In some ways Larry Evans’ journalism is of a superior quality. The trouble is that although his best is very good, Evans is not very often at it. The Facts about Larry Evans by Edward Winter
This is my take on the greatest chess authors of all time…and some who didn’t quite check the box. Today I present the 9th in this new series, presented one at a time and in alphabetical order…mostly…unless I add someone midway through, or just felt like mixing things up. Rephrase the paragragh
INTRODUCTION
Is he a chess writing goat? Or isn’t he? Who gets to decide? So, who are the chess writing GOATs? Who didn’t quite make the cut, but certainly merited consideration? Do you have an opinion? What about those who wrote prolifically, but not necessarily great stuff? Or perhaps their subject matter just didn’t appeal to me or thee, or at least to peers of mine when I was a rising teen. Hey, it’s no problem if you haven’t considered the issue! I’m more than willing to fill that particular void in your thoughts with my own opinions!! An opinion informed by decades of chess and a (diminished) chess library that takes up multiple shelves in my library. And if you don’t fully agree with my opinions (though I can hardly imagine such a contumacious state of mind) then chess.com generously provided a comments section so you can express your agreements, disagreements, quibbles, corrections, expansions, nominations, and questions. Some of which I will respond to! rephrase the paragtraph
The Tools of a GOAT Author—or Just Gimmickry?
A word of caution: not all of these authors were particularly pleasant, accurate, or even ethical. As this series unfolds, you’ll encounter a notorious plagiarizer and at least one famous player who rewrote history, presenting brilliant analytical variations as though they had actually been played in the game. Others simply couldn’t be bothered to establish the facts properly or provide analysis that was both sound and genuinely relevant.
And when it comes to the ancient authors, we can’t even be certain how many games were entirely invented. They certainly did not follow modern standards of plagiarism, since such concepts had little, if any, moral significance in their time. Moreover, some modern-day “authors” relied heavily on ghostwriters for works presented as their own.
So, when judging a GOAT chess author, perhaps the tools of the trade—and how honestly they were used—matter just as much as the final product.
The Author – Larry Evans
It’s time to introduce our tenth potential Chess Author GOAT—or perhaps he doesn’t quite make the cut? As we meet these authors in alphabetical order, our next subject is none other than Larry Melvyn Evans.
GM, five-time U.S. Champion, four-time U.S. Open Champion, author, and former world #19
Larry Melvyn Evans (March 22, 1932 – November 15, 2010) was an American Grandmaster, author, and chess journalist. He won or shared the U.S. Championship five times and captured four U.S. Open titles. FIDE records his peak rating as 2631 in October 1978, with a highest official ranking of #30 in January 1977. However, ChessMetrics estimates that Evans reached a peak rating of 2673 in August 1952, well before the introduction of the FIDE rating system—a performance that would have placed him approximately #19 in the world.
Evans also enjoyed considerable success in international team competition. He won an individual gold medal on board six at the 1950 Olympiad, followed by individual silver and bronze medals in 1958 and 1976. Across eight U.S. Olympiad appearances, he contributed to both team gold and team silver medal finishes.
Beyond the board, Evans became one of the most recognizable American chess writers and journalists of his generation. He also served as Bobby Fischer’s second during the Candidates matches leading up to the World Championship, although the two eventually disagreed and parted ways before Fischer’s championship match.
The Books!
I won’t provide a complete list of every book written by these authors. Some produced nearly a hundred titles, and I’m neither inclined to squeeze that many book covers onto a single page nor interested in overwhelming the casual reader with endless bullet points.
Larry Evans is the first author in this series whose writing has faced substantial scrutiny and criticism. So, let’s begin with some basic facts before exploring the questions surrounding his credibility as a reliable and useful chess writer. To be fair, I’ll also include the views of those who defended him.
Evans wrote or co-authored more than twenty books. Remarkably, his first two books were completed by the time he was just 18: David Bronstein’s Best Games of Chess, 1944–1949 and Vienna International Tournament, 1922. One can imagine that, after analyzing so many games at such a young age, Evans realized he already had enough material to turn his work into books.
Perhaps his most significant contribution as an author was the tenth edition of Modern Chess Openings, which he co-authored with Walter Korn.
Evans was also an extraordinarily prolific chess journalist. He helped establish American Chess Quarterly and edited Chess Digest for portions of two decades. He also wrote a monthly question-and-answer column for Chess Life. I sometimes enjoyed the column, although at other times I found it too basic to maintain my interest. Among my chess-playing peers, Evans eventually acquired a reputation similar to Fred Reinfeld—an author we often criticized despite the fact that most of those peers went on to become National Masters, while I took the less glamorous route into ordinary professional life.
Our doubts about Evans’ writing were hardly unique to a group of ambitious young players. International Master John Watson was highly critical of several aspects of Evans’ books and columns, accusing him of “long histories of ignoring and distorting evidence” and referring to some of his arguments as “absurd.” Watson’s comments appeared in Chess and Politics (Kingpin, Spring 1999, pp. 33–38), as discussed by Edward Winter in The Facts about Larry Evans.
Chess historian Edward Winter also identified factual inaccuracies in Evans’ work and raised questions about possible plagiarism. In one case, Evans acknowledged an error but defended it by saying, “you must admit it makes a good story.” That response does little to strengthen confidence in an author’s commitment to accuracy.
In 2000, Yasser Seirawan was similarly scathing about Evans’ response to an open letter concerning the FIDE presidency, writing that experienced “Evans-watchers” would recognize what he described as a pattern of untruth and distortion.
Yet Evans certainly had his defenders. NM Bruce Pandolfini and IM Anthony Saidy were among those who spoke positively about his work, with Pandolfini being particularly enthusiastic about New Ideas in Chess. Evans’ reputation also received official recognition: in 2000, he was named the US Chess Federation’s Chess Journalist of the Year.
His books have continued to receive recognition as well. Ideas Behind the Chess Openings appeared on a 2025 list of the 100 Best Chess Books of All Time, although it ranked only 75th.
Bottom Line
So, does Larry Evans belong among the GOATs of chess writing?
That’s ultimately for you to decide. He doesn’t make my personal list of chess-writing GOATs. But I’ve progressed from being a dismissive chess-playing teenager to becoming what I affectionately call The Grumpy Old Man (The GOM). Perhaps that means my vote should be taken with at least a small grain of salt!
Some Quotes
As one should expect, Evans’ offered a few memorable quotes…surprisingly few, imo. Accordingly, he wasn’t a candidate for my Chess Quotemasters (QMs) Hall of Fame series. However, I’ll share a few of his sayings that gained at least limited traction in the chess echosphere.
Fischer is the strongest player in the world. In fact, the strongest player who ever lived. Ibid
Fischer wanted to give the Russians a taste of their own medicine. Ibid
Chess first of all teaches you to be objective.
Playing for complications is an extreme measure that a player should adopt only when he cannot find a clear and logical plan. (This sounds like something others said before him. I don’t blame that on Evans, I blame it on the difficulty with pinning down who first said something.)
As a rule, so-called “positional” sacrifices are considered more difficult, and therefore more praise-worthy, than those which are based exclusively on an exact calculation of tactical possibilities. (This also sounds like something others said before him. Again, that’s a problem of sourcing, not an issue of Evans committing plagiarism.)
While some are as loathe to trade a Bishop for a Knight as a Cadillac for a Chevrolet, others are prepared to do so without hesitation. Quotes About Chess Bishops.
Wrap-Up
We Were Young Once
And that’s a wrap!
I’ve tried to keep these profiles relatively short, so I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at Larry Evans. If you’d like to explore more about Evans, I’ve curated a selection of links below—although, if we’re being pedantic about my occasional abuse of the King’s English (the language, not the opening), it’s probably more than a “few”!
The list is arranged alphabetically, so the big question is: who do you think will be next?
Another GOAT? Or perhaps someone who didn’t quite make the cut for my list of the greatest chess authors?
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