Schacksnack

This classic is an excellent instructional book, especially suitable for players from beginner level up to around 2200 strength. Chernev presents complete games, allowing the reader to follow all three phases – opening, middlegame and endgame – and to understand the transitions between them.

Several games are truly outstanding examples of strategic themes. For instance, the famous Lasker–Tarrasch game (St Petersburg, 1914) shows how to play against the isolated queen’s pawn, while Boleslavsky–Lissitzin (Moscow, 1956) demonstrates how to use a strong outpost knight on d5. A highly recommended model game is Schlechter–John (Barmen, 1905), which beautifully illustrates dark-square strategy. Endgame themes are also well covered, such as the importance of activity and the power of the 7th rank in rook endings, shown in Capablanca–Tartakower (New York, 1924).

One of the great strengths of this book is that the games are both well-chosen and clearly annotated. Chernev was one of the best chess writers of his time, producing around 20 books when dedicated chess authorship was far less common. His explanations are clear, his selection of games is reliable, and his chapter titles subtly highlight the theme of each game. This remains one of the finest introductory strategy books in chess literature.