What a delight! 220 PACKED pages. Includes 18 page chapter written 2001. Superb format: long-algebraic, bold type for game moves; short-algebraic, light type for analysis. Perfect diagrams.

There are three types of gambits by Black: those which are theoretically sound, those which are risky but worth trying, and those which are inspirations over the board. The fourth type are garbage, such as the Greco Gambit: 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 PKB4?? Harding doesn’t make the mistake of trying to prove that all gambits are good, or safe. He gives his truthful opinions and gives many games where Black loses. Not all of his analysis is correct, but that’s not important. You must always do your own analysis.

There are 75 complete games in long algebraic and many more complete games in analysis.

1 e4 e5; 2 Nf3 d6; 3 d4 Bg4; 4 PxP Nd7. Harding says that was played in Pollock – Blackburne, Hastings 1895, but does NOT say it was played in van Vliet – Lasker, Amsterdam 1889.

1 e4 e5; 2 Nf3 Nc6; 3 Nc3 Nf6; 4 BB5 Nd4. Harding says this is the “Rubinstein Variation”, and then says it was “the idea of Frank Marshall, who played it against Tarrasch at Monte Carlo 1903.” UNFORGIVABLE MISTAKE! It was played by James Mason at Nuremberg 1883.

Enthusiastically recommended! Please buy this book from me. MINIMUM ORDER $20.00. See Dover list with reviews HERE.

Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur

by Max Euwe and Walter Meiden

Dover price $10. Please order from me – MINIMUM ORDER $20. See Dover list with reviews HERE.

Mostly a good book but Euwe made the worst possible mistake, saying 1 PK4 PQ4; 2 PxP PQB3?; 3 PxP NxP is playable, when it is actually a forced win for White. The master had Black and he won. Even worse, some other suspicious openings in the book, but I don’t have it on hand. Euwe some times lacked common sense, e.g., stating that the Gioco Piano, 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 NQB3; 3 BB4, sas as good for White as the Ruy Lopez, 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 NQB3; 3 BN5. As has been proven in master play for more than one hundred years, that is completely wrong. 3 BB4 is so weak it is seldom played by masters.

Updated: Sept. 24, 2007

For Sale. MINIMUM ORDER $20.00 postpaid. Send your name and address, list of the books you want, and a check payable to James Schroeder for the total amount to:

James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
Vancouver, WA 98661

• C.J.S. Purdy’s Fine Art of Chess Annotation and Other Thoughts, Volume Two | Edited by Ralph J. Tykodi | Thinker’s Press © 2001 | $22.00 | 250 pp.

  This is absolutely the best book for beginners and players not USCF Masters and is worth at least $35.00.

• How Purdy Won | Frank Hutchings / Kevin Harrison | $32.00 | 160 pp.

  CJS Purdy, born March 27, 1906 in Port Said, Egypt, was an Australian who was a chess fanatic. His whole life was devoted to promoting chess, not an easy thing to do in Australia and New Zealand. His first magazine was CHECK! Then he did CHESS WORLD, starting in 1946 because he needed a larger audience. He decided to win the 1st World Correspondence Championship in order to gain prestige and influence more players to subscribe. The postal tournament started in 1947 and Purdy won, but he made a big mistake: he did NOT publish his games in CHESS WORLD as they finished. He planned to publish them all in a book, and make a lot of money, but when the last game was finished he suffered “burn-out”. He had spent so much of his time and energy working on the games that he never played postal chess again (except for one special case). He became frightened at the sight of a postcard! (Thatsa Joke) But he could not possibly look at those games again, much less annotate them. Supposedly, in 1976 Purdy began preparing the games for publication. He was certainly crazy enough to think that people would want to buy a book about a thirty year old postal tournament. He died November 6, 1979, at the board. Before he died he said he had a winning position. The two authors decided to write the book, which has the twenty games Purdy played in winning the title. Their notes are based upon the extensive records of analysis and ideas that Purdy kept. BUT THERE IS MORE! This book has EVERY POSTAL GAME THAT PURDY PLAYED! FIFTY-TWO with the amazing result: W20, L3, D3 with White; W18 L1 D7 with Black. Same winning percentage: 82.7% Purdy won the First Australian Postal Championship and the Second Championship. The first 25 games in this book are annotated by Purdy, as is the last game. The other games are annotated by the authors. Published in 1983 in Australia but I didn’t hear of it until today. Hard cover. Excellent condition. Descriptive. Great printing. You may see this book for sale elsewhere.

• The Sorceror’s Apprentice | David Bronstein | $22.00 | 295 pages

  This is one of the greatest bargains in the history of publishing. Games, stories, anecdotes, combinations by one of the most imaginative, creative and best players of all time. Whenever he played to win he was the best player in the world. He played in four international team tournaments with 30 wins, 1 loss (Robert Byrne), 18 draws, 39-10, 79.58%, and every time won the gold medal for the best score on his board. Beautifully produced. Large print. 295 pages. More than 220 games and many diagrams. Don’t follow his bad advice!

• Reti’s Best Games | Golombek | $22.00

  © 1954. In his early days Reti played gambits and was thought equal to Alekhine, but Reti was weak with knights and his style became warped. These seventy games demonstrate, mostly, how to use bishops. Golombek appreciated that and makes a great effort to supply instructive annotations. Reti’s endgame technique was superb.

• Sultan Khan | R. N. Coles | $20.00

  India Champion 1928, British Champion 1929 – 1932 – 1933. He was a servant to Umar Hayat Khan who spent a few years in England. He played in Europe 1929 – 1933 and won a match from Tartakower in 1931. He defeated Capablanca at Hastings 1930-31. Here are 64 games, with losses and draws included. © 1977

• The Chess Career of Rudolf Spielmann, Part 1 | Jack Spence | $25.00 | 260 pp.

  Never a part two. Super binding! A beautiful book. © 1961. Typewriter set. 107 games. 1903 – 1926. Annotations by Spielmann. 260 small pages. Spielmann was the MAD BOMBER who loved to sacrifice his Queen!

• Tarrasch’s Best Games of Chess | Fred Reinfeld | $25.00 | 390 pp.

  I hated this book because of the fatuous, pretentious, insultingly silly comments by Reinfeld. “An admirable game by Tarrasch.” HUNDREDS of inane comments like that. Tarrasch won four great tournaments: 1889 – 1894. He won the great tournament of Vienna 1898 and continued playing through Bad Kissingen 1928. 183 games, but too many of them are worthless skittles games and odds games. © 1947.

• My Best Games of Chess 1905 – 1930 | Savielly Tartakower | $23.00

  Translated from French. He strove for chaos, as did many others, but he was the only one successful at it. He also invented the Catalan Opening, 1 PQ4 PQ4; 2 PKN3 PK3; 3 BN2 NKB3; 4 NKB3 QNQ2; 5 0-0 PQN3; 6 PN3 BN2; 7 BN2 BQ3; 8 NK5 QK2; 9 PQB4 0-0. More than 101 games with copius notes, but many of them convoluted. Unfortunately, at the end of the book, instead of letting his games speak for him, he has such a great ego he can’t resist bragging about himself. © 1953

• Chess Marches On! | Reuben Fine | © 1945 | $25.00

  Fifty master games annotated by the most elegant writer of hist time. Fine set a new standard by being witty, and conscientious about his work. The players are: Reshevsky, Kashdan, H. Steiner, Horowitz, Fine, Yanofsky, Marshall, Botvinnik, Keres, Smyslov, Alekhine, Bogoljubov, Tartakower, Najdorf, Stahlberg, Mieses, etc.

• The World’s a Chessboard | Fine | © 1947 | $25.00

  Second book of the series (after Chess Marches On!). As Botvinnik lost to Dan Yanofsky at Groningen 1946 Fine said: “The mistakes which Botvinnik made are not usually seen in his games.” What he should have said is: “Botvinnik has a propensity to make mistakes when he has a winning advantage in the middle-game.” Why do “critics” miss the obvious?

• Chess: More Miniature Games | J. duMont | © 1953 | $ 22.00

  duMont was an excellent writer with good judgment regarding what should be published.

• Both Sides of the Chessboard | Robert Byrne and Ivo Nei | © 1974 | $30.00

  Fischer 6 – 0 Taimanov 1971; Fischer 6 – 0 Larsen; Fischer 6-1/2 – 2-1/2 Petrosian 1972; Fischer 12-1/2 – 8-1/2 Spassky. Analysis of all games. In first game vs. Petrosian they make a big mistake, missing 17 … PK5; 18 NxP BxN; 19 PxN! with advantage to White. In master chess the subjective factors are more important than the objective factors. The major cause of mistakes in master chess is over-confidence. Fischer, like Lasker, played subjective chess and let his opponents get good positions in order to exploit their weaknesses. Their analysis is uniformly good, but not great, as Byrne and Nei are “robots”, who never had an original thought in their lives. Here is one of the seven greatest players of all time in peak form. We won’t see his like again. Descriptive.

• Think Like a Grandmaster | Kotov | © 1971 | SOLD!

  This caused a sensation when first published by Ken Smith in USA. Translated from Russian. Being weak with knights, but not being aware of it, Kotov created an artificial system which he hoped would avoid blunders. This book is full of instruction and advice with many diagrams where you must try to find the best move. Because he was weak with knights Kotov sometimes mis-judges a position. Water spots on cover.

• Chess Secrets | Edward Lasker | © 1952 | $30.00 | 444 pp.

  Worn cover. A highly intelligent man who became very rich as an inventor (according to Denker) and knew all the great players: Emanuel Lasker, Duras, Alekhine, Capablanca, Tarrasch, Schlechter, Nimzovich, etc. Lasker was bitten by the chess bug when he played against Pillsbury in a blindfold simultaneous exhibition in Germany. Lasker became chess champion of five cities and after moving to the United States was the second-best player, behind Marshall, until Kashdan, and others, dominated world chess. This is absolutely the best book on how to THINK in the opening. He became an International Master (the highest class at that time) but was always an amateur. He was weak in the endgame. This is a great source of chess history which cannot be found in any other book. Lasker was superb at combinations with minor pieces. Has a few pencil marks. 444 pages!

• Complete Games of Alekhine 1 Volume 1892 – 1921 | Kalendovsky/Fials | © 1992 | $15.00

  WARNING: This does NOT have the complete games. It has 328 games from 1902 to 1920. Figurine algebraic. Super binding. Crosstables of tournaments. Photographs. Alekhine’s biography 1892 – 1921. Gives details of his life which I never read elsewhere.

• Sam Loyd and his Chess Problems | Alain C. White | Dover © 1962 | $25.00 | 460 pp.

  USED. If you like problems you will love this book. Sam Loyd was the best. He also invented Parchesi and the fifteen puzzle. 460 pages, 744 problems. Short algebraic. Lot of text. Out of print. Published 1913.

• Chess Praxis | Nimzovich | Dover © 1962 | $20.00 | 370 pp.

  If Nimzovich didn’t invent modern chess, he invented about half of it. This is far superior to My System. USED. 109 games with annotations and good diagrams. Published in 1936 under the title: The Praxis of My System. 370 pages. Out of print.

• The Art of Bisguier, Volume 1, 1945 – 1960 | Arthur Bisguier with Newton Berry | © 2003 | $22.00

  U.S. Champion 1954. Supposedly he never read a chess book, but neither did Smyslov! Bisguier was a great attacking player in the style of Frank Marshall. Truly refreshing to play over the games of a player with great natural ability for classical, straight-forward chess. The notes are very instructive. Bisguier lost many games because he would try to win instead of playing for a draw, but he also won more games by being aggressive and taking chances and NOT playing to draw. Of especial interest is the many photographs, historical trivia, anecdotes, puns, jokes. Every player should read this book. Buy one for your local library.
  
  (CLICK HERE to read Schroeder’s review of this book.)

• Judgment and Planning in Chess | Max Euwe | © 1953 | $12.00 | 190 pp.

  The best book by the best chess writer of all time. David McKay paperback. Descriptive notation. After the opening – middle game and endgame technique. Price reduced to $12.00.

• Khalifman: Life and Games | Gennady Nesis | © 2000 | $22.00

  See review in Confidential Chess Lessons page M215. Large print figurine algebraic. Khalifman won the FIDE Championship Knockout Matches in 1999. “Unusually interesting well-annotated games.” A good way to understand contemporary grandmaster chess.

• Five Crowns: Kasparov – Karpov World Championship Match 1990 | Yasser Seirawan and Jonathan Tisdall | $20.00

  Very deep analysis by Seirawan. Lots of diagrams. they also give 159 other serious games between Kasparov and Karpov. Editing by Jonathan Berry is very bad. This is a great bargain as Seirawan tried to be sensible.

Special Offers

Make check payable to:
James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
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• Three Books and Chess Set | $20

  BARGAIN! Three books in algebraic notation and a very nice small magnetic chess set for $20.00. Danger in Chess by Avni, Why You Lose at Chess by Harding, and How Good is Your Chess? (solitaire chess) by King. All soft cover.

• Gambits in the Slav II | J. Silman / J. Donaldson | © 1993. | FREE*

  Limp cover. 1 d4 d5; 2 c4 c6; 3 Nc3 e5; 48 pp. 3 Nf3 Nf6; 4 Nc3 dxc4; 5 e4; 108 pp.
  
  * FREE if you donate $7.00 to my Prison Chess Program. I have sent thousands of chess sets and books to prisons all over the country. Make check payable to James Schroeder, 3011 E 9th St. #15, Vancouver, WA 98661.

• Copies of Confidential Chess Lessons and Out-of-Print Book List | James Schroeder | FREE

  For free copies of Confidential Chess Lessons and a list of great out-of-print chess books for sale, send name and address to James Schroeder.

Loose-Sheet Chess Books

The following “books” are not bound. They will be sent by first class mail. These are exactly the type of chess literature you should read. Postage stamps will be accepted as payment.

If you want plastic binding, add $2.00 per book.

MINIMUM ORDER $20.00. May be combined with order for other books.

Make check payable to:
James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
Vancouver, WA 98661

• Baden 1914 Gambit Tournament | $5.00 | 44 pages (22 sheets)

  King’s Gambit, Falkbeer Counter Gambit, Evans Gambit, Danish Gambit, Scotch Gambit, etc. Spielmann, Tartakower, Schlechter, Bryer, etc. 91 games. English descriptive notation.

• The Great World Chess Match: USSR vs The World 1970 | $4.50 | 38 pages (19 sheets)

  The best chess ever played in one event: Spassky, Stein, Petrosian, Korchnoi, Polugaevsky, Geller, Smyslov, Taimanov, Botvinnik, Tal, Keres – Larsen, Fischer, Portisch, Hort, Gligoric, Reshevsky, Olafsson, Uhlmann, Matulovic, Najdorf, Ivkov. Published by *SCHROEDER*. Lots of analysis to every game. 8-1/2 x 11 sheets.

• King’s Gambit – Analysis and Games | Anthony Santasiere | $4.50 | 33 pages (17 sheets)

  1 PK4 PK4; 2 PKB4. Accepted – Declined – Falkbeer Counter Gambit.

• 1951 USA Chess Championship Tournament PLUS Evans – Steiner USA Championship Match 1952 | $4.50 | 24 pages (12 sheets)

  1951 USA Chess Championship Tournament: Larry Evans, Reshevsky, Pavey, Seidman, Horowitz, Santasiere, Mengarini, Shainswit, Hanauer, Pinkus, Simonson

• Dallas 1957 International Tournament PLUS Ten Matches of Reshevsky | $4.50 | 31 pages (16 sheets)

  Dallas 1957 International Tournament: Reshevsky, Gligoric 8-1/2 – 5-1/2; Larsen 7-1/2; Szabo 7-1/2; Yanofsky, Olafsson, Najdorf, Evans. Algebraic notation. 8-1/2 x 11 sheets.

  Ten Matches of Reshevsky vs: Horowitz, Kashdan, Gligoric, Najdorf (2), Lombardy, D. Byrne, Bisguier, Benko, Fischer.

• Schroeder on Chess #1 and #2 | $6.00 | 54 pages (27 sheets)

  Games, stories, anecdotes, book reviews, cartoons, jokes, fiction, etc. 8-1/2 x 11 sheets.

• New York 1948/49 International Tournament | $4.00 |

  Reuben Fine won his first international tournament since Leningrad 1937. Miguel Najdorf, Max Euwe, Herman Pilnik, George Kramer, Arthur Bisguier, Isaac Kashdan, Arnold Denker, Herman Steiner. Diagrams, descriptive notation, light notes, 8-1/2 x 11. Includes bare game scores of the eight game Fine-Najdorf match which followed.

• New York 1951 International Chess Tournament | $3.00 |

  Samuel Reshevsky wins again! Najdorf, Euwe, Fine, Larry Evans, Robert Byrne, I. Horowitz, C. Guirmard, Al O’Kelly, Bisguier, Kramer, George Shainswit. Computer print. Very instructive comments preceding each game. No diagrams, 8-1/2 x 11.

Dover Publications: Please order from me. Make check payable to James Schroeder. MINIMUM ORDER $20.00. I pay postage.

James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
Vancouver, WA 98661

• Abrahams, Gerald | Technique in Chess | $9.00 | Dover# 048622953X | 216 pp.

  A superb guide to the general concepts of chess technique and the methods for using technique to plan ahead. Early initiative and control of the center, translating an advantage into the middle game. 200 examples from actual play. Index of themes. (One of my favorite writers, and not just because he used my material and games. Stimulating ‘original’ instruction from a highly intelligent man. Also wrote “Brains in Bridge”, “Not Only Chess” — James Schroeder)

• Gelfer, Israel | Positional Chess Handbook | $12.00 | Dover# 0486419495 | 224 pp.

  Wrong title, should be TECHNIQUE IN CHESS. 495 positions, starting with the endgame and then covering the middlegame. This is the type of book needed by all players not yet masters as mostly Gelfer shows how to win from winning positions. The diagrams are very poor and the translation is bad. © 1991, James Schroeder

• Kmoch, Hans | Pawn Power in Chess | $11.00 | Dover# 0486264866 | 304 pp.

  Profoundly original discussion of pawn play isolates its elements and elaborates on various aspects. ( A great book but difficult to read. NO other book like it or even close to it. Should be read by everyone. — James Schroeder)

• Keres, Paul; Kotov, Alexander | The Art of the Middle Game | $11.00 | Dover# 0486261549 | 238 pp.

  Superb guide to important area of chess. Two formidable grandmasters cover attacking the king, defense, importance of pawn structure, analysis, much more.

• Renaud, Georges; Kahn, Victor | The Art of Checkmatre | $10.00 | Dover# 0486201066 | 208 pp.

  Thorough classification of 23 mating situations, including Legal’s pseudo-sacrifice, the double check, smothered mate, Greco’s mate, the Corridor mate, many others. Learn from 127 games by Tartakower, Janowski, Rubinstein, Blackburne, others, illustrating positional maneuvers leading to these mates. Review quizzes test progress. (Superb! But the translation from the French by W. J. Taylor is abominable! When you read the most idiotic, inane, ridiculous grammer ever seen, don’t blame the authors! — James Schroeder)

• Reinfeld, Fred | How to Force Checkmate | $6.00 | Dover# 0486204391 | 112 pp.

  300 diagrammed positions, subdivided into situations of mate in one, two or three moves, introduce you to a vast array of checkmate situations. For study, as entertainment during leisure moments or travel (you need no board), this book will help end you games with a brilliant touch.

• Spielmann, Rudolf | The Art of Sacrifice in Chess | $11.00 | Dover# 0486284492 | 197 pp.

  One of the greatest players of all time was a great writer who was also very well educated. “The individual comes forwar4d in the spirit of chivalry and immolates himself up as did Winkelried in the battle of Sempach.” don’t worry, that’s the last obscure literary allusion. Excellent translation by J. du Mont. Based upon 37 of Spielmann’s games. “Attempt to eexplain the sacrifices which occur, to classify them and to provide them with their own nomenclature.” Often out-of-print! MUST be read by every player. Spielmann’s tragedy is that he was a Jew who escaped from Austria to Sweden and was forced to write chess books to make money. He also wrote a great book about Carl Schlechter. — James Schroeder

• Pachman, Ludek | Decisive Games in Chess History | $9.00 | Dover# 0486253236 | 266 pp.

  Brilliantly analyzing chess under stress, the International Grandmaster focuses on 65 of the most important tournaments and matches of the last century, capturing the drama and excitement of the key games, the intrigue of tournament tactics and the psychological proc4esses of winning. Extensive diagrams and indices.

• Lasker, Emanual | Lasker’s Manual of Chess | $11.00 | Dover# 0486206408 | 390 pp.

  Combinations, position play, openings, end game, aesthetics of chess, philosophy of struggle, much more. Filled with analyzed games. 308 diagrams. (Emanuel Lasker was the greatest chess player of all time. This is a great book BUT the sections on openings is terrible. Lasker did not consider it important if one was better or worse in the opening. That is NOT an intelligent attitude. You must learn to play strong, forcing openings. — James Schroeder)

• Fine, Reuben | The World’s Great Chess Games | $11.00 | Dover# 0486245128 |397 pp.

  Noted chess author annotates great contests beginning with 16th-century master Ruy Lopez. Concise, illustrated analysis of games by Morphy, Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Fischer, Karpov, many more. Much chess expertise plus revealing anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories. (Fine was a writer of great charm and a superb analyst, but his “history” is not always accurate. Published in 1951 by McKay this edition, revised in 1976 is far superior. I was told Larry Evans did the revising. It says “Edited by Reuben Fine”, NOT “written by Reuben Fine”. Excellent selection of games and entertaining banter. — James Schroeder)

• Tarrasch, Siegbert | The Game of Chess | $12.00 | Dover# 048625447X | 423 pp.

  The greatest book of all time for the beginner, but it should also be read by EVERY player. Tells you HOW to play chess. Tarrasch is dogmatic in insisting that the player follow his theories of rapid development, control of the center, and attack whenever possible. This is NOT a book for the casual player because it teaches how to win against other players who read books and study. Garry Kasparov, World Champion 1985-2000, followed the theories of Tarrasch and is considered the greatest attacking player of all time. — James Schroeder

• Clarke, P. H. | 100 Soviet Chess Miniatures | $9.00 | Dover# 0486408442 | 192 pp.

  Tactics, audacity and speed are the hallmarks of chess matches called “miniatures”, games played in 25 moves or less. Learn from 100 fascinating games played by Soviet chess masters, taken from the records of the Soviet Chess. 99 diagrams.

• Tartakower, Dr. S.; Mont, J. du | 500 Master Games of Chess 1798-1938 | $20.00 | Dover# 0486232085 | 665 pp.

  Monumental work with more games in the notes. Arranged by opening. One must suffer through the convoluted writing of Tartakower, who thinks the knight moves in a straight line, but it’s worth it. Good introduction to the best players of all time and a good way to learn about the different openings. Low price for such a huge book. — James Schroeder

• Coles, R. N. | Epic Battles of the Chessboard | $8.00 | Dover# 0486293556 | 176 pp.

  Enjoy and learn from 50 of the greatest games ever played, featuring a roster of chess immortals: Morphy, Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Botvinnik and many more. All are immersed here in titanic struggles that bring out their most courageous, resourceful and tenacious play. Steinitz v. Lasker for world championship, 1896; Capablanca v. Marshall, New Yourk, 1918; many more. 99 diagrams. Index of openings.

• Howard, Kenneth S. | How to Solve Chess Problems | $8.00 | Dover# 048620748X | 171 pp.

  58 two-move problems, 46 three-movers, and eight four-movers composed during the last 30 years. (Of course the idiot at Dover that wrote that didn’t say WHICH 30 years. It could be 1900 – 1930. I read this forty-five years ago and it is a great book. Howard gives a lucid explanation of problem terms, themes, etc. — James Schroeder)

• Howard, Kenneth S. | Classic Chess Problems by Pioneer Composers | $8.00 | Dover# 0486225224 | 114 pp.

  This book, with 155 problems and full solutions, has been designed to interest any chess enthusiast – whatever his knowledge of chess composition may be. Loyd, White, Klett, Shinkman, Havel, Wurzburg, Kohtz, Kochelhorn and Heathcote are all represented, as are some lesser-known but equally brilliant composers.

• Petkovic, Miodrag | Mathematics and Chess | $10.00 | Dover# 0486294323 | 112 pp.

  Has 110 problems in geometry, algebra and combinations based on the moves of the pieces. The only chess knowledge required is the rules of the game. The amount of mathematical skill required is great. The preface states: “Almost none of the problems exceed a high school level of difficulty, advanced mathematics is excluded.” This is certainly NOT true of an American High School education. The author is Yugoslavian and this may be so over there, where a “high school” is equivalent to a junior college in the United States. Only ONE problem has any value to a chess player! White with a king at c3 and queen at b1 to checkmate the black king, which is at f8, without moving the white king. — David Davis

• Chernev, Irving | Combinations: The Heart of Chess | $10.00 | Dover# 0486217442 | 245 pp. |

  356 diagrams. In the good old days masters always looked at any book on combinations. Most of them are now out-of-print. — James Schroeder

• Alekhine, Alexander | My Best Games of Chess, 1908-1937 | $17.00 | Dover# 0486249417 | 581 pp.

  Born in Russia in 1892, when he died in 1946 Alekin (Al – eh – Keen) was considered to have been one of the two greatest players of all time, the other being Emanuel Lasker. This is a great bargain of two books bound together. My Best Games 1908-23 shows his dynamic, aggressive, perpetual attacking style. He studied the endgame in order to defeat Capablanca in the 1927 World Championship Match. My Best Games 1924-37 are more one-sided and show his great endgame skill. There are more than 220 games with his annotations. Alekhin took great pride in trying to find the TRUTH in chess. Don’t be deceived by his false modesty. — James Schroeder

• Aleknine, Alexander | 107 Great Chess Battles, 1938-1945 | $10.00 | Dover# 0486271048 | 256 pp.

  One of the game’s greatest players annotates fascinating games involving such masters as Capablanca, Bogoljubov, Kashdan, Reshevsky, Tartakower, Keres and others, including many of Aleknhine’s own games. Also here are delightfully candid views on fellow masters and rivals for the world title. Edited and transated by E. G. Winter. (Alekhin studied the games of the best players in the world because he might play them in a match. — Schroeder)

• Avni, Amatzia | Danger in Chess: How to Avoid Making Blunders | $8.00 | Dover# 0486424219 | 128 pp.

  © 1994 – A blunder is a move that transforms a win or a draw into a loss. All play and no work for Avni who is either too lazy or too incompetent to explain WHY the “winning” player lost. That makes it work for the reader. Lasker deliberately wrote in such manner because he wanted the reader to THINK. 146 well-selected positions. — James Schroeder

• Bronstein, David | 200 Open Games | $10.00 | Dover# 0486268578 | 250 pp.

  © 1973 – One of the greatest treasures of chess as the Ukrainian Grandmaster was the greatest combinational player of his time, and the greatest Art is that which uses the simplest form. All games begin 1 PK4 PK4. When Bronstein wanted to win he was the best player in the world, and in most of these games he tried to win, but he loses many of them: “As I look through this game I can see I wanted to avoid at all costs the systematic, strategical type of game in which my opponent is still reputed to be a great authority.” After 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 NQB3; 3 PQ4 PxP; 4 PB3 PxP; 5 NxP NB3 Bronstein – Fuderer 1959, “I had devised an original attack, in 7 QN3, 8 NKN5, PKB4 and 11 PKR3. But in 1960 I acquired several old Spanish books and in one of them which had been published in 1890, I found the first eleven moves of my game with Fuderer!” Be Alert! Bronstein – Anon. Simultaneous Exhibition 1 PK4 PK4; 2PQ4 PxP; 3 QxP NQB3; 4 QR4 NB3; 5 NQB3 PQ4; 6 BKN5 PxP; 7 NxP QK2; 8 0-0-0 QxN??; 9 RQ8ch? instead of 9 QxQch NxQ; 10 RQ8 mate. Beware! There are many factual errors: “At the time of the 1958 Interzonal Tournament Robert Fischer’s greatest achievement had been a match victory over R. Cardoso.” Fisher won the 1957-58 USA Championship tournament. There are MORE than 200 games. — James Schroeder

• Euwe, Max; Hooper, David | A Guide to Chess Endings | $11.00 | Dover# 0486233324

  This book offers clear, thorough coverage of the most important, frequently encountered endgame situations. 331 examples are analyzed (each with its own diagram), including 30 examples of Queen endings, and 100 examples each of pawn endings, minor piece endings and rook endings. (The best first book for everyone on the endings. WARNING! In an otherwise excellent book they have made a terrible mistake concerning queen and pawn vs queen. Ignore what they say and remember: It is possible to have a forced win with the pawn on any square on the board. — James Schroeder)

• King, Daniel | How Good Is Your Chess? | $8.00 | Dover# 0486247803 | 128 pp.

  Twenty complete games where you try to guess the next move. Most of them were played in the early 1990′s. King says something with almost every move, giving advice and analysis. This is a good way to learn different openings. WARNING! King is a MINOR Grandmaster and makes many mistakes. 1 e4 c5; 2 Nf3 d6; 3 d4 PxP; 4 NxP Nf6; 5 Nc3 Nc6; 6 Bg5 e6; 7 Qd2 a6; 8 0-0-0 h6; 9 Bf4 Bd7; 10 Bg3 Rc8; 11 f3 NxN; 12 QxN e5; 13 Qe3 Be7; 14 h4 0-0; 15 Kb1 Qc7; 16 Bd3 Be6; 17 Bh2 Qa5. King: “It seems curious to move the queen again but Black has spotted a weakness in White’s position.” Superficial and VERY POOR. Why didn’t Black play 15 … Qa5? Because White would play 16 Be1. King often makes this type of mistake. Nevertheless, this is a good book. — James Schroeder.

• Kopec, Danny; Pritchett, Craig | Chess World Title Contenders and Their Styles | $10.00 | Dover# 048642233X | 224 pp.

  Highly recommended! The title, invented by Dover, is a lie. The original title was Best Games of the Young Grandmasters. Only one became a world title contender. 87 games. Figurine algebraic. Tony Miles, Jan Timman, Ljubomir Ljubojevic, Walter Browne, Robert Hubner, Zoltan Rible, Ulf Andersson, Garry Kasparov. Most of the games are well selected and there are summaries of each player’s career. © 1980 The bad part is that Kopec and Pritchett are horribly stupid, inane, writers. Reject their asinine “opinions”. — James Schroeder

• Bronstein, David | Zurich 1953 Candidates Tournament | $15.00 | Dover# 0486238008 | 349 pp.

  All 210 games from the greatest tournament since World War II. Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky, Petrosian, 10 others; perceptive annotations by Bronstein. Algebraic notation. 352 diagrams. Double Round. (Actually written by Boris Vainstein, with Bronstein’s help. Paul Keres was forced to lose two games to Smyslov, so that Smyslov could win the tournament. Bronstein said this was a treatise on the MIDDLE-GAME. Poor translation. — James Schroeder)

• Mednis, Edmar | Strategic Chess: Mastering the Closed Game | $10.00 | Dover# 0486406172 | 256 pp.

  Insigntful manual by noted grandmaster offers detailed, seldom-discussed insights into the real significance of the opening. 30 games area analyzed, between such masters as Petrosian and Korchnoi, Karpov and Kasparov, Gligoric and Kaplan, and more, showing how strategic themes of the opening are carried through all applicable phases of the game. (One of the greatest writers of all time. Very intelligent and well-educated. Superb instruction not marred by asinine jokkes or crude slang. A great pleasure to read. — James Schroeder)

• Botvinnik, Mikhail | 100 Selected Games | $11.00 | Dover# 0486206203 | 272 pp.

  The BEST individual Master’s collection. 100 games annotated by Botvinnik before he became World Champion (by cheating) in 1948. After that his play deteriorated. A crude, vicious, ambitious man whose play was extremely powerful. Only Emanuel Lasker played with such power, and he did it more consistently, always going forward, and looking for a combination. Botvinnik’s weakness was that he often tried too hard to win a winning position and made crude blunders, over-looking his opponent’s counter-attack. One can copy Botvinnik’s style and adapt to modern chess, with entirely different openings. — James Schroeder)

• Euwe, Max; Meiden Walter | Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur | $11.00 | Dover# 0486279472 | 314 pp.

  25 chess games played between master and amateur – chosen, arranged and annotated to help amateurs learn how to avoid a variety of weak strategic and tactical moves. Selected, with commentary by the 1935-37 World Chess Champion Max Euwe and by Walter Meiden, a typical amateur player, the games point out graphically how the chess master exploits errors of the amateur. (Max Euwe of Holland was a mental and physical giant. An amateur chess player, a licensed airplane pilot, amateur heavyweight boxing champion of Europe, Masters Degrees in mathematics and computer science, etc. This must be a great book because I helped write it. I knew Meiden in Columbus, Ohio. — James Schroeder)

  See Book Note: Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur

• Kmoch, Hans | Rubinstein’s Chess Masterpieces | $9.00 | Dover# 0486206173 | 192 pp.

  100 selected games. (Rubinstein had astonishing early success with a severely limited style. The ignorant critics, including all masters, over-rate his play. They conveniently ignore the fact that he was an imbecile regarding knights, and lost many games to simple-minded knight combinations. To suggest that he would have had a chance in a match with Lasker, is idiotic. Alekhin lost his first two games to Rubinstein, in 1911 and 1912, but then became aware of Rubinstein’s weakness and won 8, lost 1, drew 3. These are excellent examples of how to attach with bishop, rook and queen, and Rubinstein was a great endgame player, but do not be deceived by the hyperbole. As Reuben Fine said: “Rubinstein’s weakness was the middle-game.” Tarrasch said: “Fortunately the gods have placed the middle-game before the endgame.” A word to the wise is sufficient. — James Schroeder)

• Reinfeld, Fred | Win at Chess | $6.00 | Dover# 0486418782 | 105 pp.

  Converted from descriptive to algebraic by the infamous Fred Wilson, who is stupid, ignorant, irresponsible, inept and incompetent. It is full of egregious errors. Many diagrams are wrong, pieces missing or pieces added (three white rooks, two white kings, etc.), pieces on the wrong squares. Several captions are wrong: White to play instead of Black to play. There are many typographical errors. Has 300 diagrams with solutions. Considering Wilson’s reputation as a moron, it is inexcusable that someone at Dover did NOT “proof-read” his “work”. Nevertheless, despite that idiot’s worst efforts, this is worth more than $6.00 — James Schroeder

• Lasker, Edward | Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood | $8.00 | Dover# 0486201465 | 224 pp.

  Chess as art and recreation; checkmating combinations, endgame play, strategic principles, etc. Full details and analysis of author’s famous game with Emanuel Lasker. 94 diagrams; other illustrations. (Intelligent man who knows all the greats. Very interesting. — James Schroeder)

• Sergeant, Philip | Morphy’s Games of Chess | $15.00 | Dover# 0486203867 | 352 pp.

  300 games by the greatest player of all time: 54 against such masters as Anderssen, Harrwitz, Mongredien, Bird, Paulsen and others; 52 of the best blindfold games; 52 games at odds; and 142 in consultation, informally, etc. Detailed annotations of games by such expert analysts as Sergeant, Steinitz, Anderssen and Morphy himself. (He was NOT the greatest player of all time, and Lowenthal was his strongest opponent. Only 59 serious games, and except for his match at knight-odds with Thompson, Morphy was not concerned about losing. Don’t copy his bad moves! But this is the book that every player, especially beginners, should read, because it shows how to beat the “average” player – one that doesn’t read books. — James Schroeder)

• Harding, T.D. | Counter Gambits | $9.00 | Dover | 220 pp.

  What a delight! 220 PACKED pages. Includes 18 page chapter written 2001. Superb format: long-algebraic, bold type for game moves; short-algebraic, light type for analysis. Perfect diagrams. See book review HERE.

No more Dover “complete” catalogue. You must ask for subjects. Chess & Games, American History, Americana, Antiques, Architecture, Art Instruction, Fine Art, Children, Language, Literature, Magic Arts, Mathematics, Military History, Music, Natural Healing, Nature, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, etc. Web site: www.doverpublications.com
Please order Dover books from me. I pay postage! Make checks payable to James Schroeder, 3011 E. 9th St, Apt. #15, Vancouver, WA 98661.

James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
Vancouver, WA 98661

Born October 8, 1929 in Bronx, New York, Libra/Snake. “Will you, won’t you, join the dance? The further off from England the nearer is to France.” “Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledum, “if it was so it might be; but as it isn’t it ain’t. That’s logic.”

Anyone asking a simple question of Art, expecting a simple answer, will recognize that. “The Snake is philosopher, political wizard, wily financier and the deepest thinker and enigma of the Chinese cycle. Graceful and soft-spoken, loves good books, theatre, food, music and will gravitate toward the finer things in life.”

Art loved to play chess and soon became an International Master by winning the Vienna 1952/53 International Tournament.

Bisguier was an amateur who worked for a living and played in only a few international events. He says he received the Grandmaster title in 1957. My guess is that there were only 20 to 30 in the world at that time.

At the Leipzig 1960 FIDE Team Tournament he had 9 wins, 2 losses, 5 draws on board four – occasionally playing up.

While continuing the great style that was the tradition of Marshall, Art’s style was radically different. Frank lacked patience and made anti-positional moves. Bisguier is a classical player and his attacks followed naturally from his straight-forward moves. Frank was serious about chess but Art, who hated to lose, had panache and would not let a loss affect him for long. His secret was: there was always a pretty girl to console him.

All grandmasters I have met have been friendly, but Bisguier is especially genial, unassuming, courteous and unfailingly pleasant, not just to me, but to every person he meets. He is America’s most respected player.

Art loves chess so much he claims to have played more games than anyone in history, because of simultaneous exhibitions, and on more different styles of “weird” sets.

Long have I admired Art’s games and it is a great pleasure to play them over again – and again. There is no deceit in his play, so it is easy to follow.

The notes are superb, better than Emanuel Lasker in not telling too much but explaining the “nut” of the position so clearly that even patzers can understand.

Bisguier’s best game is when he defeats Spassky with the Schliemann Defense: 1 PK4 PK4; 2 NKB3 NQB3; 3 BN5 PB4!

Written with love, this book is foll of puns, jokes, anecdotes, trivia and chess history, accurately reflecting the esteemed personality of the author.

Chess is a game of knowledge, not logic. The logic can only be learned after acquiring knowledge. By playing over his games and reading his excellent notes, one gains important knowledge as if by osmosis.

Please write to Grandmaster Arthur Bisguier and ask him to publish Volume Two of The Art of Bisguier.

– from Confidential Chess Lessons, Copyright © 2006 James Schroeder
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For sale:
The Art of Bisguier, Volume 1, 1945 – 1960, © 2003

$22.00 postpaid

James Schroeder
3011 E. 9th St.
Apt. #15
Vancouver, WA 98661

Gambits in the Slav II by J. Silman / J. Donaldson. Limp cover © 1993. 1 d4 d5; 2 c4 c6; 3 Nc3 e5; 48 pp. 3 Nf3 Nf6; 4 Nc3 dxc4; 5 e4; 108 pp. FREE if you donate $7.00 to my Prison Chess Program. I have sent thousands of chess sets and books to prisons all over the country. Make check payable to James Schroeder, 3011 E 9th St. #15, Vancouver, WA 98661.