C. J. S. PURDY - HIS LIFE, HIS GAMES and His WRITINGS Hammond .   with special articles by Anne and John Hanks

People often ask me what is the best chess instruction book in the English language . Naturally Opinions Differ! But all things considered I'll take this one!  by Purdy et al. To be sure REUBEN Fine's,  tome is also very good  though some   might prefer others , but my choice is C. J. S, Purdy's 362 - page book above. For example on p. 234 Purdy states a guiding rule for end-games: 

             "Before  ever beginning to think of making a passed pawn,                 

         get all your pieces into as good  positions as possible. "

    You need a plan and this is one! As you continue to study, you will be able to find more plans depending on the positions of both your and your opponent 's  positions.

THE MODERN CHESS INSTRUCTOR .W. Russel l Ed, 2017. The latest Ed.of a nicely rvisded.286p. A wonderful revision of a classic. $225  With Steinitz's original notes.

 

MANUAL DEL AJEDRECISTA, Martin Ricart, Barcelona, 1897, 87p, scarce. h, pages browning. With 8 games by Morphy in the Cafe de la Regence along with eight other Morphy games and a page in Lawson's hand listing the 16 Morphy games. One leaf chipped. $45   S-2015

WIE ERLEHRNT  MAN SCHNELL UND LEICHT DAS SCHACHSPIEL?, J. Mieses, Berlin w/o date, 5th edition, h, good,92p, a useful work which emphasizes the endgame. $5   S-2015

EASY GUIDE TO CHESS, B. H. Wood, Sutton Coldfield, 1945, h, vg, 123p. A very good introduction by BarryWood, the long-time editor of CHESS. $8   S-2016 

THE MINOR TACTICS OF CHESS, Young & Howelll, Boston, 1910, h, exc, 221p. Instruction in terms of obtaining certain standard positions and position evaluation in unusual terms. A curiosity but  curiously both these authors were quite strong players. Includes 12 games with their bizarre notes. $45

THE CHESS SACRIFICE, V. Vukovic, London, 1968, h, exc, with dj as new, a famous book due to Vukovic's standing as a first-rate analyst. 219p. $45

THE ENIGMA OF CHESS INTUITION, V. Beim, Alkmaar, 2012, p,mint. 268p.  An excellent book on a valuable topic to add to one's weapons for planning the middle game. Beim is a Russian IGM with strong credentials as a chess teacher as well. $28

THE SYSTEM, Hans Berliner, London, 1999, p, mint, 175p. Berliner was the 5th World Correspondence Chess Champion as we'll as being a senior master in OTB chess. His system is logical  and convincing, but somehow never received as much recognition as I think it should have.$25

LOS PRINCIPIOS DEL AJEDREZ, Dr. R, Rey Ardid, Zaragoza, 1962. 6th Edition, p, vg, autographed by the author. 299p. A good instructional work by a long-time Spanish champion (1930-1943). $20 

THEORIE EN PRAKTIJK  VAN HET SCHAAKSPEL, Utrecht, 1890, Utrechtsche Schaakvereeniging, p, vg, xvi + 78p. Arranged by openings with example games(some obscure) Dutch. $65

LÄROBOK I SCHACK, L. & G. Collijn, Stockholm 1898, p, vg, not found in L/N, viii + 178p, arranged by openings with example games. Includes a separate section on  . $95.

SCHACH-SCHULE, E. Bogoljubow, Bühl-Baden, 1935, with a frontispiece photo of Bogoljubow. 127p, p, vg, fc sl. creased. A good primer which shows in detail some not so simple ideas in chess tactics such as under-promotion, various trap, etc. German. $12

CHESS TACTICS FOR KIDS (translated title from Chinese), Murray Chandler, mainly in Chinese but with enough English to get the tactical ideas expressed. p, mint, very bright and colorful. UK, 2003, $12

50 V MIRE SHAKHMATNYKH KOMBINATSII, Pavel Savin, Kishniev, 1981. 247p. 604 positions on which the reader can sharpen his teeth. Most from famous games. $12

TARYBINE SACHMATU MOKYKLA, Kotovas & Judoviciusi, Vilnius, 1957. h, stained, likely tea. 375p.  Useable but an uncommon Lithuanian edition. $5

MODERN CHESS: MOVE BY MOVE, C. Crouch, London, 2009. An outstanding collection of 33 modern highly instructively and beautifully annotated games featuring most of today's top players. 415p. p, mint,  $30 

REVOLUTIONIZE YOUR CHESS, V. Moskalenko, Alkmaar, 2009. 350p. Features a new system to become a better player. Moskolenko is innovative and entertaining. $30

MODERN CHESS ANALYSIS, R. Smith, London, 2004. The author presents methods, especially based on computer aided techniques for analysing positions. 176p. $15

64 CHESS PROBLEMS FOR CHESS PLAYERS, W. B. Suesman, Providence 1983. Suesman composed these "problems" to be positions that look like they could have occurred in actual games, as opposed to most chess problems which almost invariably look artificial. p, mint, autographed by Suesman. The author was quite a strong player. He once told me in person about beating Reshevsky in a tournament in Boston and being chided by Reshevsky: "Why did you have to beat me—I am a professional and I need the win!" Quite scarce. $30

BRÉVIAIRE DES ÉCHECS, X. Tartakower, Librairie Stock, Paris, 1952, p, exc, pages uncut. 332p. A famous book. Includes many annotated games woven into the key openings. $45

DER ANGRIFF IN DER SCHACHPARTIE -Ein Beitrag zum Mittelspiel, A. Brinckmann, Leipzig, 1935.  Illustrated with many otherwise little-known games from German tournaments  in the twenties and thirties.111p, p, vg, fc chipped.  $18.

CENTRUM, J. Enevoldsen, Aabybro, (1944), L/N 2056. Danish. 78p. p, vg, with chess bookplate of a famous collection. $18

 

CHESS BEGINNER, B. H. Morrison, foreword by Koshnitzky. Place & date of publication not given (presumably Australia). PGood tips. Illustrative gamesexc, 83p. . $7.

 

CHESS FUNDAMENTALS, Capablanca, NY, 1921, h, vg, with some pencilled marginalia. An outstanding book of instruction. 246p. $18

 

CHESS MASTER VS. CHESS AMATEUR, Euwe & W. Meiden, NY, 1963, h, exc, with dj (chipped), 314p, 24 games with copious annotations showing the amateur's play against a master. $24

CHESS MIDDLEGAME PLANNIG, Peter Romanovsky, ,Translated from the Russian by Jimmy Adams. 226p, One of the true classics on the middlegame.p, mint, $20

 

COMBINATIONS, A. Koblents, transl. from the Russian by Jim Marfia, p, vg, 69p. Koblents was Tal's trainer, $8

 

COMMON SENSE IN CHESS, Em. Lasker, "corrected" by David Mitchell, Philadelphia, 1942. h, ex, with dj. It would be interesting to know what the corrections were. 139p. $22. b) 1st ed. Bellairs & Co. London, 1896. 141p, rebd, h, exc, $28

 

COMPLETE CHESS STRATEGY - FIRST PRINCIPLES OF THE MIDDLE GAME, L. Pachman, NY, 1975, h, vg, with dj. Still one of the very best middle game books ever written. Includes 81 annotated games t illustrate the themes discussed. $27

DAS SCHACHSPIEL, Tarrasch, Darmstadt, 1972, 10th ed. h, mint. 407p. One of the great classics

of chess literature due to the methodical and logical treatment by Tarrasch—one of the strongest players of the period 1885-1915. $18

DEVELOPMENT OF CHESS STYLE, M. Euwe, London1968, h, exc, with dj. An outstanding book w$hich seeks to trace the history of ides in chess style. 152p. $28

DYNAMISCHES SCHACH, R. N. Coles, Berlin 1963, h, exc,elrs,  152p. 88 well-annotated games illustrating various themes. $15

EXCELLING AT POSITIONAL CHESS, J. Aagaard, London, 2003, p, mint, 176p, winner of the ChessCafe.com Book of the Year award. $25

 

GESUNDER MENSCHVERSTAND IM SCHACH, Em. Lasker, Berlin, 1925, a less common German ed. of COMMON SENSE IN CHESS, ELRS, FGML (Szabo), h, vg, covers slightly worn, 176p, $40.

 

GUIDE TO GOOD CHESS, C.J. S. Purdy, Davenport, 1996. 143p. p, mint, an excellent book of chess instruction, Purdy was the first World Correspondence Chess Champion $16.

 

HOW TO GET BETTER AT CHESS: CHESS MASTERS ON THEIR ART, Evans, Silman, Roberts, Los Angeles, 1991,p, mint, 254p. Answers to commonly asked questions by leading players (Example: What's More Important—Study or Practice?) $24

 

HOW TO PLAY THE MIDDLE GAME IN CHESS, J. E. Littlewood, London? Glasgow, 1974. h, exc, with dj. 192p. A very good game on the most difficult part of chess. $22

HOW TO REASSESS YOUR CHESS, J. Silman, 406p. 3rd ed, expanded and improved. The complete chess mastery course. p,  mint, X-1,  $18

IMAGINATION IN CHESS, C. D. Locock, LeedsLeeds, w/o date, ca  1937, h exc, 95p, an aid to tactics. $22

IGY SAKKOZTOK TI...(Tanulmany a Sakkvaksagrol), E. Gelenczei. Hungary, 1959. 95p. Hungarian. p, vg, Inscribed.  A book with 180 positions in which famous players failed t0 see quick winning or drawing moves.  X-1, $12

 

KOGDA OSHZHIVAYUT FIGURY, M. Tal, Moscow, 1983, Russian. p, exc, 64p. In issue #9 1983, Ogonek. $16

 

KOMBINATION UND OPFER IM SCHACH, W. Geissler, Nürnberg, p, vg, w/o date (ca. 135), a few marginal notes. 100 game positions from master play with solutions to finding best move task. $14

LASKER'S MANUAL OF CHESS, Emanuel Lasker, E. P. Dutton, copyright 1927, 1934, h, exc, with previous owner's bookplate & dust jacket. dj slightly chipped at edges. Proclaims to be  "A new and completely revised edition". 349 pages. $45

 

LES ÉCHECS - POSITION ET COMBINAISON, Euwe, Paris, 1934, Issued in paper covers. This copy rebd with original paper covers bd in. 214p. An outstanding book which illustrates Euwe's logical and organized analysis. h, exc, $16

 

MALEOPIK, Hindre, Nei, Renter, Rosenfeld, Tallinn, 1955. Estonian, h, vg, 352p, covers in part the endgame, middle game, and most on the opening. $40

MALYSHI IGRAYUT V SHAKHMATY, V. G. Grishin, Moscow, 1991, Russian. With attractive color cartoons to illustrate ideas.  h, exc, 158p, a thorough book to teach children how to play chess. $8

MULTIPLE CHOICE, G. Buckley, London, 2001, p, mint, 22 games by famous players with the reader given a choice of 4 moves every so often through the game whereupon a score is given for each of the choices plus or minus a specified number of points. An excellent way to gauge your strength against first-rate opposition. X-1, $20

 

MURIR SON STYLE PAR L'EXEMPLE, J. Silman, Montreal, 2001, the French version of How to Reassess Your Chess. 433p, p, mint, $25

 

PIENSE COMO UN GRAN MAESTRO, A. Kotov, Madrid, 1974. The Spanish version of Kotov's famous PLAY LIKE A GRANDMASTER. 190p. p, exc, with a chess bookplate from a famous American collection. $14

 

PRACTICAL CHESS, G. Koltanowski, Kolty Publishing Co., NY. 1937. 167p. An unusual book of instruction with some of his games woven into the text along with some anecdotes, and suggestions for improvement. Uncommon. $42

PSYCHOLOGY IN CHESS, N. Krogius, NY, 1976, p, vg, sl. waterstaining on fc, 243p, a very significant book for players trying to improve. $7

SAVING LOST POSITIONS, Shamkovich & Schiller, NY, 1987. p, mint, 101p. A collection of games in which a player with a theoretically lost game finds  or could have found a saving continuation. X-1, $9. 

 

SCHACH - FIBEL, B. Rüger, (overprinted Düsseldorf) 1949, h, vg, this ed. not in L/N. 151p. A good beginner's book. $22

 

SCHACH-KOMBINATIONEN, G. Negyesy & J. Hegyi, Hamburg, 1969, h, exc, 302p, a fine book on tactical play with 500 analyzed examples arranged in categories. $32

 

SCHACHLEHRER PAUL KERES, Jacob Neistadt, Heidelberg, 1986, p, mint, 248p, a superb book from which anyone can still learn. In addition it may be regarded as a games collection for Paul Keres, a player surely cheated out of being a world champion by the vagaries of world politics. $23

 

SECRETS OF CHESS DEFENCE, M. Marin, London, 2003, p, mint, 176p. Not only are Marin's openings books superb, so are all his chess books. He is the best writer on chess today. $25

 

SKOLA KOMBINIRANJA, V. Vukovic, Zagreb, 1951. L/N 2147, Serbo-Croat, 271p, the first edition of a seminal work on combinations. h, exc, $40

 

STRATEGICAL THEMES, T. Unger, Davenport, 1989, 101p, p, mint. The author explains some of the main themes in chess strategy: the Bad Bishop,the Cental Pawn Roller, Centralization, etc. $14

TEST YOUR CHESS - 2, L. Reitstein, Capetown, 2005, p, mint, unpaginated, 240 positions in which the reader is challenged to find the best continuation. The positions are from South African games and are largely unknown. An excellent book for sharpening the reader's tactical skills. X-1,  $16

 

THE ART OF CHESS COMBINATION, E. Znosko-Borovsky, Drexel Hill, 1951, h, vg, 212p, a classic work. $11

 

THE ART OF CHESS, J. Mason, rev. & ed. by Reinfeld & Bernstein, Dover ed, NY 1958. p, vg, 378p. $7.  b)Philadelphia, 1947, h, exc, with dj, 340p, the original edition (London, 1895) was followed by at least three more editions to London, 1814) due to the author's skill at the game well as with his pen. X-1, $18

 

THE ART OF SACRIFICE IN CHESS, R. Spielmann, Tartan ed, NY, 198p, p, exc, p, exc, a well-known classic on this subject by a great master. $9

 

THE MIDDLE GAME IN CHESS, E. Znosko-Borovsky, London, 1922, Bell Edition, h, vg, 226p, foxing of first page of front endpapers & last page of ad for Bell's chessbooks. $20

 

THE MINOR TACTICS OF CHESS, Young & Howell, Boston, 1913, h, vg, Despite Young's penchant for trying to explain how to play chess by following his super-complex, super- military gibberish, he was actually a strong player. With about 18 illustrative games, $42

THINK LIKE A GRANDMASTER, A Kotov, London, 1971, h, exc,with dj, 200p. Discusses analysis, positional judgment, planning and the ending along other topics. Kotov was a dangerous attacking player who had one of the best players in the second quarter of the last century. X-1. $25

 

UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHESS, J. Rizzitano, London, 2004. 192p. An excellent advanced instructional book from which most players even through master strength can learn plenty. Interesting games with thoughtful notes. $25

DER WEG ZUM MATT - Ein Blick in der Schachtechnik, K. Richter, Berlin, 1941, FGML, p, vg, 78p. Richter's books are all excellent. $15

 

WINNING THE WON GAME, Kopec & Ftacnik. London, 2004. p, mint, 208p. 64 exciting games with the task of bringing the win home—the job every player needs help in perfecting! $20

 

WINNING WITH CHESS PSYCHOLOGY, Benko & Hochberg, NY, 1991, p, mint. 264p. A very useful book for the tournament player with many good examples to illustrate themes. $20