Interesting Old Chess Books
Submitted by
mxdplay4 on Tue, 12/18/2007 at 6:06am.
There was I wondering what I could put into a blog page that would be of interest to other chess players and not available elsewhere. It dawned on me that of course I had something!
The background to this is that my mother collects postcards. Not just postcards, but specifically European Royalty. She even has some that were written by one Royal Family to another, so she is pretty serious! (P.s. anybody interested in translating any - particularly Dutch - please let me know!) Anyway, on her travels she sometimes sees old chess books for sale, and buys them because of me. Some are rubbish, but others are little gems. So I have scanned some for your interest.
1. A very old book. 1891 - openings guide available at train stations. This is fantastic. For the princely sum of 1 shilling you could get all the latest theory in a book about the size of your hand and half a cm thick. I put a Makro card by it to give an idea of size. the Sicilian 'Opening' is reduced to one page and there are several gambits I have never seen anywhere else.
2. The Reverend Cunnington gives a comprehensive overview of the traps of the day. Just look at the game between Mr Blackburne and Mr Bird.
3. Just for the Americans. 1941 hardback of Reuben Fine's Endgames - published by David McKay of Philadelphia. The dust cover is a bit tatty, but the book is mint and looks like it has never been read. Cost 2 pounds. Crazy.
Hope you enjoyed them!!!