Tuesday 6 January 2009

Best Chess Books of 2008

I am delighted to report that the January 2009 issue of CHESS Magazine (Volume 73, No. 10) includes a six-page article by me, featuring my personal choice of the best chess books of 2008.

You will have to buy the magazine to read all about my reasons, but meanwhile this is my basic list (in no particular order):

Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess: Part 2
Kasparov vs. Karpov 1975-1985
Everyman Chess

Starting Out: The Modern
By GM Nigel Davies
Everyman Chess

The Flexible French
GM Viktor Moskalenko
New in Chess

The Chess Café Puzzle Book 2
By GM Carsten Muller
Russell Enterprises

The Art of Bisguier
Selected Games 1961-2003
By GM Arthur Bisguier and Newton Berry
Russell Enterprises

Adolf Albin in America
A European Chess Master’s Sojourn, 1893-1895
By Olimpiu G. Urcan
McFarland & Company

My 60 Memorable Games
By GM Bobby Fischer
Batsford Chess

Starting Out: Sicilian Grand Prix Attack
by GM Gawain Jones
Everyman Chess

Play the Slav
by FM James Vigus
Everyman Chess

American Grandmaster
by GM Joel Benjamin
Everyman Chess

Albert Beauguard Hodges: The Man Chess Made
by John S. Hilbert and Peter P. Lahde
McFarland

It was going to be a strict 'top 10' but Fischer's book dropped through the letterbox at Marsh Towers just in time to be added, and I didn't want to relegate any of the others to the list of 'also rans'.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sean - Keep up the superb writings. You've a natural talent for engaging people and bringing them in to "your world".

You deserve your success - come back and play Chess - you'll be welcome anytime at the Griffin!

Sean Marsh said...

Thank you, dear boy!

It would be impolite of me to disagree with your kind comments, so I won't.

As for the Griffin - I would have to work hard to get into the team and still might not manage.

'My world' has more than four corners at the moment so a return to the local league may have to wait a little while longer.