Book Recap #30- 10 Underrated Chess Books for Different Ratings Levels, with FM Carsten Hansen 

This episode was recorded at Suite Recording Studios in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey and is also available with video on the Perpetual Chess YouTube channel. 

Chess Books Recaptured returns, this time to discuss 10 books for the price of one! My guest co-host is FM Carsten Hansen, who returns to the pod to join me in selecting and discussing different chess books for different chess experience levels. Carsten is a prolific author, the book reviewer for American Chess Magazine, and a Chess Life magazine columnist. In addition to a lot of book talk, we discuss Carsten’s chess-improvement efforts and OTB plans, and a few of his recent collaborations with IM Cyrus Lakdawala. There is always so much to learn from Carsten, and I am confident we have selected worthwhile book recommendations for chess enthusiasts of many backgrounds.  

02:00- How do we define an “underrated” chess book? 

04:30- Aside from reading chess books, who are some of our favorite chess content creators?

Mentioned: IM Levy Rozman, GM Daniel Naroditsky, IM Andras Toth, IM John Bartholomew, GM Daniel King, Chess Feels, C Squared, Chicken Chess Club, Ladies Knight with Isabella Choko 

8:30- Book #1- Open Files by Uhlman and Schmidt 

12:00- Book #2- Arkell’s Endings by and GM Keith Arkell  

16:00- Book #3- World Chess Championship 1948. Contact the translator, Jan Verendel via his website: https://verendel.com/

18:00- Book #4- Fundamental Chess: Logical Decision Making by GM Ramesh

23:00- Book #5- Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss by GM Patrick Wolff 

Mentioned: Episode 189 with GM Patrick Wolff 

 Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. Check out their latest courses here: https://www.chessable.com/courses/all/new/

27:00- Book #6- Instructive Chess Miniatures  by FM Alper Efe Ataman 

30:30- Book #7- Rewire Your Chess Brain by IM Cyrus Lakdawala 

Mentioned: Episode 197 with IM Cyrus Lakdawala,  Endgames Studies 101 on Chessable

37:30- Book #8- The Giants of Strategy by GM Neil McDonald 

42:30- Book #9- Positional Chess by IM Shaun Talbut 

Mentioned: Move First, Think Later by IM Willy Hendriks 

Mentioned: Improve Your Positional Chess by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 182 with IM Willy Hendriks 

47:00- Book #10- Universal Chess Training by GM Wojciech Moranda 

Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Aimchess’ algorithm reviews your games and gives you actionable advice on how to improve your game. Check it out for free, and if you choose to subscribe you can use the code Perpetual30 to save 30%.

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54:00- How is Carsten currently working on his chess and blitz games?  

Mentioned: The Checkmate Patterns Manual by CrafyRaf, The Dirty Harry Sicilian by IM Christof Sielecki, Play the Orangutan by FM Carsten Hansen, Episode 178 with IM Kare Kristensen

1:11:00- Bonus book talk! Carsten showcases a few books that aren’t translated into English but should be. 

Mentioned: Larsen Volume 1, 30 Years at the Chessboard by Jens Enevoldsen

1:19:00- Which of Carsten’s recent books would he recommend most highly?

Mentioned: The Anti-Alapin Gambit, The Smyslov Workbook, The Chess Wizardry of Wotowa, Back to Basics: Chess Openings

1:24:00- Some of Our Favorite Books of 2022: . Masterpieces and Drama of the Soviet Championship, Albert W. Fox: A Life on and Off the Chess Board by John S. Hilbert, Evaluate like a Grandmaster, Think Like a Super GM

1:25:00- Thanks to Carsten for joining me in studio! 

You can check out his books here:

https://www.amazon.com/Books-Carsten-Hansen/s?rh=n%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ACarsten+Hansen

Follow him on Twitter here:

https://twitter.com/carstenchess

If you would like to join the Perpetual Chess Patreon community and be able to submit questions for guests and receive other perks, you can do so here:

https://www.patreon.com/perpetualchess

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