{"id":4222,"date":"2025-08-04T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/?p=4222"},"modified":"2025-08-04T23:59:02","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T23:59:02","slug":"book-review-the-most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played-62-masterpieces-of-chess-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forwardchess.com\/blog\/book-review-the-most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played-62-masterpieces-of-chess-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review: The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces Of Chess Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Review: The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces Of Chess Strategy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStrategy is knowing what to do when there is nothing to do.\u201d \u2013 <\/em>Savielly Tartakower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Irving Chernev was a popular chess writer who primarily wrote books for amateur players. His books were designed to both instruct and entertain. In many ways, he was like his compatriot Fred Reinfeld, with whom he also wrote several books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This book is typical of his writing, and while it is primarily one of his instructive books, it\u2019s also entertaining to read. It was originally published in 1965, and this version is the 1981 republication in algebraic notation from Dover. While the moves conform to modern notation, it\u2019s worth noting that the comments sometimes hark back to the original English descriptive notation. However, this quirk doesn\u2019t distract from the book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Author:<\/strong>\u00a0Irving Chernev
Publisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Dover Publications<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read Book Sample<\/a> | Buy Book<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Of course, the title of the book is a bit bombastic. It\u2019s also easy to argue whether the chosen games are indeed the most instructive games of chess ever played up to the time of the book\u2019s original publication. For example, is Tarrasch \u2013 Thorold, Manchester, 1890 below the \u201cmost instructive rook and pawn ending ever played\u201d as Chernev claims? Readers can decide for themselves, but it certainly is an excellent example of how to play such endings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n

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