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The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy
Here are 62 masterly demonstrations of the basic strategies of winning at chess, compiled and annotated by one of the game's most admired and respected writers. Each game offers a classic example of a fundamental problem and its best resolution, described and diagrammed in the clearest possible manner for players of every level of skill.
As Irving Chernev observes in the Introduction, "Who will doubt the tremendous power exerted by a Rook posted on the seventh rank after seeing Capablanca's delightfully clear-cut demonstration in Game No. 1 against Tartakower? And who will not learn a great deal about the art of handling Rook and Pawn endings (the most important endings in chess) after playing through Tarrasch's game against Thorold?"
Chernev's lively and illuminating notes on each game reveal precisely how Capablanca, Tarrasch, and other masters — Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, and Petrosian among them — turn theory into practice as they attack and maneuver to control the board. Readers will find their techniques improving with each lesson as Irving Chernev dissects winning strategies, comments on alternate tactics, and marvels at the finesse of winning play, noting at the end of his "I might just as well have called this collection The Most Beautiful Games of Chess Ever Played ."
As Irving Chernev observes in the Introduction, "Who will doubt the tremendous power exerted by a Rook posted on the seventh rank after seeing Capablanca's delightfully clear-cut demonstration in Game No. 1 against Tartakower? And who will not learn a great deal about the art of handling Rook and Pawn endings (the most important endings in chess) after playing through Tarrasch's game against Thorold?"
Chernev's lively and illuminating notes on each game reveal precisely how Capablanca, Tarrasch, and other masters — Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, and Petrosian among them — turn theory into practice as they attack and maneuver to control the board. Readers will find their techniques improving with each lesson as Irving Chernev dissects winning strategies, comments on alternate tactics, and marvels at the finesse of winning play, noting at the end of his "I might just as well have called this collection The Most Beautiful Games of Chess Ever Played ."
279 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1965
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590 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
December 11, 2016
I know most chess players either love this book or wouldn't give a Chernev book a second glance in a second hand book stall for $1. It was simply not possible for someone my age to say "I've played through a lot of master games." without having read this book, so I played through every game.
There are good games in this book. "Most Instructive" is probably not exactly accurate. It's also not true that this is all the "classic games" you need for your chess education - some are actually rather random and some are not at all spectacular.
All that aside, I enjoyed it immensely and having played each game out on a real board, I learned a great deal. The trick to this book is to use Chernev's analysis (variations) as visualization practice. I was eventually able to stop at a side variation, something like: "of course White cannot take the bishop, because..." and visualize the position at the end of the line and agree with the author's assessment. It's a separate question as to the correctness of the analysis - for that you would have to ask Kasparov or someone, not a computer since "winning" for a human is different than "winning" for a human.
While I was reading this, Carlsen was defending his World Champion title against Karjakin. The commentary was by humans, and it was great to see, that at the end of the last tie-break game there was a position on the board that would have, could have, come from this book had the game been played 75 years ago. The commentators (which included Judit Polgar) would say things like - it doesn't really matter what the computer says, these are two exhausted humans, and this position is just not yet winning for a real person. Amen.
This book contains a good collection of games and the short-ish variations can help you train your calculation ability. Chernev's high-level instruction is good for club players like me, and the whole production is very well done. I cannot, however, say I was blown away. And the game collection is good, not amazing - so I would recommend it, but it is not quite the best of the best in chess (4/5).
There are good games in this book. "Most Instructive" is probably not exactly accurate. It's also not true that this is all the "classic games" you need for your chess education - some are actually rather random and some are not at all spectacular.
All that aside, I enjoyed it immensely and having played each game out on a real board, I learned a great deal. The trick to this book is to use Chernev's analysis (variations) as visualization practice. I was eventually able to stop at a side variation, something like: "of course White cannot take the bishop, because..." and visualize the position at the end of the line and agree with the author's assessment. It's a separate question as to the correctness of the analysis - for that you would have to ask Kasparov or someone, not a computer since "winning" for a human is different than "winning" for a human.
While I was reading this, Carlsen was defending his World Champion title against Karjakin. The commentary was by humans, and it was great to see, that at the end of the last tie-break game there was a position on the board that would have, could have, come from this book had the game been played 75 years ago. The commentators (which included Judit Polgar) would say things like - it doesn't really matter what the computer says, these are two exhausted humans, and this position is just not yet winning for a real person. Amen.
This book contains a good collection of games and the short-ish variations can help you train your calculation ability. Chernev's high-level instruction is good for club players like me, and the whole production is very well done. I cannot, however, say I was blown away. And the game collection is good, not amazing - so I would recommend it, but it is not quite the best of the best in chess (4/5).
May 24, 2008
This book improved my game play more than any other. Using games from the Grandmasters, the Author illustrates one basic concept per game. That concept is usually the title of the chapter in which the game appears. By using Grandmaster games, many more concepts are introduced. One can also get a feel for the styles of the Grandmaster's play, like the methodical, seeming simplicity of Capablanca to the swashbuckling style of Fischer.
April 26, 2024
Got this as a Christmas gift in 2022, and I mostly read it in Europe on a choir tour in January/February 2023. Recently, I went through some of the games again, so I figured I should log it this time.
Every single one of these games was really fun to play back. I think some of the games are really weird choices for a book with this title, but every single one of the 62 games does, in fact, show the importance of some chess principle. That said, if you're looking for book of classic games to educate yourself, I would recommend starting somewhere else first. It's also written in the descriptive notation, so the move "e4" in algebraic notation this book calls "P-K4," but for those that don't know descriptive, learning how to translate between the two is very simple and will make a lot of things Chernev writes make more sense. Chernev's analysis is also very complex while also remaining pretty straightforward, which goes a long way to help anyone learn something from this book at any skill level.
By the time I started playing chess, the best computers were already 3700 Elo, and in a world where databases of every chess game ever played both exist and can be found on Google within one second, it's definitely natural to wonder why a book like this even needs to exist. But it absolutely still does, because chess played by computers and chess played by humans are two entirely separate things. Even if both a human and a computer can tell they have an advantage in a certain position, the computer doesn't care that it's been playing the same game for 3 hours. It doesn't mind that it's been sitting in the same chair staring at the void, hoping against hope that it stares back. It doesn't think that it just wants to go home and go to bed. Chess is a beautiful game, and although some of the games seem like they were included out of left field, this is still a beautiful book.
Every single one of these games was really fun to play back. I think some of the games are really weird choices for a book with this title, but every single one of the 62 games does, in fact, show the importance of some chess principle. That said, if you're looking for book of classic games to educate yourself, I would recommend starting somewhere else first. It's also written in the descriptive notation, so the move "e4" in algebraic notation this book calls "P-K4," but for those that don't know descriptive, learning how to translate between the two is very simple and will make a lot of things Chernev writes make more sense. Chernev's analysis is also very complex while also remaining pretty straightforward, which goes a long way to help anyone learn something from this book at any skill level.
By the time I started playing chess, the best computers were already 3700 Elo, and in a world where databases of every chess game ever played both exist and can be found on Google within one second, it's definitely natural to wonder why a book like this even needs to exist. But it absolutely still does, because chess played by computers and chess played by humans are two entirely separate things. Even if both a human and a computer can tell they have an advantage in a certain position, the computer doesn't care that it's been playing the same game for 3 hours. It doesn't mind that it's been sitting in the same chair staring at the void, hoping against hope that it stares back. It doesn't think that it just wants to go home and go to bed. Chess is a beautiful game, and although some of the games seem like they were included out of left field, this is still a beautiful book.
September 30, 2017
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev has one major flaw in my eyes: since it was first printed in 1965 it doesn’t use Algebraic Notation. So I have to act as a sort of translator for my mind and convert it into Algebraic Notation. I can’t easily visualize the board since I suck at the game of Chess, but the book provides illustrations for those of us that can’t see everything going on in their mind’s eye.
There are sixty-two games with each game starting out with a bit of commentary on what we are about to see. Each game has a general theme of how it embodies a certain piece of Chess Strategy. As with most books on Chess, it is probably best to play along with the game if you have a board and pieces as I do. Some of the games seem to be misprinted or have the moves in the wrong order, but the little illustrations help out with that.
Another method to enjoy this book is to find a Chess Database, look up the game and use the book as an additional commentary. For me, it is easier to do this than to play out the game using an old notation.
There are sixty-two games with each game starting out with a bit of commentary on what we are about to see. Each game has a general theme of how it embodies a certain piece of Chess Strategy. As with most books on Chess, it is probably best to play along with the game if you have a board and pieces as I do. Some of the games seem to be misprinted or have the moves in the wrong order, but the little illustrations help out with that.
Another method to enjoy this book is to find a Chess Database, look up the game and use the book as an additional commentary. For me, it is easier to do this than to play out the game using an old notation.
September 16, 2021
A title like this is already setting itself up for questioning. Are these really the most instructive games EVER? Even at its time of publication (1965), it could be hard to argue that these 62 games surpass all others played up to that point in their instructional capacity. Chernov does annotate his selected games creatively and with wit, like when he jests about the game he nicknames 'Weak Pawns, Weak Squares and Mighty, Mighty Knights': "The power generated by the centralized Knights is devastating. So great is the effect that Mattison feels compelled to resign, though he hasn't lost so much as a Pawn."
This makes for a more engaging read than some of the denser chess books in the canon. I do think this one is best suited for the more serious chess players, with its esoteric references, and emphasis on the deeper strategies of the game. It's worth noting for practical purposes, that this was a useful reference for instruction when showing my students illustrative examples of crafty play.
This makes for a more engaging read than some of the denser chess books in the canon. I do think this one is best suited for the more serious chess players, with its esoteric references, and emphasis on the deeper strategies of the game. It's worth noting for practical purposes, that this was a useful reference for instruction when showing my students illustrative examples of crafty play.
October 20, 2017
In the book “The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played” the author is Irving Chernev and I have some words to say about this book. In this book although I didn't read it all the way through I still love it. The reason I love it is because it talks about one of my favorite board games, chess! The reason I love chess so much is because it's a great strategy game that all ages can play. This book basically talked about strategies that chess players could use during their intense games. One strategy that they talked about was using a rook and a pawn to checkmate the king and win. Another reason why this book is so great is because if your a beginner then you can learn techniques and get better every time. I loved this book and if you like to play chess or your a beginner you will love this book too and I hope you like it.
August 29, 2020
Very nice collection of games. The descriptive notation is a challenge to navigate and led to more mistakes playing through than might otherwise have been the case, but paradoxically by increasing effort it probably helped with memory formation and pattern recognition. As a matter of fact, my rating (online, anyways) has shot up over 100 points since I started playing through these. Plus, some of the games are just plain fun to work through: Game 50 by Pillsbury in particular had me laughing out loud at the brilliance of the endgame play. Anyways, for the player who has developed a good foundation in the basics, this book might be just the ticket to bridge your way to more advanced stuff.
4.5/5
4.5/5
August 2, 2022
The interesting thing about reading through chess master games is that, even as a rank amateur, that the move that the master makes is exactly what I would play. The interesting thing is when the master makes a move that you wouldn't even consider and it turns out to be a turning point in the game. I read somewhere that masters and patzers play the same moves around 75-80 percent of the time, but that remaining 20-25 % is what makes them masters.
This is a book worth rereading, especially working through the variations in each game. So, for now it goes back onto the bookshelf.
This is a book worth rereading, especially working through the variations in each game. So, for now it goes back onto the bookshelf.
March 29, 2018
Real gems for the budding players
A must-read for beginners and alike after the logical chess move by move. Will definitely find time to go through all the games for the second and possibly the third time.
A must-read for beginners and alike after the logical chess move by move. Will definitely find time to go through all the games for the second and possibly the third time.
June 4, 2018
Not a bad assembly of games, but this was written in English Standard notation and is practically useless. I had such a hard time following it without standard algebraic notation. Also, there are no games past the 1960s used since it's an old book.
December 30, 2025
Pretty great book overall but could stand to have even more annotation. It's also in descriptive rather than algebraic notation which makes going through the book a bit more laborious. That said, highly recommended as an instructive and classic text.
January 7, 2026
I preferred logical chess which has more annotation and I think a better writing style. The games also felt more modern. Nonetheless this is a useful addition and I happily played through all 62 games (it did take me a while).
November 28, 2021
A lot more entertaining than I thought it would be. Clear concise games with powerful play on both sides (usually), and killer analysis.
January 18, 2024
If it got updated with algebraic notation and better diagrams this would be better, but it's very inaccessible to a new player, no matter the level.
March 24, 2012
Some very nice games here...some of which I still remembered from going over this long long ago (I particularly loved Boleslavsky-Lissitzin 1956). Unfortunately some that aren't terribly interesting either; in particular I have no idea why he sings such praises about Bogolyubov-Reti 1923 (a nice game, but hardly my idea of a world-straddling masterpiece). Chernev's notes are mostly of the "Isn't that neat?" variety, along with the sort of self-fulfilling stuff which lead to absurdities like him condemning somebody's 3rd move as already acquiescing to the bind which he will eventually find himself in (or something like that). And the constant "greatest knight maneuver ever" business got a little tired...as well as the step-by-step thing, with italics (tiresome as well as rather misleading in that case, as it implies that everyone works all this stuff out from the get-go like that, whereas it probably really only appears that way looking back on it). Also, since "instructive" isn't necessarily "great," his choice can go to a game which simply presents a useful maneuver in a particularly no-frills setting; indeed, the fact that an opponent didn't resign as soon as they perhaps should have can lead to the game being proclaimed "instructive" (because nowhere else are you likely to see such basic items showing up in master play). Anyway, probably a good and useful book for the less experienced player...although more advanced students will possibly find more things wrong with this one than there are right with it. And there are a couple of unusual wry touches to keep you turning the pages...like Chernev (who, like Reinfeld, is a veritable quote machine) quoting DeQuincey (for seemingly no reason at all): "If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing; and from robbing he comes next to drinking and Sabbath-breaking, and from that to incivility and procrastination." And at one point inserting the following Note to the Reader: "If you have skipped the variations above, go back to the diagram and play them over. They are not difficult, and they are interesting, even if they do look at first glance like some more of those confounded instructive things." As well as the following wah-wah-WAH moment: "Many masters, making an error of this sort, have killed themselves, or (even worse) given up chess." Please, Irving, stop--I can't breathe.
March 17, 2013
I liked this book a lot. I've read the criticisms of this book and I don't necessarily agree with them. Yes, it's a little hyperbolic at times (especially with the annotations) but that makes it interesting in my opinion. Yes, he takes a one-sided view of each game but that didn't make a difference to me. The games are instructive and I learned a lot. I've won a few games with the techniques I've learned in this book. I recommend this book.
***Edit*** I'm a mid-level intermediate player. More advanced players may not find this book as useful as I did, but I think players of my level and lower should get something out of this book.
***Edit*** I'm a mid-level intermediate player. More advanced players may not find this book as useful as I did, but I think players of my level and lower should get something out of this book.
March 6, 2015
This is a fantastic book of classical games whose only weakness is that there are no updated versions (that I've seen) not using classical notation.
Studying the classics will improve your gameplay and provide insight into the development and history of openings, and you're sure to find openings in this book long since abandoned by modern grandmasters.
This book provided a lot of learning material ad was good to study repeatedly as an amateur, but the book was less useful once I hit Intermediate and Expert Level A.
Notation is excellent and often provides fascinating back story.
Studying the classics will improve your gameplay and provide insight into the development and history of openings, and you're sure to find openings in this book long since abandoned by modern grandmasters.
This book provided a lot of learning material ad was good to study repeatedly as an amateur, but the book was less useful once I hit Intermediate and Expert Level A.
Notation is excellent and often provides fascinating back story.
July 31, 2013
I am a fairly intermediate player. I felt the games often got way over my head.
Otherwise it a pretty good book.
OF COURSE, unless you are someone who can play whole games of chess from simply looking at a list of moves, a chess board when reading this book is absolutely essential!
Otherwise it a pretty good book.
OF COURSE, unless you are someone who can play whole games of chess from simply looking at a list of moves, a chess board when reading this book is absolutely essential!
July 7, 2010
Shows practical, real applications of general chess theory. The theory really works!
October 22, 2012
Truly most instructive . . improved my play more than ever ! This is a book which can't be marked read! Its something to be explored and re-explored for more expertise.
April 26, 2021
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews