The Search for Chess Perfection - 2nd hand

John Hammond, one of Australia's wealthiest men, was a close friend of C.J.S. Purdy. After Purdy's death he and IM Robert Jamieson put together the "best" of Purdy's writings from his various chess magazines and published them as a book in a quantity of 10,000– all of which sold (better than most chess best sellers)!
Purdy had a knack for writing about chess which few could equal. In his quirky language he would always get to the "core" of the issue, no matter how complicated.
After reading a Purdy essay on Rook and pawn endgames you feel an immediate sense of relief! Chess isn't easy to play and consistently win, but Purdy will show you those finesses, tricks, subtleties, and ideas which will add significantly to your winning armory.
When Cecil Purdy shows how to find combinations, and how to avoid blunders, and then self-effacingly admits he hasn't always taken his own advice, you know you have a real honest people's advocate!
When he won the first world's correspondence chess championship in 1951 against the best in the world, it was no fluke. It was the result ofa "system," a system of checks and balances which are no doubt used in many of today's computer programs. "The Search for Chess Perfection" will finally explore and explain this system. Real games, not just theory, will be examined; even the boundaries of chess knowledge and insight will be proved. You will be encouraged to explore these ideas. Purdy's writings live on in this magnificent collection of his ideas, his games (and others from championship play), and his unabashed writings; all gems of rare quality.

The major work on CJS Purdy, originally titled "CJS Purdy, His Life, His Games and His Writings." His biography (by his wife), his writings and philosophy (over 200 pages of his best articles), and 50 deeply annotated games.

Perhaps the best instruction book ever written. Belongs on every chess bookshelf-- Bobby Fischer.

This revised edition has corrections, additions, and some games deleted. Part of the Purdy Library.

• Casa editrice Thinkers' Press
• Code TK78us
• Anno 1997. First published in 1982
• Pagine 309
• Isbn 0-938650-78-5