INSTRUCTIVE GAME COLLECTIONS

Keith wrote:

I noticed on your website that you actually encourage folks to ask you about book recommendations.

I don't have a lot of time for chess, but want to enjoy and appreciate it as much as I am able. I'm spending time with AMATEUR'S MIND and other books, but I also want to work through some games collections.

So I want to "log some hours" not just playing and reviewing my own silly games, but going over instructionally annotated games that can help me the most. In what rough order might you recommend working through the following game collections (or which ones would you not offer advice, or would you advise to skip)? I put them in a best-guess order:

BEST LESSONS OF A CHESS COACH by Weeramantry

UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS by Snyder

MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS by Snyder

WINNING CHESS BRILLIANCES by Seirawan

CHESS: THE ART OF LOGICAL THINKING by McDonald

THE ART OF PLANNING IN CHESS by McDonald

THREE HUNDRED CHESS GAMES by Tarrasch

50 ESSENTIAL CHESS LESSONS by Giddins

UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by Nunn

GRANDMASTER CHESS MOVE BY MOVE by Nunn

LEARN FROM THE LEGENDS by Marin

WINNING CHESS EXPLAINED by Franco

INSTRUCTIVE MODERN CHESS MASTERPIECES by Stohl

And then there's more "grown up" stuff that I want to someday be able to appreciate, like Bronstein's Zurich book, Tal - Botvinnik, and so forth.

Now, for instance, I've seen THREE HUNDRED CHESS GAMES by Tarrasch highly recommended, but much of the annotation is rather sparse, so many of my basic questions may not be answered. Why is that particular book praised by so many as being so instructive? On the other hand, Nunn and others write terrifyingly dense analysis at times. What's a pedestrian like me to do?

Silman replies:

The first three books on your list (BEST LESSONS OF A CHESS COACH by Weeramantry, UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS by Snyder, MORE UNBEATABLE CHESS LESSONS FOR JUNIORS by Snyder) were written for young players. All are quite successful on the scholastic level. However, I haven't read any of them so can't give you a fair/educated opinion. I also have personal issues with Mr. Snyder, who isn't one of my favorite people, so anything I say about his books would be prejudiced.

WINNING CHESS BRILLIANCES by Seirawan is another example of prejudice on my part, though in this case highly positive. Yaz and I have been good friends for a long time. He's not only a world class player, but he takes pains to explain (in clear and entertaining fashion) details of the games he's looking at that other grandmasters might take for granted. I think this book is a great choice for your particular needs.

I'm also quite high on the next two books on your list: CHESS: THE ART OF LOGICAL THINKING and THE ART OF PLANNING IN CHESS, both by McDonald. Click to read MY REVIEW OF THESE BOOKS.

I haven't taken a serious look at 50 ESSENTIAL CHESS LESSONS by Giddins. However, IM John Donaldson thought highly of it, as can be seen by HIS REVIEW.

Nunn's UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE and GRANDMASTER CHESS MOVE BY MOVE are excellent. In fact, almost everything Nunn does is top of the line. However, his material is often advanced (or, as you put it, "terrifying"). I think that players of "B" strength (1600) on up can get a lot out of these fine books, but players under that level might want to look at "kinder" tomes.

For those that want to read a bit more about these books by Nunn, click on Donaldson's very positive reviews of UNDERSTANDING CHESS MOVE BY MOVE and GRANDMASTER CHESS MOVE BY MOVE.

LEARN FROM THE LEGENDS by Marin was one of my favorite books of 2004. However, though it's fun and highly interesting, I think it won't suit your particular needs (too advanced). Here is MY REVIEW OF MARIN'S BOOK.

The final two books on your list are excellent, but (again) too advanced for your needs. However, WINNING CHESS EXPLAINED by Franco (click FOR DONALDSON'S POSITIVE REVIEW) would most likely prove more useful to you than INSTRUCTIVE MODERN CHESS MASTERPIECES by Stohl (click for RANDY BAUER'S POSITIVE REVIEW of STOHL'S BOOK).

In general, I find game collections by and about a specific player to be ideal. When a player writes about his own games, he knows what's going on better than anyone else, and it allows you to explore the possibility of acquiring a new chess hero! Such collections usually prove to be fun, relaxing, entertaining, and instructive. THREE HUNDRED CHESS GAMES by Tarrasch is a classic, and I find the notes to be quite generous. Though they don't offer basic instruction, going over such games improves your play by adding new levels of pattern recognition to your brain's "chess wiring." In fact, this is why going over master games is so useful: the more subliminal patterns you take in, the stronger you become. Check out JOHN WATSON'S REVIEW OF TARRASH'S BOOK for a greater appreciation of why it holds such a high place in the game's list of classics.

I love reading this kind of game collection. Click to see A MORE DETAILED DISCUSSION OF SOME OF MY PERSONAL FAVORITES, and how these games influenced my own play.