enough to own the book. If you are concerned about the content then you must know that a book like Bobby Fischer does not cease to amaze. Fischer very beautifully and acutely defines the thought process that he has throughout the game using this book.
6. Think Like a Grandmaster – Alexander Kotov
As you can judge from the title, if you want to think like a grandmaster then this book by Alexander Kotov is the one to buy. The book focuses on the overall psyche of the game. Alexander Kotov in his Think Like a Grandmaster sheds light on how to approach games with different strategies depending on the scenarios. Think Like a Grandmaster does not only focus on the positional play but also how to treat the game tactfully. It is definitely not a book for the absolute amateurs but well suited for somewhat advanced players.
7. Silman’s Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master – Jeremy Silman
Lastly, in the list, Silman makes another appearance with his book Silman’s Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master. This book by Silman focuses on the fact that a player should only learn about the tactics and endgames that are plausible in his or her level of play. Silman raised a point that you can read and learn about complex scenarios but it is less likely that they might appear in a game that you will play. It is better to focus on the endgames that will commonly appear in your level of gameplay.
Silman emphasizes the perception that there is no harm in learning complex endgames but it is better if you spend your time on more basic and practical stuff that will most likely help you in-game and in being a better player overall.
Final Word
The books listed above are the best chess books that one can find. We hope that this article helps you find the book that you are looking for, but to be a better chess player, it is essential to play regularly and learn from the players who are better than you.