500 Master Games of Chess

by Savielly Tartakower, J. Du Mont

This compilation of 500 master games is the greatest standard collection of chess games ever published. Ranging over 150 years of master play, these games include masterpieces of every kind by such master players as Anderssen, Morphy, Blackburne, Pillsbury, Lasker, Marshall, Steinitz, Tarrasch, Alekhine, Capablanca, Spielmann, Tartakower, Rubinstein, Réti, Nimzowitsch, Euwe, Botvinnik, and many more. There are also once-in-a-lifetime matches, such as Franz-Mayet (1858) and Bowdler-Conway (1788), and other interesting examples. Fully annotated, arranged by opening for easier study.

Genres: Chess, Nonfiction, Games

720 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Bobsie67 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the chess book to take with you when you plan to get stranded on a deserted island! Games from the greats galore.

[F. Dum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one of my favourite chess books. And yes, of course, it's fucking old, the opening theory is frankly ridiculous, and Stockfish doesn't think very highly of Tartakower's analyses of 75 years ago... but this guy had just such a wonderful style of writing, witty and humorous and sarcastic -- it's one of the very few chess books that actually is nice to READ.

Those oldschool games may not be the close-to-perfect chess of today's Supatop-GM level games, but to me this is actually a plus. Those guys made very human mistakes, and I think this helps me learn much better because those are the mistakes I would do too.

It also really like its arrangement according to openings. Despite its age, this does help giving you some ideas of how middlegames usually turn out in the various openings. The main drawback stemming from its age is that some openings just are barely represented, or not at all. I'm hoping for someone to do a similar book with post-WW2 games, although I doubt anybody could ever match Tartakower's brilliant prose.

So I'd say this is a wonderful book for any true amateur (= lover) of this fascinating game.

[Erik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful wonder! A great way to increase your memorizing openings and combinations.

[Alberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a remarkable game collection. I really really really wanted to give it 5 stars. But ultimately it has far too many errors in the analysis for 5* to be warranted. I reluctanctly had to go with 4* as the more accurate rating.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like what you are good at, this book is a keeper because it is very enjoyable. Tartakower and DuMont have instruction applicable to most any skill level. A fine work, written in a sometimes humorous fashion. As Tom Dorsch said, a good student gets more from an average book than a lesser student from a masterpiece. As Dr. Popel said, chess is one-percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration. As Tartakower said, “I err, therefore I am.”

[Takipsilim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful collection of masterly games from the dawn of great recorded games to the 1930s. Lavishly annotated with many diagrams. Essential for any enthusiast and student of Caissa.