With the Christmas Season upon us, we though it was high time to review the best chess books published in 2019. Here, with some help from Santa's elves, are the top five "must have" stocking fillers of 2019.
1. Steven Kee - My 60 Execrable Games
A veteran of over 1000 competitive chess games, author Steve Kee is spoilt for choice in guiding us through this compendium of dire, ridiculous and downright unfathomable chess-capades from his undistinguished career. This legendary title has been updated to include games from the new season where his ceaseless experimentation has delivered new lows.
2. Richard Dawkins - The Caissa Delusion
Never one to shy away from controversy, renowned Oxford professor Richard Dawkins untangles the skein of superstition, myth and folly that leads chess players down the ages into believing supernatural forces care one jot about their fumbling attempts at what is after all a mere board game. This polemic will give you all the ammunition you need to win an argument at a dinner party near you.
3. Magnus Carlsen - How to Beat John Redmond
You would imagine that the reigning World Chess Champion would have been busy this year. Yet in spite of retaining his crown and extending his unbeaten streak to one hundred classical games and beyond, Carlsen has found time to produce this peerless manual of how to thwart a player who is widely regarded as the most dogged, tenacious scourge of Merseyside Chess. In a contretemps that mirrors the publishing duel of Karpov and Kasparov in the 1980s, Redmond is reportedly working on his own counter volume. We await next year's list with baited breath.
4. Steven Hawking - A Brief History of Time Pressure
The early indications are that this weighty tome is fast becoming one of the most widely bought (yet least read!) chess books of the year. If you thought mating with two knights against a pawn was difficult, strap yourself in for a truly mind-bending analysis of time pressure paradigms including why your opponent always seems to have more time than you and how to behave correctly when your opponent forgets to press his clock.
5. GM Poppy Krush - Chess and Opiates: The Verdict!
Our final choice is the eagerly anticipated successor to "Chess and Alcohol" and "Chess and Caffeine", where GM Krush invites us to chase the dragon with her, leading to what is a truly memorable conclusion. Life across the sixty-four squares is unlikely to be the same again.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post. We urge you not to take it too seriously. On behalf of all at Atticus Chess Club, we wish your and your nearest and dearest a joyous, restful and auspicious Christmas and New Year!