PYGOD Chess Collection
A carefully hand-picked collection of physical, paper version chess books that I own.
A Perfect choice for a your first chess book. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
A very good choice for a beginner chess noob as I was/am when reading it. The over 800 Elo part is also beginner friendly and instructive. An enjoyable and easy to read book that I recommend to every beginners and beyond.
This book was the breeder of world champions like Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov in the Soviet Chess School. But I do not recommend it for a beginner since it doesn’t looks particularly fun to complete. Yes, you have to play the position on a chess board while studying this book. Not for me yet!
Recommended by every chess expert for good reasons. Laszlo Polgar is probably the greatest chess trainer who ever lived. He turned his three daughters into chess prodigies at a time when chess when women was an activity exclusively reserved to men. Read more…
Recommended in the chessdojo program. Full of puzzles about how to take material in an efficient way during a game.
5. A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario
My favorite chess book to date. A book describing the 30 most important principles of chess with examples took from more than 60 Paul Morphy’s chess games. The kind of book that I will enjoy reading. By the way, I have completed Polgar Bible first 306 puzzles out of 5334 and 166/759 puzzles from the fantastic . I really enjoy doing these puzzles and exercices from a physical book with pen and paper. A surprisingly good learning method for me. I love chess books.
6. Modern Chess Analysis by Robin Smith
The first entire book dedicated to Centaur chess (Human + Computer chess players) written by ICCF GM Robin Smith. However it’s a 2005 book. Outdated on the computer side, but still pertinent as far as the basic principles go.
As Capablanca would attest, endgame is the most important part of the game.
“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the endgame” – Capablanca
This book is the self-proclaimed only Chess Endgame book you’ll ever need. And I have never heard anyone contradicting this claim.
This one will be a long ride, 530 pages of Chess endgame from beginner to Master.
by
A book recommended by many legit chess YouTubers for good reason. The games were commented by Bobby Fischer himself, explaining his reasoning behind the moves he did during those memorable games. For those who don’t know, Bobby Fischer is one of the top 3 greatest chess players of all time. The two others being Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen.
9. The Amateur’s Mind by Jeremy Silman
An highly acclaimed book just like its writer, IM Jeremy Silman. The bulletpoints and tips in this book are priceless and will save you a lot of time if, like me, you like to go straight to the point.
10. Best Play A New Method For Discovering The Strongest Move by Alexander Shashin
I’m really curious about this book. Like the idea to switching mode between Tal (attack), Capablanca (maneuver), and Petrosian (defense). This book will certainly be useful for Correspondence Chess.
11. Konstantin Chernyshov
The supposedly best book about chess visualization and blindfold chess (No, there is no such thing!). Skills that many claim to be the Holy Grail of chess excellence—contrary to the conventional wisdom of grinding through a shitload of tactics. It makes some sense: most titled players can play blindfold chess without even trying. After playing and reviewing thousands of games and solving tens of thousands of tactics, they naturally develop this skill. Many claim that chessboard visualization comes more easily to advanced players who started chess in childhood. For us adult improvers (a 50 years young noob in my case), this skill doesn’t come easily. Still, I’m fascinated by blindfold chess and board visualization. I even like to do visualization drills while grooming and walking the dog. But is it really good for my chess at this stage? Too soon to say! Still, it sounds awesome to be able to play a full game of chess in my head against myself.
I’ve received the book and its the only Chess book I’ve regret to buy. This book is like the final exam without the course. It doesn’t teach you anything at all. No useful tips for visualization nor principles, nothing at all. Just fuckin’ puzzles!! Fuck this book!!!
12.
Really excited about this book. A step by step method to become a Chess Expert through hard work and repetition.
13. Train Yourself on Blindfold Chess: Make yourself a mental athlete by Sourav Sahay
I’m fascinated by Blindfold Chess but there aren’t many book out there on the subject.
14. Chess Visualization by Rodolfo Pardi
Unlike any of the very few Blindfold Chess books available. This one seems to teach some visualization techniques instead of leaving you clueless with a bunch of exercises.
15. Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan
Finally a Chess Opening book who look instructive AND fun to read.
16. by
MCO used to be the number 1 mandatory book that every Correspondence Chess (aka Postal Chess in the old days) players should have. Now obsolete (last update in 2008), the book is still used these days by some Correspondence Chess players. Here are some quotes from dedicated CC players about MCO:
” in the pre-engine days when we used post cards and the only “help” was Modern Chess Openings”
and a long and particularly interesting quote:
“MCO is an excellent source of information. In fact, opening encyclopedias actuality are not related to the existence of chess engines or to the latest that has been played. Rather, the variants selected by the encyclopedia are important because the players who selected them are people with extensive experience in the field.
The time that has elapsed since they were selected does not mean that they are no longer current. The existence of the Spanish opening, for example, or other similar ones for centuries, testify to the solidity of these openings.
With the passage of time, players have found new ways of dealing with openings and new channels to lead the game towards the forms of play that are convenient for them, but thats not for everyone.
I provide a simple example. MCO helps research lines with potential for postal chess that resist attack from chess engines. I do not want to go into details of how I achieve it, but it is a laborious effort in which I compare the evaluations that the Masters recorded, against the result of recent games from the final positions of those lines in face-to-face and correspondence games.”
Reading the last quote/text, I suspect that there is a lot more CC players that use the MCO aside from their engines. It make sense that opening encyclopedias like MCO are not related to the existence of engines. Maybe MCO is your only edge in the ICCF battle of the Centaurs (Human+Computer)? As an ICCF player myself and someone who lack knowledge in the opening, I needed wanted to get this book asap.
What about The Perfect Chess Set?
Magnetic Wooden Portable Chess Board
I love it! A birthday gift from my lovely Mother/chess partner. I don’t know if it’s just me, but it’s an enhanced experience and pleasure to play on such a big (15″x15″) and beautiful chess set. Also two extra Queens in case of pawns’ promotion.
BOOK REVIEWS
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