My Favourite Chess Books

So what are my favourite chess books, my personal top 10?

Lists like this are very subjective, they are MY favourites. You can disagree with MY list, that’s fine, as I may disagree with yours.

And my list is a combination of books that have a personal story attached, great instructional books and also just some good chess reads.

Also, to be in my list I had to own a copy, seems fair enough…If I love a book that much that it makes my top 10 it should be in my library!

Maybe you know some or all of these, maybe you have even read some. If not, now is the time to go grab a copy and have a read. Who knows, some may even make it into your Top 10.

In random order:

Total Chess – David Spanier

A great collection of thoughts on chess by an amateur chess player.

Batsford Chess Openings Volume 2 – Gary Kasparov & Raymond Keene

My first up to date (at the time) ‘Openings Bible’ – I own 2 copies!

Chess Openings Theory & Practice – I A Horowitz

My first ‘Openings Bible’.

The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings – Reuben Fine

Not just lines of theory, but great explanations, key positions, pawn structures etc.

Understanding Chess Move by Move – John Nunn

Very instructive games collection from a leading chess author.

How Fischer Plays Chess – David Levy

A favourite from my local library in South Africa, one of the first chess books I can remember reading.

Chess for Children – Raymond Bott & Stanley Morrison

Brilliantly written, a childhood favourite.

My 60 Memorable Games – Bobby Fischer

Do I need to say anything?

Fischer v Spassky – Svetozar Gligoric

Gligoric’s account of the 1972 ‘Match of the Century’

Unlimited Challenge – Garry Kasparov

Along with Fischer, the world champion I rate most highly, Garry Kasparov tells his life story – 1963 to 1990
Inspirational.