Chess Books - How Many?

[Stewart Reuben]

I remember doing the minutes for the Rules Commission in Brazil about 30 years ago. There were some rather extravagant crossings-out and insertions. Lothar Schmid asked me whether he could have them. At the time I thought he was joking. Since then I am not so sure.
Geurt Gijssen told me recently that Lothar's collection is causing problems. Naturally there are those who want it kept together, but the family is selling it off in lots.
Geurt got rid of all his opening theory books as he wasn't interested. Even so he still has 10,000 items. He is concerned about what to do as the family won't want them when he dies and he doesn't know of a library that can take charge of them. He is 81.
H J R Murray asserted that, before 1914, there were more books published on chess than all other sports put together.

It is hard to define. I am not a prolific writer. But I have written 7 books on poker, one of which has been translated into French and another into Spanish. Does that count as 7 or 9? I have written 4 books on chess. 3 of them have gone into more than one edition. Chess Organiser's Handbook has gone into 3 editions - all substantially different and it was translated into Arabic.