Batsford Chess: The Publisher Behind Chess Literature for Over Half a Century

Batsford is one of the most respected names in chess publishing. While the company itself dates back to 1843 as a British publisher of illustrated books on architecture and design, it was the chess imprint that brought Batsford to the attention of players worldwide. For decades, Batsford Chess has been the publisher behind some of the most important and widely read chess books ever printed. ## A Legacy of World Champions on the Page What sets Batsford apart from many chess publishers is the caliber of authors on their roster. Bobby Fischer's "My 60 Memorable Games" is one of the best-selling chess books of all time, and Batsford published it. Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Alexander Kotov, and Paul Keres have all had their works appear under the Batsford banner. When a titled player publishes a book of serious instructional or analytical value, there is a good chance Batsford is involved. The "60 Memorable Games" series by Andrew Soltis has become a modern staple, with dedicated volumes covering Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. These books give readers annotated game collections from the current era, continuing a tradition that stretches back to Fischer's original. ## From Opening Theory to Children's Books The Batsford catalog is broad. It spans opening theory (the Algebraic Chess Openings and Contemporary Chess Openings series), endgame technique (Keres' Practical Chess Endings), tactical training (300 Most Important Chess Exercises by Thomas Engqvist), and thinking methodology (Kotov's Think Like a Grandmaster). For newer players, titles like "Chess For Children Activity Book" by Sabrina Chevannes make the catalog accessible to younger audiences. The publisher has not limited itself to advanced material. The range is intentional: Batsford wants to serve the entire chess reading market, from beginners picking up their first book to grandmasters studying deep theory. ## Independent Again Batsford's corporate history has had some twists. The publisher was part of Pavilion Books, which was acquired by HarperCollins in December 2021. But Batsford itself was carved out and returned to independent ownership under Polly Powell. This means the chess imprint is now run by a smaller, focused team that can make decisions about their catalog without navigating a large corporate structure. For chess readers, this is arguably good news. Independent publishers tend to take risks on niche titles and maintain backlists that larger houses might let go out of print. Batsford's continued output of new chess titles suggests the independence has been productive. ## The Catalog Today With roughly 80 chess titles currently available through their website, Batsford remains one of the largest dedicated chess publishers. The books are available through their own shop at batsfordbooks.com, as well as major retailers. Distribution is handled by Macmillan Distribution in the UK, giving them wide reach across bookstores and online platforms. Recent additions to the catalog focus on practical instruction and modern player profiles, while the classic titles remain in print. This mix of old and new is what makes Batsford valuable to the chess community. A reader can pick up Fischer's games and Carlsen's games from the same publisher, separated by decades of chess evolution but united by editorial quality. ## Where to Find Batsford Chess The full chess catalog is available at [batsfordbooks.com](https://batsfordbooks.com/book-category/chess-games?imprint=3). Batsford is active on social media through their main accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, though their social presence covers all their publishing categories, not just chess. Batsford Chess is now listed on [TrendingChess.com](https://trendingchess.com/batsford-chess), where you can find their full profile, features, and links.