Perpetual Chess Podcast Book Recap #16: Discussing Logical Chess Move by Move with Barry Katz
Apr 23, 2021
Barry Katz, a Brooklyn college writing instructor and father who discovered chess through his son, chats about Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess Move by Move. They explore Chernev’s readable teaching style, whether the book still helps with openings, the value of human explanations in the engine era, and practical advice for club players on development, mobility, and choosing openings that fit your temperament.
01:12:58
Learn Openings By Their Ideas Not Move Lists
- Do learn openings by understanding the ideas behind typical tabiyas rather than memorizing moves.
- Barry Katz found Chernev helpful because each move is explained so readers see why common opening moves are played.
How Barry Found Chess Through His Son And Chernev
- Barry Katz discovered chess through his son's interest and used Chernev to bridge beginner confusion.
- He borrowed library books, found denser books confusing, and benefited from Chernev's move-by-move explanations.
Timeless Principles Outweigh Engine Precision For Beginners
- Insight: Older books can teach timeless principles even if engines later refute specific lines.
- Ben Johnson and Barry note Chernev focuses on ideas and simple explanations, which still serve newer players better than dense engine analysis.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Why Chernev's Book Was Chosen
01:35 • 3min
Barry's Chess Origin Story
04:06 • 3min
Chernev's Writing and Legacy
07:32 • 4min
Reading Formats and Study Tools
11:38 • 3min
Ad break
14:12 • 44sec
How the Book Treats Openings
14:56 • 2min
Engines, Modern Theory, and Chernev
17:12 • 4min
Chernev on First Moves and Style
21:37 • 3min
Choosing an Opening by Temperament
24:09 • 4min
Chernev's Voice and Humor
28:38 • 5min
Piece Mobility Chart Insight
33:22 • 42sec
Ad break
34:03 • 47sec
Chernev on Castling and Context
34:50 • 6min
Avoiding Flashy Opening Tricks
40:31 • 4min
Favorite Games and Strategic Examples
44:52 • 3min
Target Audience and Reading Level
47:55 • 2min
Key Improvement Takeaways
49:53 • 6min
Related Books and Next Recap Preview
56:19 • 6min
Outro
01:01:59 • 11min
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Understanding Chess Move by Move
John Nunn
John Nunn's 'Understanding Chess Move by Move' follows the pedagogical tradition of annotating games move-by-move but uses modern examples and deeper analysis suited to intermediate and advanced club players.
Nunn combines his grandmaster experience and analytical rigor to explain strategic ideas, calculation, and plans in each position, often contrasting with older heuristic rules.
The book aims to teach thinking methods and modern strategic concepts, bridging classical instruction and contemporary engine-informed understanding.
It is intended as a successor in spirit to Chernev's work but updated for current practice and higher-level readers.
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Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy
John Watson
John Watson's 'Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy' examines how modern grandmasters' ideas differ from classical principles, exploring dynamic concepts like piece activity, pawn structure, and prophylaxis.
Watson uses annotated games to illustrate how strategic thinking evolved across the 20th century, questioning rigid rules and presenting flexible guidelines.
The book blends historical perspective with practical instruction, helping readers adapt to modern strategic demands.
Watson's clear prose and thoughtful analysis make it influential among advancing players seeking to update their understanding beyond traditional heuristics.
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• Mentioned in 3 episodes
Logical Chess Move by Move
Irving Chernev
Sam Sloan
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The World's Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played
Chernev
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Najdorf's Zurich 1953
Miguel Najdorf
Najdorf's book on Zurich 1953 presents the tournament games and Najdorf's own annotations and observations, offering an alternative participant viewpoint to Bronstein's account.
The work is valued for its historical significance and instructional game selection, reflecting Najdorf's practical insights and combative style.
Together with Bronstein's book, it gives readers a fuller picture of the event through differing analytical approaches.
The book is of interest to those studying mid-20th-century chess and classical tournament play.
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The World's Most Instructive Amateur Game Book
NM Dan Heisman
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Winning chess traps
Irving Chernev
In 'Winning Chess Traps,' Irving Chernev gathers numerous examples of opening and middlegame traps that have led to decisive victories.
The book's purpose is to train readers to recognize common tactical motifs and avoid falling into traps themselves.
Chernev's lively annotations and selection of instructive anecdotes make the material memorable for learners.
While not comprehensive for advanced theory, it serves as a practical resource for club players to sharpen their tactical awareness.
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Chessboard Magic
Irving Chernev
Chernev's 'Chessboard Magic' compiles studies, miniatures, and instructive puzzles designed to stimulate tactical thinking and appreciation of chess aesthetics.
The book blends instructive content with entertaining presentation, encouraging readers to explore imaginative solutions and motifs.
Chernev's annotations aim to make the ideas accessible to club-level players, fostering pattern recognition and creativity.
It is recommended for students who enjoy problem-solving and study-based improvement.
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Capablanca's Best Chess Endings
Irving Chernev
In 'Capablanca's Best Chess Endings,' Irving Chernev collects and annotates notable endgames played by José Capablanca, highlighting the Cuban master's clarity and technical skill.
Chernev's approachable commentary breaks down endgame techniques—king and pawn endings, rook endgames, minor piece play—into instructive lessons for club players.
The book emphasizes general principles and practical technique over exhaustive tablebase analysis, making it suitable for learners seeking to improve endgame understanding.
Chernev's admiration of Capablanca's style is evident throughout, presenting the games as models of precision and strategic simplicity.
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Bronstein's Zurich 1953
David Bronstein
David Bronstein's book on Zurich 1953 is a first-hand, richly annotated account of one of the most famous Candidates tournaments in chess history, featuring many top players and spectacular games.
Bronstein, a participant, combines deep analysis with engaging anecdotes, offering both technical insights and human perspective on the event.
The book has become a classic for its instructive games, historical value, and Bronstein's vivid, personal commentary.
It remains a recommended read for students of chess history and strategy.
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Practical Chess Endings
Irving Chernev
Chernev's 'Practical Chess Endings' presents fundamental endgame positions and techniques in an accessible format aimed at club players and novices.
The book emphasizes practical method over theoretical completeness, focusing on typical endgame plans and common pitfalls.
Through illustrative examples and straightforward commentary, Chernev teaches how to convert advantages, defend inferior positions, and handle typical pawn and piece endings.
Its approachable style makes it useful as a first endgame book for improving players.
Welcome to another bonus book recap podcast, also known as Chess Books Recaptured! This month’s book of choice is one of the most popular beginner-oriented chess books of all time, Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess Move by Move. My guest co-host this month is Barry Katz. Barry is a Brooklyn based father of 4, and college writing instructor who discovered chess in recent years through the interest of his son.
Irving Chernev has left quite a legacy as an accomplished and popular writer of 20 chess books. Logical Chess Move by Move was first published in 1957, so some have suggested it is outdated, but both Barry and I find it to be very readable and instructive, and an excellent book for those looking to understand the timeless principles of master level chess play. Please read on for lots more details, timestamps and relevant links.
0:00- Barry shares a bit about his background, and we discuss why we chose to discuss Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev
Mentioned: Facebook Chess Books Collectors Group, GM Max Illingworth, GM Andy Soltis, Brian Karen, World Chess Hall of Fame, Chernev tribute:
https://worldchesshof.org/hof-inductee/irving-chernev
Also Mentioned: Episode 221 with Chris Callhan, Lichess Study Featuring Logical Chess Move by Move: https://lichess.org/study/Wn7aMkPy, Jen Shahade, Mike Klein, Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings, The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played
The 1979 Chernev interview from the Chess Life and Review archive can be found here:
http://uscf1-nyc1.aodhosting.com/CL-AND-CR-ALL/CL-ALL/1979/1979_All.pdf
12:45- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Chessable.com. You can check out their latest offerings here:
Chessable.com
13:45- Is Logical Chess Move by Move secretly a good guide to openings? What other move by move chess books are available on the market?
Mentioned: The Scandinavian Defense, Understanding Chess Move by Move by GM John Nunn, Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy by IM John Watson, Episode 41 with GM Judit Polgar
20:30- We share a few noteworthy quotes of Chernev discussing the common early moves of chess games.
Mentioned: IM Andras Toth, Girl vs. Wang Hao 2021
32:00- Perpetual Chess is brought to you in part by Aimchess.com. Check it out for free, and then if you decide to subscribe use the PromoCode Chess30 to save 30%.
33:30- We share a few more favorite quotes from the book.
Mentioned: Dan Heisman, IM Eric Rosen, Jose Rauol Capablanca, Harry Pillsbury, GM Sam Shankland, Siegbert Tarrasch
44:30- We discuss a couple of our favorite games from the podcast.
Mentioned: Rubinstein-Salwe 1908, Tarrasch-Mieses 1916
48:00- What were our main chess improvement takeaways?
Mentioned: GM Ben Finegold, Caruana-Vachier-Lagrave 2021, World’s Most Instructive Amateur Game Book by Dan Heisman, IM Cyrus Lakdawala
59:00- Thanks so much to Barry Katz for helping out this month’s book recap. You can email him at: Iambarrykatz at gmail.com
Mentioned: Subscribe to FM Nate Solon’s email newsletter here: Zwischenzug (substack.com), Bronstein’s Zurich 1953 book, Najdorf’s Zurich 1953 book
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