Holy Grail of Chess Books

After purchasing about 40 chess books, I finally found one that I really like!

Chess: the art of logical thinking - from the first move to the last - by Grandmaster Neil McDonald

"Grandmaster Neil McDonald explains every single move made by White and Black in 30 striking tactical or strategic games played over the last quarter century."

The annotation is outstanding. Please post your favorite book of annotated games here. Thanks!

I like McDonald's writing, and I have that book. Alas, it sits on the shilf amidst 200 others, rarely read.

Thank you tonydal! I posted your recommendation into my books to buy list.

Here's one example of why I like Neil McDonald's book so much, especially for a beginning player like myself.

After 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3, Black plays 5...a6. As some here know, I like to ask why, or who's winning.

" 5...a6.  Black prepares to expand on the queenside with b7-b5 and then play Bb7, when the bishop is excellently placed attacking the e4 pawn. The attack on e4 would be exacerbated by the threat of b5-b4, driving the white knight from its defensive post." - Neil McDonald

Every move by White and Black of all 30 games has that much explanation! Words a beginner can understand.  I want more books just like this.

just got this book for Christmas... its copying Chernevs classic, and it does a good job (although I like Irvings better)

I'd be happy to pay for the shipping to have a few of those books fly south for the winter! They can be shipped back when winter is over. I'll make sure to stock up on highlighter pens.  

oh, and for my favorite book- "tips for young players" by matthew sadler. its a great back to basics book with solid advice.. Im a B-class player now and still get info out of it

 Thank You mcfischer! I'm not sure if I found the book you mentioned, as you said you like Irving's book better. Below is an excerpt of what I found in a review, and will order it now!

"I gave in to all the recommendations of going over games played by chess masters and got myself a copy of "Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition" by Irving Chernev, a classic collection of annotated chess games that is specifically written for chess beginners.

The book contains 33 well annotated chess games played by various chess masters in the years 1889 to 1945. The complexity of the games increases towards the end and the comments frequently refer back to previous games.

The annotations are not only comprehensive but the book's subtitle "Every Move Explained" literally means that. Each move starting from the very first

"1 e4 This move accomplishes a great deal: A pawn is fixed in the centre of the board. ..." to the last "36 ... b5 passed pawns must be pushed! This clinches the win, ..." and even beyond that explaining possible continuations because most games do not end with checkmate but resignation. "

i have my share of books but they mainly puzzles .When will you notice a effect in your games.

yeah, if you liked McDonalds book you will love that one. It has to be one of the best of all time. It (being very old) doesnt have many modern openings, as Chernev is more comfortable avoiding imbalances for the most part, for example- theres only 1 silician defense game in the book and only 1 indian defense (I think a nimzo) in the whole book.

so you wont be getting the modern mix of openings like you see in the McDonald, but you will be getting a classic. It really helped me understand transition to endgames and QG positions when I was starting out

 If that was a question for me, I'd say that I enjoy puzzle books as well. Right now, I really need to get a better understanding of why chess moves are made.

For example, I'm sure that mcfischer (B-class player) has a much better understanding than me of why many different chess moves are made.

To provide a little perspective: it was late July of 2009 when I first learned the "why" of 1.e4. I'm only 5 months into my serious study of chess.

John Nunn, Understanding Chess Move by Move.  The only drawback is that he gives too much analysis.  But there is plenty of helpful commentary.  

I'm still searching for a good collection of annotated games.  I have Bronstein's Zurich 1953, but haven't gotten far into it.  

For endgames, the best I've found is Chernev on Capablanca.  

Why is it so hard to write helpful commentary for patzers?  A larger problem is that, in the computer age, no one wants to push wood around by following along with a book.  I often look the game up at chessgames.com in order to follow along.  

If those snobs over at chessbase would put out videos at reasonable prices, and in a platform-neutral format, I would probably use more of them.  

Irving Chernev's books are awesome!

Irving Chernev put together another book entitled "the most instructive games of chess ever played." Apparently its about the basic elements of positional play. I have never looked at it.

But I do have a 21st Century version of Chernev's concept entitled "50 Essential Chess Lessons" by Steve Giddins. (Gambit).

As the back cover says "50 supremely instructive games"

Emphasis is on nuggets of understanding and is extremely helpful.

May I suggest you have a look at it. Some say its better then Chernev's!

62 Masterpieces of Strategy in Chernev's The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played.

Chernev's Logical Chess, McDonald's The Art of Logical Thinking, and Nunn's Understanding Chess follow the same pattern and are best in the order I've listed them. It may be a copyright violation, but it is possible to get Chernev's text in Chessbase format for reading onscreen at http://wwwu.uni-klu.ac.at/gossimit/c/book.htm. At least that's where I think I found it. With books, I prefer a board at the dining room table or in a coffee house, but I'll sometimes go through the game in a database first.

 I am the same when it comes to going over games from books. I never use the comp for that, much prefer to break out one of my many sets, get a cup of coffee and spend an hour or so at the board/table and try to absorb the game. I reckon  it has something to do with old dogs, new tricks 'n all ? 

One of my favorite books is Bronstein's book on Zurich 53  ( my birth year ! ) and I didnt think I would ever find a modern tournament book near it in quality and interesting reading but I am happy to report that I have ! Last year I bought the book of San Luis 2005 and I highly recommend it to any serious chess addict !  This is the event that Topalov dominated and became the WC in.

These are instructive works or collections of annotated games from which even novices can derive much benefit. There is some overlap between the categories.

In no particular order:

Move-by-move books:

1) Unbeatable Chess Lessons (Snyder)
2) Winning Chess Brilliancies (Seirawan)
3) Russian Chess (Pandolfini)
4) Logical Chess Move by Move (Chernev)
5) Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur (Euwe)
6) Understanding Chess Move by Move (Nunn)
7) Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking (McDonald)

Other instructive works:

1) Chess: The Complete Self-Tutor (Lasker, Ed.)
2) How to Re-assess Your Chess, 4th ed. (Silman)
3) Lasker's Manual of Chess (Lasker, Em.)
4) Modern Chess Strategy (Lasker, Ed.)
5) Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead (Chernev/Reinfeld)
6) Guide to Good Chess (Purdy)
7) Art of Attack in Chess (Vukovic)
8) The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played (Chernev)
9) Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games (Burgess/Nunn/Emms)
10) Modern Chess Strategy (Pachman)
11) Simple Chess (Stean)
12) Best Lessons of a Chess Coach (Weeramantry)
13) Chess Fundamentals (Capablanca)
14) The Game of Chess (Tarrasch)
15) 50 Essential Chess Lessons (Giddens)

Annotated game collections/tournament books:

1) Zürich 1953 (Bronstein)
2) Tarrasch's Best Games of Chess (Reinfeld)
3) My Chess Career (Capablanca)
4) Decisive Games in Chess History (Pachman)
5) Capablanca's Best Games (Golembek/Nunn)
6) Alexander Alekhine's Best Games (Alekhine/Nunn)
7) The Immortal Games of Capablanca (Reinfeld)
8) Morphy's Games of Chess (Sergeant)
9) New York 1924 (Alekhine)
10) St. Petersberg 1909 (Lasker)
11) Karlsbad 1929 (a smug Nimzowitsch)
12) AVRO Wereldschaaktoernoi 1938 (Euwe)
13) Nottingham 1936 (Alekhine)
14) 50 Udvalgte Partier (Larsen)

To all the posters above - THANKS!

The recommended readings should keep me busy for a very long time.

I keep going back to the Life and Games of Mikhail Tal, and his Tal-Botvinnik 1960 is also fascinating reading.  I agree completely with the different people who have recommended Bronstein's Zurich 1953, and would also recommend his Sorceror's Apprentice book.  Fischer's My 60 Memorable Games is a classic, and I really enjoyed all of Kasparov's My Great Predecessors and Modern Chess series.  Pachman's Decisive Games in Chess History offers some interesting insights on chess psychology.  Nimzowitsch's My System has a lot of wisdom that would be useful to developing players.

Hey I just got Zurich 1953 as a Christmas present!