@Couch-Curls
Dvoresky's Endgame Manual or Fundamental Chess Endings by Muller and Lamprecht. If you want a more middle game book, I thought "Understanding Chess Move by Move" by John Nunn was good. Otherwise "The Go Between" by LP Hartley's a classic, but probably won't help your chess.
@couch-curls saidChess Tactics for Champions - Susan Polgar and Paul Truong. Finished it 2 weeks ago. Chapter 20 on traps and counter traps was especially interesting. Anatoly Karpov and Boris Spassky don't write glowing praises on mediocre books, both praised this one in the forward by Karpov and back cover by Spassky. A few typo's are only a minor drawback from this otherwise great book.
Book recommendations for average player?
@couch-curls saidPersonally, I don't like using books at all.They tend to be full of example games you're supposed to play through on a board.There's always lots of variations in brackets (e.g if d4 nxp,bxn etc) which I presume you're supposed to play through to see the consequences and then go back to the actual game.It's laborious and you only have to make one mistake in following the moves and you've blown it.
So what book for average player?
These days there's lots of free tutorials on the internet and lots of advise from the experts.The St Louis chess club videos are excellent and cover every subject from openings to how to play and win.Whats more you can easily rewind and look over positions at your leisure.There's even some video's which invite you to pause and work out what you would play.Chess puzzles are also a good source of learning.
My advice is save your money.It's all there online.There's even a chess puzzle section on this site which is quite good and fun into the bargain
Sorry Venda but I could not disagree more about not using books.
First of all it is a time proven method of studying. Chess before computers
produced some of the greatest players the game has known.
Yes it can be a wee bit laborious going back to the last diagram
to re-set position but if the writer has added a varaition then they
must think it is important. Some of them best ideas I have found
OTB have come from a note.
I have in my time (70 in June) played 1,000's of combinations and
not one have I ever made up on my own. The idea/pattern has come
from something I looked at the in the past from books.
The knack I use (I was put onto this method by a strong player)
was to ignore the notes and play over the main moves first.
Then do the game again, this way patterns and lessons sink in
and in a few cases you do not need to play out a note because you
aware of what happened and you have become so familar with the
game re-setting it is easier.
There is no short cut, and anyway I really enjoy playing over a game
from a book. I'll go over it again and again. When I was mustard hot
on chess spending an hour on one game was not uncommon.
There is no quick fix.
The trouble with DVD's and online puzzles is it not increasing or aiding
your 3d vision. You must get the eyes roaming all over the board and staring
at postage stamp sized pictures just does not do it for the average player.
The other problem is the swamping speeed of skipping through a game
online. People do six or seven games in 10 minutes. What are you learning?
Maybe the gifted few, the kids in the top 20 today can do it but they are the exceptions.
I'm reading the Soltis book on Carlsen - a game a day. He studied with
a book and board till he was about 15. Up till then, according to his trainer,
he was computer illiterate. (good book, enjoying it. I look forward to going over
a game, just the same way one looks forward to seeing a film.)
Hi Couch Curls,
Looks like you are NOT one of the exceptions. That means you are like the
rest of us, the 99.999%. Do not fret. Happy days ahead.
All I can do is rec a book I know helped me. The good news is I know for sure
it helped thousands of others and a good book and board makes studying
not work, but good relaxing fun and something to look forward too.
LogicalChess by Chernev (the algebraic version.)
Take your time - no more than two a day. Go through each one three times
till you have the ideas behind the moves memorised. Once you have the ideas
and patterns stored you will find, without even trying, you could be able to
produce the whole game from memory even though that was not your intention.
It won't happen overnight but you get will better and increase your
enjoyment of the game. Speaking of which: Game 14210015
ghiocel - You RHP 2012. White has just played 16.f4.
When one player shoves their f-pawn from a 0-0 position it is always a critical moment
in any game. It is either good or bad. You played 16...Neg4 which is OK but you could
have won a pawn by force. There was no need to have lost this game.
@Couch-Curls
Modern Ideas In Chess from Richard Reti, Chess Fundamentals from Capablanca. If you never took any lesson, then Sergey Ivashchenko's Chess School books.
Respectfuly!
@greenpawn34 saidHi Geoff.
Sorry Venda but I could not disagree more about not using books.
First of all it is a time proven method of studying. Chess before computers
produced some of the greatest players the game has known.
Yes it can be a wee bit laborious going back to the last diagram
to re-set position but if the writer has added a varaition then they
must think it is important. Som ...[text shortened]... Knight.} 20. Rc2 Bxc3 21. Rxc3 Nxe4 {There is your pawn. and Black has active Rooks as well.} [/pgn]
I knew my comments would get a response (from you particularly),and you make some very good points very relevant to someone wanting to learn the game and become competent or better playing o.t.b
My problem with "the tried and tested methods" as well as my laziness is my memory! I struggle to remember even such simple things as "the opposition rule" in King and pawn endings!I suppose it would sink in eventually if I played them enough
When I first had aspirations of becoming a good club player I also used books.I even had a subscription to chess magazine for a while.I quickly concluded I would never be very good.I just don't have the patience!
Nevertheless, I enjoy playing on here and I have picked up lots of tips(I won't say learned)from your excellent blogs which I always look at.