Must read books to become a better chess player (Part II) - by IM Saravanan 

CHESS BOOKS: 1:17 Team Tal: An Inside Story (Valentin Kirillov and Alexei Shirov) 2:40 The Rise and Fall of David Bronstein (Genna Sosonko) 3:32 The World Champions I Knew (Genna Sosonko) 4:08 The Complete Manual of Positional Chess: Middlegame Structures and Dynamics (Konstantin Sakaev & Konstantin Landa) 4:08 The Complete Manual of Positional Chess: Opening and Middlegame (Konstantin Sakaev & Konstantin Landa) 7:50 Under the Surface (Jan Markos) 10:56 Small Steps to Giant Improvement: Master Pawn Play in Chess (Sam Shankland) 12:30 The Attacking Manual: Basic Principles (Jacob Aagaard) 12:36 Grandmaster Preparation: Strategic Play (Jacob Aagaard) 16:10 A Picture History of Chess (Fred Wilson) 21:20 Johannes Zukertort: Artist of the Chessboard (Jimmy Adams) 22:22 Mikhail Chigorin: The Creative Genius (Jimmy Adams) 27:48 Gyula Breyer: The Chess Revolutionary (Jimmy Adams) 29:55 Grandmaster Insides (Maxim Dlugy) 34:01 Averbakh's Selected Games (Yuri Averbakh) 34:30 The Art of Chess Analysis (Jan Timman) 34:30 Secrets of Grandmaster Play (John Nunn & Peter Griffiths) 43:24 Lessons with a Grandmaster: Enhance your chess strategy and psychology (Boris Gulko & Joel Sneed) 44:21 Lessons with a Grandmaster 2: Improve your tactical vision and dynamic play (Boris Gulko & Joel Sneed) 44:24 Lessons with a Grandmaster 3: Strategic and tactical ideas in modern chess (Boris Gulko & Joel Sneed) 48:37 Timman's Selected Games (Jan Timman) 49:43 Uncompromising Chess (Alexander Belyavsky) 51:14 My Best Games Vol.1: Games with White (Victor Korchnoi & Ken Neat) 51:14 My Best Games Vol.2: Games with Black (Victor Korchnoi & Ken Neat) 51:35 Korchnoi's 400 best games (Victor Korchnoi) 1:01:00 Second Piatigorsky Cup (Isaac Kashdan) 1:02:20 Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games (Hans Kmoch) 1:03:00 The Modern Chess Sacrifice (Leonid Shamkovich) 1:04:24 Morphy's Games of Chess (Johann Löwenthal) 1:05:30 The Art of Attack in Chess (Vladimir Vukovic) 1:06:31 Practical Endgame Play: Beyond the Basics (Glenn Flear) 1:09:15 Maneuvering: The Art of Piece Play (Mark Dvoretsky) 1:09:15 Recognizing Your Opponent's Resources: Developing Preventive Thinking (Mark Dvoretsky) 1:09:48 The Art of the Middlegame (Paul Keres & Alexander Kotov) 1:12:03 Nigel Short: Chess Prodigy (David Short) 1:13:00 Training for the Tournament Player (Mark Dvoretsky & Artur Yusupov) 1:17:06 Power Chess: Great Grandmaster Battles from Russia (Paul Keres) NON-CHESS BOOKS (Psychology, Mindset, Calming): 1:29:07 Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World (Cal Newport) 1:33:09 Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones (James Clear) 1:33:57 Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience (Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) 1:35:19 The Writerly Life (R.K. Narayan) 1:35:53 Bounce: The Myth of Talent and the Power of Practice (Matthew Syed) 1:36:22 On Form (Mike Brearley) 1:37:11 The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players (Pat Riley) 1:38:35 Colour Yourself Calm: A Mindfulness Colouring Book (Tiddy Rowan) 1:39:44 Animals of Great Smoky Mountains Coloring Book (Sue Coccia)

I feel this man is missing out on a great opportunity. He could be making quite a bit of money, if he started a podcast in RU-vid. His love of chess is infectious and it would be great to have him either interview people, or simply pick a historical chess subject and expound on it for an hour.

Saravanan, for me anyway, comes across as a very balanced person. Spiritually and emotionally. I enjoy these videos not just for his book recommendations but for his approach in general. I would ask that Chessbase India do a video of Saravanan doing a review of his non chess book library. I see Team of Rivals, Harry Potter, Tom Clancy, and a history of India in his library. He seems like a very erudite man. It would be interesting to listen to him speak about his other reading preferences.

makes me feel so good to hear his passion and unscripted eagerness to share with us. i love seeing 'power chess' in there too.. keres writes thoughtfully, fondly of his fellow players, that book totally fits the warmth of this episode as a whole.

This was an amazing video... What a Joy to sit in in this conversation... I hope you do more videos like this...

Once again nice gesture by IM sarvanan. Thanks a lot. i already read few of those books. will look forward to read others!! :D

Very good video. Its very insightful to hear from a titled player that is obviously very passionate about all aspects of chess playing, teaching and culture. I gained quite a few training insights just listening to Saravanan being pointed to the literature about how to go over master games (Brostien book I believe see his first video!!!) has changed the game for me. I am going to attribute my defeating a IM in a recent classical tournament to my learning how to properly learn from master games! :) I'm only a bit over 2000 USCF. My wife isn't so happy though given my chess book Christmas list just grew by about 20 books. Only wish I someone would compile a detailed list of his favorite books with Amazon links. I'm way to lazy for that

Thoroughly enjoyed the first video awhile back and was delighted to see another video with IM saravanan! I hope there will be a regular series with him - maybe book reviews or just talking about chess. I was also surprised to hear him speak of Savon as I was just reading Walter Browne's Stress of Chess, where he mentions Savon and suggests that his miniature over him had something to do with the reason the Soviets stopped allowing him to play abroad...

Very nice video and suggestions. I bought 3 of these books and added more to my amazon wishlist. Thanks for sharing.

Thank you for your time, you are helping chess fans all over the world. We appreciate it. Keep up the good work.

Mr. Saravanan is a true lover of chess. To listen him is so joyful and pleasing. He seems to be a very knowledgeable person so far as chess history and chess books are concerned. I wonder how he forgot to mention one wonderful book named THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHESS: THE GREAT MASTERS AND THEIR GAMES by Fred Reinfeld. I have never heard any chess coach talking so passionately, friendly and in a pleasing way. I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Many thanks to Mr. Sagar Sah who is doing a great job in spreading chess awareness.

Saravanan is 47 years old!!! What??? He doesn't look a year older than 35... Looks like his passion for chess kept him young :)

I love the last video and i am going to download this one and will watch it carefully

Fantastic interview . So much informative and interesting !

I love this person, you can just feel his passion. I wish I could meet him and talk to him.

Great Video I Love This Guy! Love The Channel!

Truly grateful for this experience while im stuck at home during Covid 19. I don't know why i only just discovered both your interviews recently but they inspired me to explore further the mysteries of the game I love. Thank you to ChessBase India too although im from outside of India I think youre doing the work of god with this interviewer. Cheers and stay safe everyone.

Excelent Video!!! I would like to see more videos like this. Thanks!!!

just fantastic thank you Sara!

Great video, thank you so much!

This guy’s way of speaking and the measured pace are so soothing, and it pacifies your mind. And such beautiful command of language and articulation! It is a pleasure listening to him.

Thank you sir .By seeing these videos one comes to know what it means by passion for game.

thanks sagar shah and saravanan .great book suggestions.

Great video. I studied positive psychology at postgraduate level, so it's fascinating to see the book and concept of Flow being mentioned in chess circles (1.35). The book 'Mindset' is also to be recommended by Carol Dweck. The classic, The Inner Game of Tennis, and How to be a Stoic, are also excellent, since they discuss what you can control and what you can't. You should internalise one's goals, so that it isn't results you focus on, but the tasks within that lead to results. As with the first video, this video was GOLD.

Watched this video in one go after finishing the first Saravanan interview. Three hours spent well! Thanks again, Sagar! 😊🙏💕

Wow, an amazing video and a great man IM Saravanan, One of the greatest pillars of Indian Chess. Keep up the great work.

Hey Saravanan, nice video. There are a couple Mickey Adams books: "Chess in the Fast Lane" and "Michael Adams: Development of a Grandmaster". Another classic you don't mention, but you probably have, is Paul Keres' Complete Games (originally 3 separate volumes). I think this volume was later published as the two volume set "Road to the Top" and "Quest for Perfection".

Nice books. Nice interview. Nice persons. Thsnks to both of you.

Since the Olympics in Batumi I was under the impression of this channel. my favorite channel. you talk to amazing people. If you have the opportunity, do interviews with other amazing people from India. Anand, Vidit and Adhiban "Beast" Baskaran. I am impressed by the personal culture that your interviewer presents. Greetings from Poland Prześlij opinię Historia Zapisano Społeczność

What a wonderful piece of video footage. This man embodies the spirit of chess unlike any of the fighting grandmasters today. Does he commentate on games? I enjoy the commentaries so much by Yasser Seirawan or Alex Yermolinsky, and this gentleman brings that same love of chess that is irresistibly infectious. Thank you so much for these two gems of video footage!

in the karpov spassky game it was h3, Nb8 and only then d3 (which he played throughout the 70s against breyer). It's interesting how he remembers all the concepts and ideas, but not exact move orders that early.

Do these videos with other chess players as well would love to hear which books they prefer and from which books they think they have learnt the most

Sir, Please provide part 3 as a new year gift.

Thanks Saravanan and chessbase.. These videos are like GoldMines.. Will eagerly wait for the 3rd edition.

Absolutely wonderful

Love from Nepal! Your love and passion for chess is contagious.

Very interesting two videos. Really appreciate the sharing of knowledge and expertise of so many classical chess books. However, I wanted to add a comment or personal impression: I was surprised that, for someone who expressed his preference for game collection books as the best way to study and progress at a steady pace in chess, there was absolutely no mention of Botvinnik's Best Games (three volumes), Alekhine's Best Games classic, nor Keres' own two volumes ("The Road to the Top," and "The Quest for Perfection"). Nor even Bronstein absolutely best book: "Sorcerer's Apprentice"). The only truly "game collections" classic mentioned were Korchnoi's two volumes with his 50 best games with Black and with White, and Tal's Best Games collection.

Amazing. Part 3 in the making I guess . Thanks a lot

I have Power Chess by Paul Keres. I would go through a game a day while drinking coffee in the morning. Great book!

These are all interesting recommendations… now the hard part of finding some of these books!

I love this. It’s great to see what books are suitable or inspiring. I now have a whole new appreciation of tournament books thanks to this and the previous video. I realise now that I was ignoring too many game collections and inspirational books, which led to a decrease in passion over the years. Now that it has returned, I’m looking forward to enjoyable reading!

shereshevsky method was on table, wasn't mentioned. i enjoyed this session of course

the book I recommend for all of my students is Applying Logic in Chess by IM Kislik. Great read by the fastest adult improver in chess history. Great tips on how to get good in fastest time possible

Dear IM Saravanan...You will always be loved by Chess lovers and Indian chess community for being madly in LOVE with the game....Your passion is addictive...Lots of Love and Respect :-)

Thank you saravanan for this huge knowledge of chess

Such a wonderful video!!!!

Bruce Pandolfini's ultimate guide to chess. This book also comes in conversations and I think it is one of the best books for beginners who want a concrete base.

great stuff! (unimportant, but at 16:32 the top right player is Nimzowitsch, although he does kinda look like Alekhine)

great video

those zukertort, breyer and chigorin books looks amazing

Wow you're going to show a game!

Love this guy

Can you please tell which dgt board is this exactly? Thank you so much for this awesome video.

You're awesome

👌👌👌🌟

IM - Tricky Stan, mentioned in the 47th minute has now become a GM :)

I hear there is a great book on AlphaZero’s games coming next year ! I think it’s called ‘Game Changer’.

Thank you for part 2

Sir, When reading, should we go through all the variations or just the mainline?

❤️❤️

Sir please suggest some tactics books

it seems impossible for me😆😨, but yes you are a great person.

You forgot Traps and Zaps by Pandolfini ☝️

Actually nunn is known for brilliant analysis right?? I mean long, lengthy correct variations.. I am not sure but that's what I felt when I read quest for perfection which has been referred in the video. His analysis is much more elaborate than that of Keres himself.. But OK haven't read any other nunn books so people who know, please do tell

I am Saravanan when anyone asks about chess , so enthusiastic but ...they soon disappear....

A question comes to mind: How come with all this chess knowledge both holistic and specific, does Saravanan not vying for a GM title? You cannot tell me that he doesn't want to become a GM as that's exactly the goal of any chess player to begin with...then come other achievements like world Candidates or contenders and the championship. My question refers partly to what is needed beyond chess knowledge to become a grandmaster(as clearly he has trained in the practical aspects as well) since today's teens who become GMs clearly do not possess this amount of knowledge. Then what is the missing link for Sarvanan?!

Sir, kindly suggest books regarding historical development of opening variations

Super

good

Can someone compile a list with time stamps of all the books he recommends?

I just know the rules of the game. I want to learn how to play. I live in Chennai. Is there any training facility you have?

Who is the Soviet player Sara mentions at 50.20?? Sounds like Sowull but can't think of who he means. Thanks for any help

How about a series on the worst books or books that you should probably not waste your money with.

John Nunn of Indian Chess?! :):)

From where does he get his books???

Gold.

Like a lot of people I enjoyed these but I think the title should be "How to become a better chess player - and a better person."

22:03

We have harry potter in the background

Saravanan says he could not find any book of Michael Adams games. There is a collection of Adams’ games called, “ Michael Adams Development of a Grandmaster”.

Thanks IM Saravanan. Not trying to find fault here but the " Art of attack " was published with additional diagrams and comments by GM Nunn not GM Mueller as you mentioned in the video.

how is this guy not a super grandmaster rated 3400? holy crap

How does he get so many original books.....i mean they are costly

haha he suggested like 100 books in the 1st vid, no one can study those. but i like listen to him

Can someone suggest me a good book on chess openings

I have the art of midlegame

सर मुझे chess के बरे में मराठी book चाही है तो कोणसा book है और किधर मिळे गा Please बता दो

When you gonna upload part 3?

@26:15 Micky Adams means Michael Adams of England?

you are the same guy in that video,😚😂

Must Read books to become a better chess player. How far is that true!?

You're not getting me to buy 5 books this time!

Video isn't playing. This is a complaint from my side

Chessbase needs to hire a better person to manage the youtube channel. Why the hell link to first video (supposedly immensely popular) is not put in the description of the video? Just a basic strategy that helps viewers as well as channel.

Is he a gm

What is the answer of this clue in chess help me hurry and tell me game regarding this clue. The clue is given below : Colonel! Your flag is down!

I have most of the books that he has, and many he does not. As an avid chess book collector for 40 years myself, I can say that the condition of his books are abysmal. I even go so far as to buy second copies of certain books just to keep some collectible books in pristine condition.

CAN I HAVE IM SARAVANAN SIR NUMBER

give all this book to bakcyard professor he will show us famous games and story form that he is also a mad person

Lots of useless stuff.