3 Chess Books I Couldn't Put Down

1. Tal-Botvinnik, 1960

I must have read Tal-Botvinnik over ten times. It’s my personal chess book equivalent of The Lord Of The Rings - my favorite chess book which I could read on repeat. Most chess players, authors, and historians will agree that it’s among the best, if not the best coverage of a match or tournament ever written. Annotated in incredible detail and written by Mikhail Tal himself, the book is an invaluable learning resource, an important historical overview of the transition to the modern era of chess, and a glimpse into the mind of an attacking genius, his thoughts, emotions, and how he prepares, plans, and plays chess games. Tal-Botvinnik 1960 covers the World Championship match between two Mikhails - Botvinnik and Tal. The two players couldn’t have been more different. Botvinnik, a member of the old guard, who had won the title in 1948, was calm, known as the best analyst of his age, focused on doing his homework before the game, and Tal, barely over 24 years old, was the new, upcoming star. He was rash, aggressive, and he focused on complications over the board to overwhelm his opponents as opposed to preparation. Read my review of Tal-Botvinnik, 1960

2. Edgard Colle – Caissa’s Wounded Warrior

Edgard Colle was a true romantic era player. If his life story appeared on Netflix, it could be as popular as the Queen’s Gambit. Reading Caissa’s Wounded Warrior by Taylor Kingston was captivating, and I swallowed the book in just two sittings, albeit very long, 10-hour sittings. I have a special fondness for game collections of old masters, and this one was no exception. Kingston has annotated 110 of Colle’s best games, covering his triumphs as well as his defeats, and he has given a wonderful description of the life and chess career of the chess genius. Colle was loved and admired by his contemporaries, Euwe, Kmoch, Rubinstein, and other greats of the first half of the 20th century. Perhaps the best description of Colle was given by Hans Kmoch, his friend and companion on many strong tournaments: “A chess master with the body of a doomed man and the spirit of an immortal hero.” Read my review of Edgard Colle – Caissa’s Wounded Warrior

3. New York 1924

New York 1924 may be the most important tournament ever played in chess history. It is the equivalent of today’s World Championship matches or the most elite super-GM tournaments. Its significance is vast. The lineup, consisting of three world champions - Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine, along with eight strongest players of the era, was remarkable, and it produced some of the most famous games ever played. Reti struck the first blow against Capablanca in eight years with his new modern opening system - we call it the Reti today, Lasker, 55 at the time, managed to outplay his younger rivals way past his peak, Tartakower played his famous King’s Gambit against everyone! The book was written by Alekhine himself. His analysis is thorough, captivating, and instructive, albeit sometimes frowned upon by today’s engines. He is witty, objective for the most part, and vividly subjective and salty in places. A thrilling read! Read my review of New York 1924

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