German book help?

[kaissa]

Hello,

A collegaue is retiring and I want to buy a German chess book for him as a gift. I do not know how well he knows chess so I need a book that will be useful for both a beginner and an expert if he turns out to be a club player.

1001 Deadly Checkmates by Nunn, Lehrbuch der Schacktaktik by Martin Weteschnik and 1001 Schachaufgaben by John Emms seem like good candidates. Any other recommendations?

Regards,

[bretti]

You should have a look at
http://www.schachbund.de/dwz/
for his national rating. Than you can ask again - it is more easy to recommand a chessbook if you know the rating.

[Dr. Axel Schumacher]

Hello,

A collegaue is retiring and I want to buy a German chess book for him as a gift. I do not know how well he knows chess so I need a book that will be useful for both a beginner and an expert if he turns out to be a club player.

1001 Deadly Checkmates by Nunn, Lehrbuch der Schacktaktik by Martin Weteschnik and 1001 Schachaufgaben by John Emms seem like good candidates. Any other recommendations?

Regards,

For my own chess book, "The Science of Chess" which I'm currently writing, I made a thorough internet search and a survey among chess grandmasters and other strong experts (IM's, FM's) to find out which books are most suitable for beginners to intermediate players to learn from the real masters. The result is this TOP 12 list of the best chess books ever published in this category. I highly recommend one of those books; most of them are available in German as well. Here is the list:

1. Aaron Nimzowitsch “My System”
Written by a living, witty and figurative language, this is probably THE classic chess book of all time and suggested reading of many outstanding players past and present. It is a brilliant textbook focused on positional play. Not to have read this masterpiece is regarded as a serious gap in a chess player’s education. Nimzowitschs ideas about how to play chess have had a profound influence on modern chess thinking.

2. David Bronstein “Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953”
Simply one of the greatest chess books ever written. Bronstein, a Soviet grandmaster and known chess analyst commented the games of this tournament that was one of the most meaningful in the postwar years. The book contains annotations by Bronstein of all 210 games played by players such as Smyslov, Bronstein, Keres, Reshevsky, Euwe or Petrosian. The book is easily understood with any level of chess strength and describes the events and the atmosphere of the chess struggle for access to the world chess domination; a chess confrontation between the Western and Soviet chess schools. A MUST READ.

3. John Nunn “Understanding Chess Move by Move”
Nunn selected thirty instructive games by top players to explain the most important chess principles. Virtually every move is commented in detail in order to show how the best players succeed. This book is well suited for an intermediate and experienced chess player who had already gone through books for beginners. The author does expect the reader to have basic knowledge, focusing on what a good player really needs to know to get getter.

4. Garry Kasparov “My Great Predecessors” Series
Many claim that this series, which consists of 5 volumes, is undoubtedly the major chess work of recent times. The books are about the players who preceded Kasparov in being official World Champions and they cover also "hot spots" of chess history – critical moments of the matches played at the World Championships.

5. Mihail Marin “Learn from the legends”
With excellent narrative and detailed analysis Romanian GM Marin examines and explains in a personal and sympathetic style the contribution from eight of the chess legends that influenced him most in his own development: Rubinstein, Alekhine, Botvinnik, Tal, Petrosian, Fischer, Karpov and Korchnoi. Giving solid analysis, he makes clear what is important about these players and their games and why their technique was so effective.

6. Mikhail Tal “Tal vs Botvinnik 1960”
This is likely the best book written about a world championship match by a contestant. Tal explains thoroughly every one of the 21 games, telling both the on- and off-the-board story of one of the most dramatic and celebrated world championship matches of all time. The book helps to look "inside Tal’s head" as he discusses not just the moves, but moods and psychology of the players.

7. Alexander Alekhine “My Best Games of Chess”
With great clarity, Alekhine comments his best games from 1909-1937, clearly explaining the most complex and difficult concepts. Using brilliant and abstract ideas, Alekhine is able to put in plain words very complicated situations on the board. Probably, one of the best ways to improve the chess understanding of a qualified amateur.

8. Mark Dvoretsky “Secrets of Chess Training”
Soviet International Master Dvoretsky gained the fame to be the best chess coach of the world, which is reflected in this book. This classic book is especially informative on the endgame, frequently neglected by players in their early studies. Dvoretskys teachings are based upon his experience of teaching many of the best Grandmasters, including Artur Jusupov and Gary Kasparov.

9. Max Euwe “Chess Master vs. Chess Amateur”
Annotated for intermediate level players, this book gives great insights into the thinking processes of both the master and the amateur. Euwe's book is highly instructive and covers also different opening strategies. The games were selected and annotated to help amateurs learn how to avoid a variety of weak strategic and tactical moves.

10. Alexander Kotov “Think Like a Grandmaster”
In this potentially best selling chess book of all time, former World Championship candidate Kotov unravels the essential techniques of chess mastery. This training manual encourages the Intermediate level player to understand how a grandmaster thinks, and even more important, how he works. Kotov tackles fundamental issues such as knowing how and when to analyze, a selection of candidate moves and the factors of success, focusing on the middlegame.

11 Bobby Fischer “My 60 Memorable Games”
Fischer takes the reader move by move through his most instructive and entertaining games, including the astounding “Game of the Century,” played when he was only 15 years old. This fast, efficient and enjoyable book, gives a true insight into one of the most gifted, troubled, and controversial chess minds of the 20th century. Fischer's annotations are refreshing, bringing his games to life with brutal honesty and humbleness often stating where he made mistakes and how he could have played better, flavored with details that few chess authors would bother to include.

12. Mikhail Botvinnik “Achieving the Aim”
In this fascinating autobiography of the first Soviet world champion, Botvinnik explains his “scientific” approach to the game. The book contains a selection of some of his most crucial games and provides a frank exploration of the life of a chess player in the former USSR.