English Chess Forum

The first chess book I ever bought was Chess Psychologist World Champion Tal by Alexander Liepniks. Great book, with some great games.

I didn't buy a book for many years after learning - partly because (a) there were relatively few books available in the late 1960s and (b) the public libraries (at least in my part of Birmingham) were well stocked.

I suspect I then succumbed to the lure of Fred Reinfeld

The first chess book I bought was "How to think ahead in Chess" by Horowitz and Reinfeld. I don't know if it improved my game or did it irreparable harm.

For my ninth birthday in 1975, I got a wooden chess set and "Chess: a beginner's guide" by Stanley Morrison

Can't remember the first book I actually bought myself, might have been "More Chess for Children" (co-written by the same author) with my book token a bit later.

First one by Reinfeld was "how to play the Black pieces".

Anybody else remember these?

How To Be A Winner At Chess -Reinfeld bought around 1970.

My first few chess books were all either presents, or school prizes, or won in tournaments (see the "How I Learnt" thread for details). In fact it's hard to remember which was the first I actually bought! Probably How Good Is Your Chess? by none other than Leonard Barden, around 1970. Another early acquisition was the same author's Guardian Book Of Chess.

On the other hand, the first chess publication I purchased with my own money was the job-lot of 15 issues of the by-then defunct Junior Chess, from good ol' B H Wood in 1965. I found these invaluable and still regret their loss.