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anyone read this?

anyone read this?

Only Chess

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http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890085022/ref=lm_lb_6/202-3000901-9980646

reviewers are saying its excellent for studying the game. One reviewer says theres a lot of emphasis on planning which is important for reaching and sustaining higher ratings >1550. i never play with a plan, just move to wherever looks logical to me, never really look further then 2-3 moves.

Lots on positional play and stuff aswell, resonable price. Your thoughts?

Dave

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Yes, I have The Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman, as well as several other books of his. I'm currently reading Reassess Your Chess. Silman's books are among the most highly regarded for the average player. IM John Donaldson told me that these are the books that I should be studying.

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Originally posted by stella1984
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890085022/ref=lm_lb_6/202-3000901-9980646

reviewers are saying its excellent for studying the game. One reviewer says theres a lot of emphasis on planning which is important for reaching and sustaining higher ratings >1550. i never play with a plan, just move to wherever looks logical to me, never really look f ...[text shortened]... 2-3 moves.

Lots on positional play and stuff aswell, resonable price. Your thoughts?

Dave
I've heard people mention it quite a lot in this forum before. I haven't read it, but i certainly haven't heard anything bad about it. I know the author has a good reputation. I choose books by author mainly, though i haven't bought any in a while now....

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Originally posted by stella1984
i never play with a plan, just move to wherever looks logical to me...
Playing with a plan against playing aimlessly, is the characteristic difference between the stronger player and the weaker player.

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Originally posted by Bowmann
Playing with a plan against playing aimlessly, is the characteristic difference between the stronger player and the weaker player.
This is why I currently have no prospect of becoming a strong player. Decent openings, decent tactics, have cut out the worst blunders. But post-game analysis against virtually any 1650-plus will show that in a fairly closed, fairly equal position, I gradually slip behind because I often have at best a vague plan while my opponent knows what he wants to do. And by the time I realise it, it is usually much too late.

I find this aspect of my game the very hardest to improve & it's why I try to stick to openings where I at least recognise some of the themes.

Whoops, I've said too much.

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Originally posted by dottewell
I find this aspect of my game the very hardest to improve & it's why I try to stick to openings where I at least recognise some of the themes.
Planning is for any stage of the game.

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I'm currently reading Reassess Your Chess. I highly recommend it.

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Originally posted by Bowmann
Planning is for any stage of the game.
Yes, but I generally have plans in the opening and endgame. I'm basically talking about quieter, more positional middle-games.

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Originally posted by stella1984
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890085022/ref=lm_lb_6/202-3000901-9980646

reviewers are saying its excellent for studying the game. One reviewer says theres a lot of emphasis on planning which is important for reaching and sustaining higher ratings >1550. i never play with a plan, just move to wherever looks logical to me, never really look f ...[text shortened]... 2-3 moves.

Lots on positional play and stuff aswell, resonable price. Your thoughts?

Dave
I read "reasses your chess" and "an amateur's mind" early on when I started up w/ chess. I found them enormously interesting and felt they were helpfull. However, I have since revised my thinking. This is what I've found...Books like those on positional play and strategy as well as others on openings only give you "big picture" ideas. They give you an idea of what you're trying to do but they don't help you very much beyond that. It's the books on tactics that have really made a more substantial improvement in my play. I seldom read about chess any more but when I do, it's almost exclusively books on tatctics and tactical puzzles.

It's good to have a plan, but if you miss an opportunity for material gain, or worse, if you blunder material because of lack of board vision then that good plan goes out the window.