Rating: 
Summary: Great book, but don't trust the Batsford edition.
Review: 'My 60 Memorable Games' is a fantastic collection from one of the great players in the history of chess. But, if one happens to run into the Batsford edition of the book, don't trust it at all. Fischer has publicly spoken as to how Batsford has ruined his book. Here is the website where Fischer talks about it. http://home.att.ne.jp/moon/fischer/
It is true. It seems like the people at Batsford are purposely trying to ruin his credibility. They are trying to make him look like an idiot, like a no-good potzer. Nonetheless, the games are awesome and immortal. Fischer should publish a new edition of this book with 40 extra games. He should add the games from 1968 to 1972 and the games from the 1992 rematch.
Rating:
Summary: The finest chess book I have ever owned
Review: I agree with all of the positive remarks in the previous reviews.
This book is magical. I still remember the names that Larry Evens
gives to each game some 30 years after reading the book. This one
chess book was responsible for me to go from a novice 1600 rated player to a expert almost overnight. The clarity of Fischers approach to the game and his marvelous annotations completely changed my understanding of the game. It is a pity that such a gifted player and writter turns out to be such a creep in real life.
Rating:
Summary: Why is this book out of print?
Review: I am a bit amazed by some of the earlier reviews that describe this book as overrated and criticize Fischer's writing and annotations. This book is the greatest, clearest resource for modern chess ideas imaginable. Fischer has a surprisingly down to earth style with even a hint of humor. The annotations are immensely valuable and tediously thorough. The introductions to the games by Larry Evans are exciting and inspire a love of the game. Anyone wishing to learn the Sicilian or King's Indian defenses should regard this book as the authoritative reference. I also recommend finding a copy with the original descriptive notation instead of the algebraic. Descriptive notation allows you to play through the games easily with the board flipped, and this book is great for learning to play as black.
Rating:
Summary: Truly a classic
Review: I own the Faber paperback version. Love his chess. Pretty balanced, down to earth style. Not dry and dull like Capa or Botvinnik, neither is it too speculative and complex like Tal. More like a aggressive positional with scope for tactics - an in between of the above players. I have modelled my play on his style and i had been playing better chess. I dislike studying all those opening books with plentiful variations and theories, but through this book I learnt something about The Sicilian Najdorf and the KID and Sozins which I still play, and develop my own ideas based on the way Fischer handled those openings. Have to admit that this book is full of heavy analysis and variations which my limited abilities cannot fathom everything or visualise too far ahead, the analysis notes helps in the practice of calculating variations in the manner prescribed by Kotov in his book Think Like a Grandmaster as not many games books are filled with all kinds of variations and sub variations. Apart from the book being more for the stronger or advanced player's study, lesser players like myself can gain quite a fair bit of ideas and insight in just playing through and appreciating the games and ideas as played by Fischer or his opponents. If you are only going to own just 1 chess book, then own this one. Pity it is no longer in print. Get hold of the Faber version if you can. Its the original one.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Awesome Book !!
Review: If you can find this out of print book anywhere - grab it immediately!It is a collection of heavily annotated games that Fischer felt contained something special, memorable, or instructive. He even included several losses. Each game starts out with a commentary by Grandmaster Larry Evans, who describes the setting, the players, their moods, standings, etc. prior to the game. This is followed by the complete game scores with detailed notes penned by the Great Bobby himself. There is enough material in this book, coupled with enough variety of openings, that one could nearly create an opening repertoire from reading this book alone. (preferable with some reference to modern sources for potential improvements.). I know for a fact that countless talented players have been inspired by this classic for years. I have heard that an algebraic version was printed a few years back and then discontinued abruptly. (I have only seen the descriptive notation). In any case, this book truly belongs in the library of any serious player.
Rating:
Summary: A must have for anyone's chess library
Review: My edition is Faber paperbacks 1972 and covers the period 1957-1967. I always tell people that it is the best (money) that I've ever spent! IM Larry Evans introduces all of the 60 games with titles like "Slaying the dragon", "Peekaboo strategy" and "Meat and potatoes". Although, of course, it is the annotations given by Fischer that make the book - highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Nessun compromesso
Review: Nel corso della sua carriera Bobby Fischer ha realizzato il sogno di tutti: non scendere a patti con alcuno. Per questo ha pagato il prezzo dell'incomprensione, che è l'onere di tutte le persone sensibili. Il libro in questione è senz'altro il migliore in assoluto nel suo genere, non tanto perché non contenga significativi errori di analisi (almeno a quanto fino ad ora è dato di sapere) ma perché la sua trasparenza e l'onestà intellettuale dell'autore hanno fatto sì che molte persone, a partire dalla sua pubblicazione, si dedicassero agli scacchi come ad una passione fine a se stessa. Senza compromessi. Grazie Robert J. Fischer, grazie di cuore.
Rating:
Summary: Nessun compromesso
Review: Nel corso della sua carriera Bobby Fischer ha realizzato il sogno di tutti: non scendere a patti con alcuno. Per questo ha pagato il prezzo dell'incomprensione, che è l'onere di tutte le persone sensibili. Il libro in questione è senz'altro il migliore in assoluto nel suo genere, non tanto perché non contenga significativi errori di analisi (almeno a quanto fino ad ora è dato di sapere) ma perché la sua trasparenza e l'onestà intellettuale dell'autore hanno fatto sì che molte persone, a partire dalla sua pubblicazione, si dedicassero agli scacchi come ad una passione fine a se stessa. Senza compromessi. Grazie Robert J. Fischer, grazie di cuore.
Rating:
Summary: Magical and essential
Review: No offense to the previous reviewer who badmouthed this book, but you really mised the boat on this one. This is one the greatest chess books ever. Fischer's annotations are hard-hitting and incisive. He zeroes in on precisely which variations are important and does not try to blow you away with how smart he is. It is hard to explain this book, how wonderful it is. It grips you and allows you into the world of chess, as exemplified in one of its greatest players ever. From Larry Evans beautiful summaries preceding each game which provide you wtih guideposts to look for, to the excellent layout and production, this book has a magical quality to it. I have a Faber & Faber softocver, which is far superior to the Simon and Schuster copies I have sometimes boughta nd re-sold. The Faber version's paper is whiter and better, and the book has that strong but floppy character of the best paperbacks. This quality is superior to the American editions I have owned. I highly recommend the Faber edition. You don't get the picture of Fischer on the cover, but you get a better book. Get this book and keep it forever!
Rating:
Summary: Magical and essential
Review: Readers should be aware that there have been several editions of this book. In its original form, in descriptive notation and with Fischer's own annotations, it was very well received indeed, earning high praise from many top players and chess writers. It was also voted the best chess book in any category by the readers of the British Chess Magazine, and I'm sure by others. Unfortunately, when it was later re-edited and issued in an algebraic edition, something happened to Fischer's original annotations. The editors apparently 'revised' them, and the effect was - as Fischer vehemently complained in a recent radio interview - to make him look like "a patzer." He claims that the new annotations are riddled with errors and could never have come from his hand. Since 'My 60 Memorable Games' is as about important to students of chess as Shakespeare's plays are to students of literature, it would be nice to be able to tell readers to avoid the mutilated algebraic edition and to make sure they get a reprint of the earlier and untampered-with edition of the book. Unhappily neither edition appears to be available. Both have been allowed to go out of print and remain out of print. One is left wondering just who is keeping this masterpiece off the market. And why...?
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