English Chess Forum

John Saunders wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 21, 2025 11:30 am

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 21, 2025 10:47 am

I was ready to be shocked at such abuse of a talented writer, until I recalled I might have been guilty also... The book is clearly a collectors' item, and I really enjoyed the first review, by Sharon Brown.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Play-Winni ... 0754817121

Ms Brown has clearly confused 'How to Play Winning Chess' with the author's follow-up oeuvre 'Dieting for Chess Players'. Sadly the latter title is now unobtainable as the publishers suppressed it after seeing a photo of the author's less than svelte appearance.

Even less impressive was "Dieting for Chess Arbiters", Everyone who was there will recall the Hastings Congress where BH Wood mischievously presented a copy of the book to Ritson Morry, who glared at it, ripped out the frontispiece and used it to light his latest cigar. An Italian friend of mine assures me that chess arbiters are banned from Pisa, following the incident where several of them stood on the same side of a building.

And who can forget "Dating for Chess Players"?

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 21, 2025 2:20 pm

And who can forget "Dating for Chess Players"?

Another contender for "shortest ever chess book"?

Matt Mackenzie wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 21, 2025 4:32 pm

Kevin Thurlow wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 21, 2025 2:20 pm

And who can forget "Dating for Chess Players"?

Another contender for "shortest ever chess book"?

Who should write the Foreword? Answers on a postcard please...

John Upham wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 22, 2025 11:34 am

Who should write the Foreword? Answers on a postcard please...

Nigel Short - IT WAS A JOKE.

In 2004 Gambit Publications ran a competition for eye-catching titles for chess books. Not the winner, but my favourite, was this entry from the staff of the British Chess Magazine:
Garry Kasparov’s Ultimate Gambit Guide to the 101 Easy Winning Secrets of Beating Your Dad and Bobby Fischer for the Attacking Player

In 2016 Quality Chess asked for suggestions for the title of a new training book about becoming a Grandmaster. One that stood out (submitted appropriately enough by "Depressed Cynic") was:
Waste your Life Achieving a Devalued Title

"Winning with the Damiano Defence" by Eric Schiller

or

"Secrets of Pawnless Openings"