Chess for Cheapskates
I have spent a small fortune on chess books, so you don't have to!Chess books have a very limited market, so prices are high. But reprints of older books have allready recouped their investment and are sold at lower prices to compete with the new crop of chess books. Chess is still chess. The fundamentals do not change. These books may not have the latest lines in a particular opening, but they do have all the concepts, strategies, and tactics nessasary to deal with anything your opponent can throw at you.
Fundamentals
A good grounding in the basic fundamentals is essensetial. Here are three of the best at any price. (they just happen to be cheap!)
Chess Fundamentals, Jose Rauol Capablanca
Capablanca was a World Champion who once went an unprecidented ten years without losing a game! This is the new algebraic edition of a timeless classic.
Lasker's Manual of Chess
Lasker was another former World Champion, Just because Capablanca defeated him to become World Champion does not mean he can explain the fundamentals any better. And Lasker's book is cheaper, too!
Modern Chess Strategy
This is the abridged version of Pachman's legendary three volume classic. It still has lots of valuable information, the chapter on rooks alone is worth the cover price.
Beginers, pick one. Intermediate to advanced players should eventually have all three. The Pachman was my first chess book, it served me well for many years. My old hard cover copy of the Capablanca is the one that recieves the most use these days. It will soon need to be replaced, as it has become so worn it is hard to read. I am looking forward to getting the above listed algebraic edition myself!
Tactics
Once you have a grasp of the fundamentals, then it is tactics, tactics, and more tactics!
One Thousand and One Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations
by Fred Reinfeld
There are lots of books on tactics, but there is no better bargain than this. You don't need a chess board, every position is diagrammed. Work on your tactics anywhere! My copy is beat to death, by far and away my most used chess book. Great book!
Endgame
The endgame is the most overlooked, yet most important aspect of the game. Here is where most games are won or lost. See my game as white against Shenkerian in the week 5 archive. Black's easily won endgame turned into a draw because he lacked essential endgame knowledge.Don't let this happen to you, study your endgames!
Capablanca's Best Chess Endings
by Irving Chernov
This was my first book on endgames, what a wonderfull introduction it was. Follow the exploits of one of the greatest endgame players of all time. This is the algebraic reprint of the original.
How to Play Chess Endings
by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky
An oldie, but a goodie. Excellent place to start your endgame studies. Descriptive.
Strategy
The Art of the Middle Game
by Paul Keres & Alexander Kotov
"Between the opening and endgame the gods have placed the middlegame." - Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934)
Pawn Power in Chess
by Hans Kmoch
Pawns are the soul of chess. This is one of the three best books on pawns ever written, and it is a third of the cost of either the other two!
Hypermodern Chess; Fred Reinfeld
"My System" for cheapskates.
My System.
by Aron Nimzovich
The Bible of Hypermodern Chess. At fourteen bucks, this is the most expensive book on the list- but every chess player should eventually have it. One of the most important Chess books ever written.
How to Reassess Your Chess
by Jeremy Silman
I am pleased to be able to recommend this book on this list. A recent price reduction has placed it squarely in the cheapskate category. This book will show you how to assess a position, and come up with a battle plan based on that assessment. Learn how to put the various types of imbalances to work. Truly a marvelous book!
The Modern Chess Self-Tutor
by David Bronstein
Do not let let this slim volume's size fool you, it is loaded with great, easily understood ideas. David Bronstein's approach to the game is unique and his writing lucid. Highly recommended.
Game Collections
the struggles of the greatest players in the world.
Zurich International Chess Tournament, Bronstein
The finest tournament book ever written. 210 games of the tournament that is rated as the greatest tournament of all time. Beautifully annotated by David Bronstein, Russian GrandMaster.
Tartakover & DuMont
All 500 games are annotated by Tartakover. An unbeatable buy!
200 Open Games
by David Bronstein
I just can't get over how cool this collection is! And now it is cheap, too! A must have!
The Sorcerer's Apprentice
by David Bronstein
Another mind-boggling collection from the Russian Sorcerer himself. There is more to this book than just games; biography, stories, pictures etc. - wonderfull reading. But it is the great games and their annotations that make this book a must have.
Openings
I am not recomending any opening books. While general opening books aren't exactly worthless. your money is better spent on any of the above. Encyclopedia type opening books like ECO,MCO, and NCO (Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, Modern Chess Openings, and Nunn's Chess Openings, respectively) may be required for a postal player, they hold little value for anyone else. Specific openings are the one catagory where the newer, more expensive books hold the edge over the older, cheaper books. So what is a cheapskate to do?If your opening/defence(s) are set, bite the bullet. Get at least two recent books by different authors on each opening/defence.
If your opening/defence(s) are not set, see the section below "Record Your Games", get yourself a database and head over to the U. of Pitt. site. Download a bunch of tournaments from the events section, and go over those games untill you find something that appeals to your sence of style. Find something you like? Then get a couple of recent books by different authors on it.
You will need an opening as white, a defence against 1. e4 and a defence against 1. d4. I suggest you start with defence, whichever one is giving you the most trouble - e4 or d4. Then, move on to your opening as white, and finally a defence against the other opening.
COMBINE STUDY WITH PLAY
Playing or studying alone is not enough, you must do both to maximize improvement. Save your money for the books, play your chess for free!
Free Interrnet Chess Server
The place to play for free on the internet. Standard, Blitz, Lightning, as well as variants -24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Never a problem getting a game here.
Dutch Internet Chess Server
same features as the above, just not as many users. Nice place tor a quiet game, or to take in a lecture.
It's Your Turn.com
A good place to get your feet wet in correspondence style chess. Up to 20 games at a time for free.
Postal chess is here to stay,
And no reason why I shouldn't play.
It is nice and slow,
And I can use my ECO,
It's the postage I can't afford to pay.-Bill Wall
Not to worry, Bill. Now there is email!
International Email Chess Club
This is my choise to play rated correspondence events for free!
RECORD YOUR GAMES
A database to record your games and the games of the masters is almost as important a tool as your chess set! In this Brave New World of computer chess and the internet, perhaps it is more important. With a database you can easily study the games of the masters, and analyze your own games - all for free!
ExaChess Lite 2.1
the free chess database for macintosh
Chessbase Light 6.0
the free chess database for windows
University of Pittsburgh Chess Club
Probably the biggest collection of
games and downloadable chess stuff on the internet. Openings, players,
& events.
"Chess is a sea in which a gnat may drink and an elephant may bathe." - Indian Proverb