What it teaches
Grandmaster Savielly Tartakower, one of the wittiest writers the game has known, and Julius du Mont assembled 500 master games from the era of the early masters through the 1930s, organized by opening. Each game has concise, instructive notes highlighting the key moments and the ideas behind them.
Because the games are grouped by opening, the book doubles as a historical tour of how openings were played, and as a vast practice resource for anyone who learns best by playing through complete games.
Who it's for
Club players from about 1300 up who enjoy playing through master games, and collectors of chess history. The notes are brief, so it rewards readers who can follow games without heavy explanation.
How to get the most from it
Play through the games in the openings you use, one or two at a time. Guess the moves before looking, and mark the games you want to revisit.
Key takeaways
- Playing through many master games builds intuition and pattern recognition.
- Grouping games by opening shows how each opening's ideas developed.
- Concise notes train you to find the key ideas yourself.
- Classic games remain rich sources of strategic and tactical lessons.
Read next
For more detailed explanations of fewer games, try The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played. For modern master games, read Understanding Chess Move by Move.
