DGCC Chess Library


Books, DVDs, or magazines from the DGCC library can be checked out for four weeks at a time. With a maximum of three items out per person at a time. You must be a member of DGCC to check out items. There is no charge to borrow items.


Items are picked up and returned at DGCC at our Wednesday club meeting. No items are not stored at DGCC's playing site. Send email to Brian about items(s) you may be interested in, and they'll be at the next club meeting.


Each book listing below shows it's:

  • title

  • author

  • { Descriptive Notation or ALgebraic notation; Paper Back or Hard Cover; number of pages }

  • in (available for loan), or out on loan and when it is due back

  • a brief description

Books are split into three lists:

  • Game Collections (13). Sorted by the player or tournament that the book is about. With notes about the games by the author, unless otherwise noted.

  • Openings (12). Sorted by title.

  • All other books (8) - middlegames, endgames, etc. Sorted by title.

Multimedia

Item

Title

in or out

Description

Magazines

Chess Life

various

The monthly magazine published by the United States Chess Federation. Editions go from December 2006 through the current month.

DVD

Chess: Ready, Steady, Go!

in

For people new to chess who want to learn the game. By English International Master Andrew Martin. Two hours and 15 minutes long. The “behind the camera” work was done by DGCC members Bill Whited and Peter Stein. Produced in Downers Grove.



Books: Game Collections

Title

Author

Notation, Cover, Pages

in or out

Description

Alekhine's Best Games of Chess 1938-1945

C.H.O'D Alexander

DN PB p117

in

42 games from the last phase of the 4th world champion's career

My Best Games of Chess 1908-1937

Alexander Alekhine

DN PB p549

in

Alekhine played gigantic conceptions, full of outrageous and unprecedented idea”--Bobby Fischer. 220 games from the start and middle of the 4th world champion's career

one hundred selected games

Mikhail Botvinnik

DN PB p270

in

100 from games 1926-1946. He'd go on to be the 5th world champion from 1948 to 1963 (except for the years 1957, and 1960).

Capablanca's 100 Best Games of Chess

H. Golombek

DN PB p267

out Oct 21

100 games from 1900-1939, by the 3rd world champion. “they have a crystal simplicity that quickly rewards the developing player with improved skills.” “a body of games that demonstrates so well the essential quality of chess”

Garry Kasparov New World Chess Champion

Garry Kasparov

AL PB p115

in

all 24 games from the 1985 Kasparov vs Karpov world championship. “detailed and penetrating commentary by Kasparov”

Lasker's Greatest Chess Games 1889-1914

Fred Reinfeld, Reuben Fine

DN PB p165

in

75 games by the 2nd world champion, which he held for a record 28 years

Morphy's Games of Chess

Philip W. Sergeant

DN PB p351

in

You can put boldness into your chess game ... By emphasizing the role of systematic, aggressive development” 300 games from the 1850's including blindfold, odds, casual. Plus biography.

Book of the Nottingham Inter. Chess Tournament

A. Alekhine

DN PB p291

in

1936 tournament. Many of the best players from that era (Botvinnik, Capablanca, Euwe, Fine, Reshevsky, Alekhine, Lasker, etc). 111 games, all well annotated by Alekhine

2nd Piatigorsky Cup

I. Kashdan(ed)

DN PB p228

in

1966 tournament. 90 games all with notes by one or usually both players (dueling comments), including Spasky, Bobby Fischer, Larsen, Petrosian. Reshevsky

Reshevsky's Best Games of Chess

Samuel Reshevsky

DN PB p272

in

110 games from 1920-1946. His games have a reputation for being stodgy and dull—not so.

San Antonio 1972

Various

DN PB p270

in

Super GM tournament in Texas, including Karpov, Petrosian, Larson, Keres. 120 games. Notes by the players, or by Bent Larson, or David Levy.

Chess Struggle in Practice, Lessons from the famous Zurich Candidates Tournament of 1953

David Bronstein

DN PB p500

in

an all-time classic”. 209 games. Outstanding notes by Bronstein. Players included Smyslov, Bronstein, Petrosian, Keres, Geller, Reshevsky. . “some of the strongest, most innovative and interesting middlegame play in the history of chess”

500 Master Games of Chess

S.Tartakower, DuMont

DN PB p665

in

500 games played before 1952, sorted by opening. Lots of classic masterpieces.



Books: Openings

Title

Author

Notation, Cover, Pages

in or out

Description

Batsford Chess Openings (BCO) (1986)

Various

AL PB p345

in

one book coverage of all openings, variations with short intros

Chess Openings: Theory and Practice (1964)

I.A. Horowitz

DN PB p789

in

coverage of all openings, with some explanation. But now quite outdated

Chess Traps Pitfalls & Swindles How to Set Them and How to Avoid Them (1954)

I.A. Horowitz, Fred Reinfield

DN PB p243

in

opening traps, and middle games traps too. “we all have a spot of larceny in our hearts”

Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) “A” (1979)

Various

AL HC p474

in

ECO is five volumes of extensive variations without words, but symbols for explanation. This volume covers various besides 1.e4 & 1.d4; 1.d4 w/o 1...d5 or 1...Nf6; 1.d4 Nf6 without 2.c4; 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 w/o 2...e6 or 2...g6. (That is, English, Benoni, Dutch, Reti, Benko Gambit, Old Indian, Bird, etc.)

Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) “B” (1975)

Various

AL PB p398

in

1.e4 w/o French nor double K pawn. (That is, Sicilian, Caro-Kahn, Pirc, Alekhine, Scandinavian, etc.)

Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) “C”, 2nd version (1981)

Various

AL HC p487

in

French Defense, and double K pawn(including Ruy Lopez, Petroff, K's Gambit, Philidor, Italian, Scotch, etc.)

Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO) “D” (1976)

Various

AL PB p402

in

double Q pawn; and Grunfeld. (Includes Q's Gambit Accepted and Declined and Slav, Grunfeld, Q's Pawn, etc)

English Defense ...e6, ...b6, ...Bb7 (1987)

R. Keene, et. al.

AL PB p100

in

an opening only for the brave of heart

Modern Chess Openings 13th Edition, MCO-13 (1990)

Nick DeFirmian, Walter Korn

AL PB p708

in

covers all openings, with variations and brief introduction

Opening Ideas and Analysis for Advanced Players, Vol. Two (1992)

Andrew Soltis

AL PB p279

out Sep 2

"how families of chess strategies were discovered, how they matured with age and how they altered the way players began their chess games in the period following World War II". This volumn is about the Sicilian, Reversed Openings, Benoni, Benko, Gambit, K's Indian, Nimzo, and Q's Indian. [DD copy]

Opening Ideas and Analysis for Advanced Players, Vol. Two (1992)

Andrew Soltis

AL PB p279

in

See above, but for Ruy Lopez, Petroff, QGD, QGA, Slav, Semi-slav, Semi-Tarrasch

The Pirc Defense (1973)

G.S. Botterill, R.D. Keene

DN HC p249

in

all about the Pirc



Books: Middlegames, Endgames, Etc.

Title

Author

Notation, Cover, Pages

in or out

Description

1001 Brilliant Chess Sacrifices and Combinations

Fred Reinfeld

DN HC p251

out 10/21

1001 positions organized by type of tactic that solves it—pins, forks, etc. Classic “quiz” book.

Encyclopedia of Chess Middlegames (1980)

Various

AL HC p351

in

1817 positions that have a tactical/combination solution. Great “quiz” book. Sorted by 16 types of tactics, and split into two parts: simpler and more complex positions.

My System (1930)

Aron Nimzovich

DN PB p372

in

Nimzovich's profound theories of positional chess are accepted as a matter of course, and a knowledge of them is essential”. E.g. over-protection, center play, pawn masses. Includes 50 annotated games that demonstrate the theories.

Pawn Power In Chess (1959)

Hans Kmoch

DN PB p304

in

chess strategy based on details of pawn play”

Pawn Structure Chess (1978)

Andrew Soltis

DN PB p300

in

typical pawn chains/centers coming out of the opening, and what to do with them in the middle game, e.g. Maroczy Bind, or the Isolania

Practical Chess Endings (1961)

Irving Chernev

DN PB p318

in

318 endgame studies with solutions on same page, organized by piece. “practical endgame situations that are likely to occur in play”

Test Your Positional Play (1985)

Robert Bellin, P. Ponzetto

AL PB p192

out 11/11

30 tests of your positional play, plus 62 pages of instruction about positional play in the middlegame. If you've ever wondered “now what?”, this book will help. High personal recommendation.

Think Like a Grandmaster (1972)

Alexander Kotov

DN PB p200

in

All time classic on how to play the middle game. “how does a grandmaster think during play? How does he formulate his strategy and tactics?”