The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played

Rating:
Summary: No masterpiece
Review: After reading through most of these reviews that are for the most part extremely favorable I feel it's necessary to add this slightly less favorable review to complete the picture.

The book is a collection of annotated games, and the author wrote it for instruction. So far so good. There are several problems with this book, however:

- The analysis is sometimes misleading, or outright wrong. Chernev tries to explain everything with general principles, but often the chosen move just had to be played for tactical reasons. This gives the reader the wrong impression that just about any position can be played according to generalities, which is wrong.
- Many of the selected games are fairly dull games where both sides just trade down material and then one side wins in the endgame after a mistake by the other player. This is not a fault per se, but the potential buyer should be aware of this. You won't find many interesting attacking games in this book.
-Chernev provides very one-sided annotations. Often average moves by the player who eventually wins are marked with exclamation marks, while excellent moves by the loser get no mention.
-Chernev typically doesn't explain the plans for the side who eventually loses.
-Bad moves by the winner are typically not marked as such.
-The annotations are often irrelevant. Often Chernev gives long, non-forcing side variations that have absolutely nothing to do with the game played. Reading through these variations doesn't help you to understand the underlying game in the least.

In conclusion, I would say it's a decent book, but nowhere near the quality of Chernev's "Logical Chess", or other collections of annotated games by authors such as Euwe or Nunn. It is certainly not a "must-have".

Rating:
Summary: No masterpiece
Review: Chernev's "The Most Instructive Games of chess Ever Played" is quite simply one of the finest games collections ever for players rated under 1800.
In it, Chernev gives enough comments so as not to leave the less experienced adrift, but not so many as to bore readers in the 1500-1800 range. This book offers games with clear plans; logically developed and well executed. It's just what players need to feed on before hitting more advanced collections. You'll see examples that clearly illustrate advanced themes, but presented in a very approachable and enthusiastic style. Chernev's enthusiasm and love is infectious. His choices are great and also serve as an introduction to famous players and chess's rich history.
It's a perfect book for players who want to start studying but might be discouraged at trying to get through more complicated works. The only drawback is that it is in descriptive notation. However the book's high value and the low price of the Dover edition make it easy to overlook this.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining - Positional - Gem
Review: Considering the unbelievable number of games you can find online, or in a USCF magazine, why should you buy a compilation of games? Because this is very entertaining, well annotated and a terrific selection of games illuminating all the main themes of positional play.

One the first chess books I owned, I used this as a self-quiz book, reading one move and then predicting the next. When I entered my first tournament, I found I had a surprisingly strong positional understanding - often getting a strangle hold on opponents before finally blundering due to a poor tactical eye. (So also buy and practice with a tactics book - I recommend starting with Chessercises by Pandolphini)

The games are well annotated, pointing out the themes of all the main moves. The annotation is a bit basic, but should be fairly educational for most players still below 1600. For those with understanding above 1600, games are still great to use as self-quizzes and the author's enthusiasm for this game makes the reading enjoyable. No dry words here, Chernov gives colorful descriptions of the historical geniuses of chess and then goes on, move by move, joyfully explaining the game as if the wins were his himself.

Highly recommended as your first book of compiled games. (The only others I own are compilations of miniatures based on specific openings.)

Rating:
Summary: For Lover's Only
Review: Easily one of the best books ever written. This is one of the first books I purchased over 30 years ago. I am sure it helped start me on the road to Chess Mastery.

Chernev, like Reinfeld, did NOT write chess books to impress other Chess Masters. He wrote books simply and with great care. He also put his tremendous love of the game into this book.

I simply cannot convey what a wonderful book this is. This book will especially appeal to the average player, especially someone who wants to improve his game.

I usually don't rave about books. This is an exception.

Here is what I say about this book on my web site:
<< The next book is by Irving Chernev. I met this man several times, and he had a real love for the game that few players today demonstrate. He would look at games by the hour with anyone. I personally believe Chernev was at least IM strength. (I believe he played in several U.S. Championships.) The book is:
"The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played."
[62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy.]
It contains 62 true masterpieces of chess by various different players. (Masters such as Fischer, Capablanca, Alekhine, Tal, etc. Plus many more of the all-time greats!!) Each game is carefully and lovingly annotated. This book had a tremendous impact on me and the way that I viewed and looked at chess.
{I studied it many, many, many times.}

Chernev provides games with an almost blow-by-blow commentary. His ideas are simple, fresh, insightful, and expressed with great clarity. He explains all the basic ideas of the game in a manner that ANY chess-player can follow. The variations are perfect. Not too much to overload the senses. I have had players who were almost beginners to players who were accomplished tournament players ... tell me that they profited from a careful study of this book. I think one should study this book, as I did. Every time your rating goes up 100 points, you should work your way through this book from cover to cover! You won't regret it and you definitely will improve!

Another unique thing is he finds one idea or theme in each game,
and just hammers away at it. It is a VERY good study method.

It also contains some of the classics of Chess, and Chernev brings you a fresh insight and analysis to each game. (Indeed - his comments and analysis may differ greatly from the ones that may have been published in the {chess} press when the game was first played.) Chernev was one of the greatest all-time teachers and writers in the chess field. This book is a true pearl!!! I think it belongs in the library of every real chess aficionado. >>

I also rate this in, "The Ten Best Chess Books Ever Written." Need I say more?

Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece
Review: For anyone who is interested in the study of Grandmaster games, this book is the ideal one. It offers superb analysis, easy to understand reasoning, as well as variations that will get you thinking.

Chernev does another great job at dissecting great games, which in combination denotes a powerful force. This book is ideal for anyone studying chess tactics or openings who hopes to relate what they learned to master games.

Even if you do not enjoy reading over GM games, this book is still excellent. You will gain a lot from reading it, I guarantee it.

[After reading through it and studying it, your ELO should and could go up about 100-150 points.]

Rating:
Summary: A very useful book for the vast majority of club players
Review: I digested this book as a teenager, and it was very helpful. Chernev writes in a clear and interesting way. To advance, beginners need to know the concepts presented here, and the rules are useful most of the time. The games are good quality, and the reader won't get bogged down in a mass of variations.

The rule-iconoclasm in Watson's Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy is also very important, but only to near master level and above. Definitely learn the rules (and Chernev never claims they are absolute) before learning when to break them!

Rating:
Summary: Instructive is the Best Description
Review: I have had this book for a while and read it once, but didn't get much out of it... I have been taking lessons, and now the book is more valuable to me than I thought! It explains everything step by step. The one drawback is that it is only in descriptive notation, not algebraic.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Chess Book On The Market
Review: I have only been through the first 22 games but they were enough to convince me that this book is a winner. Other reviewers of this book have said that this book is for someone with a USCF rating of about 1200-1600. However in my humble opinion they couldn't be farther off the mark. They are surely not getting the most out of this book. If you want to appreciate this book completly then you must be rated USCF around 2000-2300. The masterpeices in this book, if studied correcly and thourghly, can propel anyone's chess to amazing new heights.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: I have read many excellent chess books, and I think it's safe to say that this is one of the best of them. Never before has a chess book captivated me like this one. Each time I finished a game, I teemed with anticipation at what the next held.

This is not just another loosely compiled collection. Each and every game has a clear theme, and Chernev keeps focus on it. From cover to cover, this book is jam packed with chess virtuosity. Some of the greatest chess geniuses ever are featured in here, namely Capablanca, Tarrasch, Petrosian, and Botvinnik, just to name a few. Game by unique game, Chernev provides the reader with well-annotated instruction and entertainment (some positions made me laugh out loud at the brilliance of one player and the helplessness of his opponent). We even see the ever-illustrious Fischer lose to an insidious trap by Olafsson. Furthermore, history surrounding the games is often provided that makes it all the more interesting.

In summary, this book should prove to be a wonderful teaching tool to just about any player who studies it; I imagine even 2000+ players will learn something. And, perhaps best of all, this masterpiece of chess literature is a joy to read.

Hats off to Chernev. *****

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely fantastic
Review: I have read many excellent chess books, and I think it's safe to say that this is one of the best of them. Never before has a chess book captivated me like this one. Each time I finished a game, I teemed with anticipation at what the next held.

This is not just another loosely compiled collection. Each and every game has a clear theme, and Chernev keeps focus on it. From cover to cover, this book is jam packed with chess virtuosity. Some of the greatest chess geniuses ever are featured in here, namely Capablanca, Tarrasch, Petrosian, and Botvinnik, just to name a few. Game by unique game, Chernev provides the reader with well-annotated instruction and entertainment (some positions made me laugh out loud at the brilliance of one player and the helplessness of his opponent). We even see the ever-illustrious Fischer lose to an insidious trap by Olafsson. Furthermore, history surrounding the games is often provided that makes it all the more interesting.

In summary, this book should prove to be a wonderful teaching tool to just about any player who studies it; I imagine even 2000+ players will learn something. And, perhaps best of all, this masterpiece of chess literature is a joy to read.

Hats off to Chernev. *****