Be careful of assuming good player, good book. Kasparov is an outstanding player, but his books are hard to understand like his play. In contrast, Fischer's book My 60 Memorable Games is excellent and the books about him easier to understand. His play is simpler.

1. Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is a non-descript not particularly good book

2. Capablanca's Best Games by Golumbak is a very good intermediate book.

3. Drovetsky is one of the outstanding writers and more of his books should have made the top 50. I'd put his book Tactical Play, no 2.

4. Logical Chess Move by Move is a good book but probably not no. 2.

5. Fireside Book of Chess and Chess for Fun, Chess for Blood are good story books.

6. Tal's book on his match with Botvinnik should probably be up there.

7. Polgar's book on combinations and progressive learning is well done and one of the best books for someone learning or even intermediate. his daughters are outstanding chess players for a reason.

8. Averbakh's book on chess ending, available in English on disc is a well-organized educational book on endings that I put in the top 5.

9. Kasparov's book on his match provides a somewhat biased view and his annotations are hard.

Hi, I most definitely respect every person's opinion even when I do not agree. Here for example, my main objection is about kasparov's writings. I have studied about 100 chess books and read another 100, all among the considered very good books on chess. I have been a club player, amateur, since 1972, rated just over 2000.
Kasparov is, in my opinion one of the top 5 chess authors, together with Tal (who wrote very little), Alekhine, Botvinnik, Nunn and, OK, maybe another 2 or 3 who get 5 star+ grade. This is all I have to say for now, Best wishes to all, Michael J.P.

PS: OH, JUST TO NAME SOME BOOKS: "ON MY GREAT PREDECESSORS", all 5 books...GREAT BOOKS FOR ENTERTAINMENT, INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTION!

I don't agree with all the choices the best books stand above others for their quality and instructional value Lasker's Manual deserves to be on the list as does Reuben Fine's Basic Chess Endings, Zonosko Borovoski's the Middle Game in Chess, Chess Fundamentals by Jose Capablanca, Lessons from my Games by Reuben Fine and The Game of Chess by Siegbert Tarrasch.

Other books that deserve to be on the list Cary Utterberg's De la Bourdonnais vs McDonnell 1834, Paul Morphy by Geza Marozy, KarlsBad 1907 International Tournament by George Marco and Karl Schlechter and Zurch 1953 by David Bronstien.

I've been a Chess Player for 31 years and I've got over 500 books in my library.