Favourite Checkers Books

[Danny_Alvarez]

Hi guys.... I am not technical enough to do a poll .... plus i don't want to unduly bias the results of this....
What are your top 5 checkers books? and why?

Regards from afar

D. Alvarez

[Ingo_Zachos]

Here is my top 5:

5. "The Compleat Draughts Player" by Irving Chernev.

Because it really inspires and has a bit of everything, but not too much, so it never gets boring.
The best subway read about checkers you can get.

4. "Move Over" by Derek Oldbury.

Because it gives you something that is worth more then any opening line: it tells you how to make a plan.
The way he teaches first postion in this book is the way like all endgame positions and key landings should be explained:

No lines to confuse or bore, but plans, ideas, key diagrams, and all that is his special, witty style.

Also, Derek wrote his Encyclopedia, which is not one book, so it does not qualify for this category, but is a true masterpiece.

3. "The Sixth" by Alexander Moiseyev

Because no grandmaster, dead or live, has ever produced such a compilation of his best games, annotated with his own words and full of grandmaster secrets. If Alex deserves a place in draughts heaven, it might not be bcause of his success, but because of this book.

2. "Key Themes" by Richard Pask

Because that is what the draughts player needs: a compilation of strategic midgame ideas and how to expoit them by one of the best writers. I also like "Play better Draughts & Checkers" and "Starting Out In Checkers/Draughts" very much.

1. "Tricks, Traps & Shots" by Willie Ryan

Another great writer with a very entertaining book about opening traps. Much lighter then any " Lead's Guide" it shows you how easy you can score or lose if you don't study and remember all of them.
That's how an opening guide should be written.

Also, Wyllie deserves to be number one, a dream he did not achieve in his lifetime.
Maybe that is why he is so popular: He was not perfect, but he tried hard and ... failed closely, because of circumstances that he could not overcome all by himself.

Also my treasue in Checker/Draughts literature is a compete edition of all years of the "American Checkerist", Willie's superb magazine. It does not fit in the category "book", but is a masterpiece that everyone should read.


There are notable absentees like all books by Ben Boland, especially "Familiar Themes", "Famous Positions", "Bridges" and "Border Classics", but these works are so full of lines and only numbers and lines that, no matter how important those material is, it is provided in the most boring and absolutely unentertaining way.

So these are very important works, but the material is important, not the book.
They are no outstanding pieces of literature, but rather compilations of high value, but the value is the material and not the way is has been selected or presented, which is awkward, and not the entertainment value, which is non-existing.

The same applies to such "classics" as Gould's Problems, Gould's matches, and, albeit to a lesser extent to Dunne's "Draughts Praxis".

I also did not include all those classic opening works like Lees Guide, Robertsons Guide, BDP, Kear's encylopedia. They are really, like Oldbury put it aptly, more like timetables or losing system for betting on horses and carry the same charm and propably are even less suppporting.

So far, I have to say, NOOO good opening book has ever been written in checkers/draughts.
Even Fortmann fails here, though he has the best approach so far.

They all focus too much on lines, lines, lines and do not give advice on the nature of the lines, in which landings and endings they may end up, which very important (thouroghly strategically commentated!) key historical games there were in this opening, and which opening traps are there in this opening/ballot, as well as they do it so dry (Fortmann excluded)that you really need a dozen of softdrinks while reading them, and with a classification system that scares even the best masters.
Try to read "Master Play" by Tescheleit and you know what I mean...




Greetinx from still cloudy Germany,

Ingo Zachos

[liam stephens]

Ingo, if it's entertainment you want try Oldbury's two magazine series:

The Square World 1965-67

A Game of Draughts 1946-47

The latter features two items which alone are worth their weight in gold.

"The Last Hundred Moves - a new series."

and

"International Checkers - a critique."

(this was a proposal by Herman Hoogland for an ersatz form of International checkers - Liam)

[tommyc]

Danny to wont get anywhere without your "Cannings Compilation"..........

[Danny_Alvarez]

Dear Mister Tommy I would be delighted to add Cannings Compilations to my Xmas wishlist.... and since I've been (mostly) a good boy, I should get it
How much does it cost? and whats the postage to oz?

cheers
D. Alvarez

[Alex_Moiseyev]

Dear Danny,

if you agree to remove square numbers out of board which is a bit distractive for me, I can give you my list of 5 books:

1) "The Tinsley Way", Robert Shuffett
2) Gould Problem Book
3) "Famous Positions", Ben Boland
4) "Border Classic", Ben Boland
5) "Tricks, Traps & Shots", William Ryan

Respectfully,

Alex Moiseyev

[Danny_Alvarez]

Thanks a lot Alex. I promise not to do something silly like a hunger strike unless they bring numbers on boards.
I have one of the books in your list .... which is great.
BTW I hope to be able to play a game with you, even if it is not necessarily in a tournament. And if we do I promise to use an un-numbered board.

cheers,
D.Alvarez

[Alex_Moiseyev]

BTW I hope to be able to play a game with you

It depends where you live My last two checkers events this 2010 season more likely will be District 4 in Lexington, NC, Nov 5-6 and AL State and District 5, Haleyville, Nov 12-13

I don't like anything on the board which takes my attention out: numbers, pictures, bright color, wet spots, dirties etc. Maximum concentration, minimum distraction.

Regards,

Alex

[Danny_Alvarez]

It depends where you live My last two checkers events this 2010 season more likely will be District 4 in Lexington, NC, Nov 5-6 and AL State and District 5, Haleyville, Nov 12-13

Regards,

Alex

I would love to attend a checker tournament in the US (or 20 for that matter). When I said I would love to play a game with you I meant it as something I would like to do some day. I am in Australia and also my checker ability isn't up to grandmaster level. But I would still enjoy making your acquaintance, and of course many of the other peopl here . If I start dreaming .... after I re-establish the Australian Confederation we can invite you down here to *ahem* (cover your ears, I know you hate this word LOL) promote the game.

I am still waiting for everyone else to post their favourites .... come on people.... do not be shy.
regards,
D. Alvarez
Amateur Checkerist, Professional Lover of the Game

[Alan Millhone]

Hello Danny:

PM me your full address and will send you our latest ACF bulletin.

A few years ago at breakfast with GM Ed Bruch I asked him if he could have only one book, which would he choose ?

His reply " Kears == Solid pay and few corrections "

Personally, I love all checker books ....................

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation

[Danny_Alvarez]

Hello Danny:

PM me your full address and will send you our latest ACF bulletin.

Sincerely:
Alan Millhone, President
American Checker Federation

Once Again Mr. Millhone thank you very much for the kind offer. I have pm'd you my address .

The problem I have encountered in the past with Kears is that there are different volumes and editions and revised editions, and sometimes it's hard to find a copy online where all the volumes are the same year/edition. Anybody care to illuminate me on what is the best edition/year of publication for this book??

Regards,
D. Alvarez

[jaguar72]

Mr. Alvarez,

I rather like one called Inside Checkers (published in 1922) by Walton W. Walker...it explains every move in every game (and there are a lot), rather like Irving Chernev did for chess in his classic Logical Chess Move by Move (and Chernev used that same approach for checkers in a few games in his The Compleat Draughts Player which was already mentioned in Ingo's excellent earlier post).

There are however some analysis errors and oversights in Inside Checkers (as might be expected); however, Jim Loy has found and corrected these on his website.

The best part is that Inside Checkers is posted on line in its entirety. Go here to take a look:

http://www.archive.org/details/insidech ... 00walkrich

Please be aware that my admiration for this book is not universally shared (to say the least)... .

The Compleat Draughts Player is indeed, as Ingo already said, an excellent book. Chernev, as you probably know, had a life-long love affair with both checkers and chess. He writes with passion.

In addition, I like all of the various Willie Ryan titles (he writes with passion, too, but of a different sort...) and also Shuffett's Checkers the Tinsley Way (if you can find them...).

Last but certainly not least, Alex Moiseyev's Sixth is in a class by itself; as profound for checkers as Fischer's My 60 Memorable Games was for chess.

All of these recommendations are just my opinions, you understand, and as such should not be considered particularly objective. I'm not, alas, a very good or experienced player.

V/R,

Gary Jenkins/jaguar72

[Danny_Alvarez]

As always John you are not only spot on, but very helpful too. I do hope some day to get my grubby fingers on a real copy though. I think that for study an electronic copy is suitable, but nothing beats the pleasure of opening a book and having a go.I should've known as I am a long time admirer of Mr. Loy's website, but there's so much info there that I must have forgotten.

Mr Jenkins Most of us are not necessarily great players but the love of the game unites us . I loved the link btw.

Regards,
D. Alvarez

[Eric Strange]

On my website http://cross-board.com/checkers I have

Lees Guide
Anderson's 7th Edition
Inferno of Checkers
Kears
Principles of Strategy
Solid Checkers
Key Openings
Tinsley games
Large tournament database - 32,000 + games

Endgame With Solutions:

101
tricks traps and shots
checkers board strategies
Checkers magic
Goulds bridges
Goulds problems
Horsfels
Key Landings
Lymans

Endgame without Solutions:
beginners problems
bolands bridges
border classics
Gems problems
Lets Play Checkers

All very nice books you can view animated at http://cross-board.com/checkers

[George Hay]

Hi Danny, my favorite checkers books are Checkers Made Easy by Arthur Reisman, and Win At Checkers by Millard Hopper. These two Gentlemen of the Grand Old Game have distilled decades of experience in two beginners' books that are E-Z to read. They have different methods of teaching, and the two books compliment each other. Checkers Made Easy is available in e-book form as a free download from the Checker Maven at http://www.bobnewell.net/nucleus/ Win At Checkers is a Dover paperback, and still in print! --George Hay