Latest Updates:
Poll
Poll closed Question: Today's best publisher in chess literature is:
bars   pie
*** This poll has now closed ***


Batsford/Anova    
  0 (0.0%)
Caissa    
  0 (0.0%)
Chess Stars    
  1 (3.4%)
Everyman    
  0 (0.0%)
Gambit    
  5 (17.2%)
New in Chess    
  0 (0.0%)
Olms    
  0 (0.0%)
Quality Chess    
  23 (79.3%)
Russell    
  0 (0.0%)




Total votes: 29
« Created by: rossia on: 08/19/11 at 15:41:37 »
Hot Topic (More than 10 Replies) Best chess literature publisher (Read 7255 times)
Alias
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 1512
Location: East of the river Svartån
Joined: 11/19/04
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #13 - 08/20/11 at 09:45:42
Post Tools
German Chessgate is also missing. Best layout of all publishers, I think. Also great content usually.

Mongoose could perhaps also be included. Nice books. The Hedgehog books are great.

I think Everyman's strategy is interesting, especially for opening books.
  

Don't check me with no lightweight stuff.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Bibs
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 2342
Joined: 10/24/06
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #12 - 08/20/11 at 09:22:37
Post Tools
German publisher Kania Verlag is missing from the list.

Always high quality hardback, always superbly researched. Just not many books.

  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
TN
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 3420
Joined: 11/07/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #11 - 08/20/11 at 09:00:31
Post Tools
I agree that Quality Chess is the best chess literature publisher for the >2000 players, however for <2000 players (i.e. the majority!), I suspect the books by Everyman would be more useful. Of course, as you mentioned Quality Chess's target readers are the higher-rated end of the market, which is why their theoretical works tend to be too dense for under 1900s. This doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy their opening books if you are under 1900, of course.
  

All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
rossia
Senior Member
****
Offline


Saw: "Game Over!"

Posts: 335
Location: Irkutsk
Joined: 09/17/07
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #10 - 08/20/11 at 08:00:34
Post Tools
Who and how can be equal with the Quality Chess when you use following factors for evaluation:

1. author's competence

- Avrukh, Marin, Bauer, Schandorff, Alterman, Suba, Jussupow, Vigorito, Shaw, Rogozenko, Tiger Persson, Kotronias, Karolyi

2. high analysis level

- Grandmaster Repertoire series, The Cutting Edge series.

3. upgraded audience level

- no more 1000-1800 level, but the 2000-2500 Elo level  Cheesy

4. accolades and awards

- Learn from the Legends 2nd edition by Mihail Marin: ChessCafe.com Book of the Year 2005
- Artur Yusupov's award-winning training course: Winner of the prestigious Boleslavsky Medal from FIDE (the World Chess Federation) as the best instructional chess books in the world (ahead of Garry Kasparov and Mark Dvoretsky in 2nd and 3rd place)
- The Attacking Manual 1&2 by Jacob Aagaard: English Chess Federation's Book of the Year, 2010
- San Luis 2005 by Alik Gershon & Igor Nor: English Chess Federation BOOK OF THE YEAR - 2007

5. communication with chess fans

- instant answering on e-mails, blog posts and taking into account all suggestions, hints, second thoughts, analysis and critics
- book updates and newsletters

6. book layout and bounding

- top notch typesetting
- high quality of paper
- choice of paperback or collectors hardback

Tell me, is there any other who can satisfy all mentioned criteria?  Cool
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
aidin
Junior Member
**
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 89
Joined: 10/16/10
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #9 - 08/20/11 at 00:15:27
Post Tools
Quality chess is another thing ! 
even non- chess fans would be eager to study chess after seeing their high quality books !  Cool
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
TN
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 3420
Joined: 11/07/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #8 - 08/19/11 at 17:42:02
Post Tools
Personally, I like Quality Chess best, but that does not make Quality Chess the best chess literature publisher.
  

All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Stefan Buecker
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 1386
Location: Germany
Joined: 02/11/09
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #7 - 08/19/11 at 17:32:41
Post Tools
Are books by bad authors, written for good publishers, better than books by good authors, written for bad publishers?

PS. And does the chess publisher Albert Heyde, who stole a million or so from a German bank, fleeing in 1902 to America, qualify as a bad publisher?
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Mortal Games
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 587
Joined: 07/24/04
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #6 - 08/19/11 at 17:16:02
Post Tools
Looking at all those names, I still praise the old RHM books made by chess legends.
  

It has been said that chess players are good at two things, Chess and Excuses.  It has also been said that Chess is where all excuses fail! In order to win you must dare to fail!
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
TN
God Member
*****
Offline



Posts: 3420
Joined: 11/07/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #5 - 08/19/11 at 16:51:58
Post Tools
No offence intended, but this poll is very ambiguous.

What makes a publisher the 'best'? The best books, of course, but what makes books 'best' or 'better' than others? Also, a book that is 'best' for one person may be useless or even potentially harmful for another person. You can claim that say 'Grandmaster Repertoire 8 and 9' on the Grunfeld are much better than 'Understanding the Grunfeld' by Rowson, and for players over 2200 this is certainly true, but a club player would gain more from Rowson's book as they do not need detailed theory and theoretical novelties at their level.

So I am not voting in the poll because the best option is not there - it depends on the player. 

  

All our dreams come true if we have the courage to pursue them.
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
mangler
Full Member
***
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 174
Location: Orlando
Joined: 10/30/06
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #4 - 08/19/11 at 16:08:13
Post Tools
rossia wrote on 08/19/11 at 15:35:14:
Once upon a time I thought that a Gambit made a big step forward with good editing and bigger size of paper. But comparing Gambit with Quality Chess is like comparing a 100 meter sprinter with the latest Ferrari.

One would imagine that a top GM as Nunn once was would raise level of his books, but unfortunately he excels only at 1000-1800 Elo level. Everyone can write for this playing level without much trouble...



While Quality Chess is certainly on a hot streak, and has produced excellent books recently (and before too), I think you are too dismissive of Gambit. Seems you are overlooking  Yakovich's book on the Sveshnikov, which was the best book on that opening till Rogozenko's (by Quality Chess). Rowson's Understanding the Grunfeld is top notch, as were Emms Play the Open Games as Black, Golubev on the Sozin and KID, Rogozenko on the Anti Sicilians,  Watson's Secrets of Modern Strategy, Rowson's Zebras and 7 Deadly Chess Sins, not to mention their endgame books by Mueller and Nunn. Gambit unfortunately seems to have slowed down, but hopefully they continue to produce excellent books. 

Players today are rather spoiled by good publishers. I recall when the only source on some openings apart from ECO/MCO was a small pamphlet by Chess Digest....
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Wwqlcw
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 30
Joined: 02/10/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #3 - 08/19/11 at 15:51:30
Post Tools
Quality Press, that is... sorry!
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Wwqlcw
YaBB Newbies
*
Offline


I Love ChessPublishing!

Posts: 30
Joined: 02/10/08
Gender: Male
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #2 - 08/19/11 at 15:45:08
Post Tools
They hit me where I live...
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
rossia
Senior Member
****
Offline


Saw: "Game Over!"

Posts: 335
Location: Irkutsk
Joined: 09/17/07
Re: Best chess literature publisher
Reply #1 - 08/19/11 at 15:41:37
Post Tools
Please vote and write arguments for your choice  Cheesy
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
rossia
Senior Member
****
Offline


Saw: "Game Over!"

Posts: 335
Location: Irkutsk
Joined: 09/17/07
Best chess literature publisher
08/19/11 at 15:35:14
Post Tools
Once upon a time I thought that a Gambit made a big step forward with good editing and bigger size of paper. But comparing Gambit with Quality Chess is like comparing a 100 meter sprinter with the latest Ferrari.

One would imagine that a top GM as Nunn once was would raise level of his books, but unfortunately he excels only at 1000-1800 Elo level. Everyone can write for this playing level without much trouble...
  
Back to top
 
IP Logged
 
Bookmarks: del.icio.us Digg Facebook Google Google+ Linked in reddit StumbleUpon Twitter Yahoo