Addicted to chess books!

I just bought (through ebay) 1...e4, since i'm sick of sicilians. I like biographical stuff too, anything about morphy or fischer and am a fan of Kasparov's My Predecessors...and Revolution in the 70's. I was also reading a book about a school club in New York City and the personalities of the kids (who are very good) in it. I can't recall the name at the moment. Every time i go to the book store i read a little of it, tho im not a big enough fan to buy it. I like stuff about old players, like Staunton, Paulsen, Pillsbury, Marshall. And i enjoy picking up old opening manuals if available. You can pick up interesting lines, long forgotten and not listed in MCO.

Originally posted by buddy2
I just bought (through ebay) 1...e4, since i'm sick of sicilians. I like biographical stuff too, anything about morphy or fischer and am a fan of Kasparov's My Predecessors...and Revolution in the 70's. I was also reading a book about a school club in New York City and the personalities of the kids (who are very good) in it. I can't recall the name at the ...[text shortened]... uals if available. You can pick up interesting lines, long forgotten and not listed in MCO.

i have 6 with none finished and plans of getting more....fun thing to collect...

Originally posted by Talisman
Im need some serious help. I've become completely addicted to buying chess books. The trouble is i never get to finish them and some are barely even started.
when i'm not on here, i'm browsing Amazon for hours at a time looking for some miracle working book that's probably never even been written. I read a couple of good reviews on a title then get a real ...[text shortened]... ess book!

What about My System? This one's definitely on my list. Amazon here we come.

I don't think you need any help at all. Not only should you continue your habit, you should increase your amount of buying. Although this will surely be a hardship on you, just remember that people with your problem are helping out the chess community by increasing the supply of used books offered on eBay. 😉

P.S. I wonder if there's a CBBA (Chess Book Buyers Anonymous) organization.

I have had the same affliction and with about 60 books now I think I've calmed down on the buying front after making a promise that I'd complete one before buying any more. At it's worst I would buy a book and hide it for a few days ...then should my wife notice the new book and comment on it I'd reply: "Oh that old thing...I've had that a while"

Then there is the London Chess centre with shelves and shelves full of chess books where I've had the occasional book buying orgy - expensive!

Whenever my wife has complained about me having a lot of chess books I just answered that it's not a lot of chess books just a "small" chess library.

I keep most of the books stowed away now with about 10 or so current favorites kept out...and there are some really good books written by really intelligent people who understand the game and wish to share it with you. It's great for long flights or train journeys or working away from home in some dull hotel....yippee...I just pack 3 or 4 books and a chess set and look forward to a happy evening indulging my love of chess.

The only down side is that with all these chess books it's hard to find time to read any literature.

Originally posted by adam warlock
Ever heard of peer to peer file sharing. A great way to still get your chess books and not to spend so much money. And if you don't read them they won't waste space around your place.

Yes, I've heard of peer to peer file sharing, but I prefer to get my chess books the legal way. I guess I'm just funny that way.

eventually you'll have boughten every book of chess known to man and waiting for the next one to come out you'll be forced to read the books!!!

"Yes, I've heard of peer to peer file sharing, but I prefer to get my chess books the legal way. I guess I'm just funny that way."

Very noble of you. Personally I have no such moral hang ups, but I hate E-books. I have no idea why I just dont seem to retain anything I read on the computer. I have a few pirated ebooks I have never even looked at them more than once. I have 38 chess books. I have read just a couple. "idiots Guide", and "Winning Chess Tactics", Im currently reading "Winning Chess Strategy".

I just bought "Draw!" off of Ebay last week. Why? I have no idea why I have this compulsion, I read about it in the book "The Chess Artist", and thought I would look it up. Paid $31.00 for it. Its a sickness and should be treated as such.

I think the guy who said that it was fantasy for people who dont play maybe on to something. I am an awful Chessplayer, the books have really profited me nothing. I read "Winning Chess Tactics" but failed horribly on the tests in the back. The first books I bought were the Silman books and they were way over my head. If I could read and understand all my books I would probably be a lot better player. Maybe that is what drives me.

Kind of like the Charles Atlas Course. Kids since the 1930's were doing the pushups and calisthenics in the Atlas Course in Gym classes all over America. They were getting that PT for free, but still a ton of them saved up the $35.00 for the course, to learn the same things they already knew, or that was readily available from anyone who had been through Army bootcamp. People were buying the fantasy. The hope of not getting the sand kicked in their faces anymore. I think people buy Chess books for the same reason. There is probably not anything in one of those Chess books you could not learn from surfing the web, or from a Chess club. But the fantasy of Chess Improvement, or Russian secrets, keep the gulliable like me coming back for more. I dont have anybooks by Nimzowitch. Im off to Amazon to get them. jk

The thing is i have some real quality works. 2 recent examples are Simple Chess by michael Stean and GM secret endings by soltis.
These books are arguably the best in their respective fields. ( strategy& endings) and i was really absorbed by the first couple of chapters in each. But i still ended up putting them away long before they were finished.
It's like i'm missing out on something if i don't keep buying!
I've now decided to make a real effort to read and absorb my current crop of books before moving on.

This will take at least until Xmas when i'll request a copy of My System from Santa!.

[ Simple Chess by michael Stean and GM secret endings by soltis.
These books are arguably the best in their respective fields. ( strategy& endings)

Awwh..now you've made me want these two

Originally posted by Dragon Fire
[b]I do the same, only the books have naked girls in them!

Which chess books are these?

Originally posted by Mahout
Awwh..now you've made me want these two

Forget about my compulsion, those two books are real classics. I've been reading the Stean book over the past couple of evenings. Top draw!
Just check out the reviews on Amazon. you'll get the gist.

Originally posted by tapestry
Which chess books are these?

GM secret endings by soltis and Simple Chess by Michael Stean.

Originally posted by tapestry
Which chess books are these?

XXX ways to mate;

Mating with Bishops and Queens;

The pawn stars.

Of course, there are many others.

Originally posted by IndianaBrandon
"Yes, I've heard of peer to peer file sharing, but I prefer to get my chess books the legal way. I guess I'm just funny that way."

Very noble of you. Personally I have no such moral hang ups, but I hate E-books. I have no idea why I just dont seem to retain anything I read on the computer. I have a few pirated ebooks I have never even looked at ...[text shortened]... r more. I dont have anybooks by Nimzowitch. Im off to Amazon to get them. jk

"...Personally I have no such moral hang ups, but I hate E-books. I have no idea why I just dont seem to retain anything I read on the computer."

I also prefer to read actual books instead of e-books. But I do have some old, public domain chess e-books. These are legal, either because the copyright on these works have expired, or because they were never copyrighted in the first place. Of course, these public domain books tend to have more historical than practical value.

"I have read just a couple. "idiots Guide", and..."

Did you like Idiot's Guide? I thought it was a very good introductory book.

"The first books I bought were the Silman books and they were way over my head."

I hear those are good books, but I agree that the Silman books shouldn't be a beginner's first books. (Especially the How To Reassess book.)

"...the books have really profited me nothing. I read "Winning Chess Tactics" but failed horribly on the tests in the back."

Sorry to hear of your bad experience with that one. But I think tactics books are meant to be practiced multiple times. You're not going to memorize all the tactical positions and ideas the first time - You have to learn them through repetition.

In general, I think chess books can be very useful in learning chess. Of course, having a chess trainer is best, because he can quickly spot your biggest weaknesses, but trainers are expensive. Books are cheaper. But with books, you have to find books by good writers (and avoid the bad writers), the books have to be appropriate for your skill level, you have to actually read the books, you have to be able to discover your biggest areas of weakness, and you have to be able to apply your book knowledge by playing and reviewing games. If it were easy, we'd all be masters, I guess.

I also have more chess books than I'll probably ever get around to reading, so I guess I have the "sickness" a little, too. But I can think of worse habits to have. Also, some of my books are "enjoyment" books, not instructional books.

Originally posted by Talisman
GM secret endings by soltis and Simple Chess by Michael Stean.

I've never read Simple Chess but GM Secret Endings was my only endgame book until I hit 1500 (and I've only gained 100 points since then).