No, it's not a typo. We are indeed doing a “Books” award and not “Book.” Why step on convention? To me (Silman), it has always seemed unfair to compare a chess biography with an opening book. These are different animals, and if both are immaculately written, how can a person say one is better than another? Because of this I decided to honor the best of 2003 with their own categories, thus allowing each masterpiece to stand or fall before its peers. Here then, are the categories and the top two contestants in the order they finished (via a vote of all site writers).

OPENING

1^st: WINNING WITH THE TOMPOWSKY by Peter Wells (Batsford).

Deeply researched, written in a lively and entertaining manner, and filled with new ideas by the author. Opening books don't get too much better than this!

Click to see reviews by Donaldson, Watson, and Silman.

2^nd: PLAY THE FRENCH (3^rd Edition) by John Watson (Everyman Chess).

Click to see reviews by Bauer, Donaldson and Silman.

MIDDLEGAME

1^st: CHESS STRATEGY IN ACTION by John Watson (Gambit Publishing).

“A feast of modern chess thought.” – Randy Bauer.

Click to see reviews by Bauer and Donaldson.

2^nd: DECISION-MAKING ON THE CHESSBOARD by Viacheslav Eingorn (Gambit Publishing)

Click to see reviews by Donaldson and Silman.

ENDGAME

1^st: DVORETSKY'S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky (Russell Enterprises, Inc.).

“A classic guide.” – John Donaldson.

Click to see reviews by Donaldson and Silman.

2^nd: CHESS ENDGAME TRAINING by Bernd Rosen (Gambit Publishing).

Click to see Donaldson's review.

BIOGRAPHY/AUTOBIOGRAPHY

1^st: WALTER PENN SHIPLEY: PHILADELPHIA'S FRIEND OF CHESS by John Hilbert (McFarland & Company, Inc.).

“A scholarly book.” – John Watson.

Click to see reviews by Donaldson and Watson.

2^nd: TONY MILES: IT'S ONLY ME compiled by Geoff Lawton (Batsford).

Click to see reviews by Bauer, Donaldson, Saidy, and Watson.

HISTORICAL

1^st: MY GREAT PREDECESSORS, VOLUME II by Gary Kasparov and Dmitry Plisetsky (Everyman Chess)

“An insightful and revealing book.” – Randy Bauer.

Click to see Bauer's review.

2^nd: THE RELIABLE PAST by Genna Sosonko (New in Chess)

GAME COLLECTION

1^st: BOBBY FISCHER REDISCOVERED by Soltis (Batsford)

“This may well be the best book written in English about Fischer's play.” – John Watson.

Click to see reviews by Donaldson and Watson.

2^nd: RED LETTERS: THE CORRESPONDENCE CHESS CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE SOVIET UNION by Sergey Grodzensky and Tim Harding (Chess Mail)

BEST CD

1^st: COLLECTED WORKS OF WILHELM STEINITZ Edited by Sid Pickard (Pickard & Sons)

“The best Steinitz collection we have seen, either in printed or e-book form.” – Taylor Kingston.

Click to see Watson's review.

2^nd: WILLIAM STEINITZ, THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPION by Thorsten Heedt (ChessBase)

Click to see Watson's review.