Can anyone tell me ...

Those are good books and I recommend them both.

Dave

Thanks Dave! I will continue to ravenously read through them, and
hopefully remember the lessons taught in them and the lessons I'm
learning on this site through games with excellent players such as
yourself.

Coyote

What about John Nunn's 'Understanding Chess Move by Move'? Jan

I've got it. Definitely geared toward the beginning-intermediate player
and the concepts are simple ones, but does a good job of explaining
the transitions from opening to middle game to ending. The thirty
illustrative games are well picked and well analyzed, if not in too much
detail.

I'm not sure I would recommend it over the others, but I wouldn't
argue against buying it.

Well, just about any chess book can be helpful if studied.

Some modern books I prefer are "Reassess Your Chess" by J
Silman; "Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances since
Nimzowitsch" by John Watson; "School Of Chess Excellence 2: Tactical
Play" by Mark Dvoretsky; and "Secrets of Grandmaster Chess" by John
Nunn.

There are many excellent modern chess books out there that are very
well written. Visit www.chesscafe.com and check out their book review
section - they have reviews of many books, both good and bad.

Good books!!

The Dvoretsky series...although very expensive...is a must for any
serious chessplayer.

I own them all and wore out two of them!! heheheh

Dave

Of course you should mention that the Dvoretsky books are geared
towards the advanced player. Something less advanced that blends
opening into the middlegame is the classic Euwe and Kramer's two
volume set, The Middlegame; Pawn Structure in Chess, by Soltis is
another to be recommended.
It is difficult to understand an opening just by reading opening
books. Books such as Euwe's and Soltis' bridge that gap by describing
the typical middlegame patterns resulting from typical openings.
tonytiger41

I bought 4 Silman books, but -as a patzer- didn't really know how to
tackle the them and particularly which order. I mailed Jeremy Silman,
and this is his advice:
1. How to reassess your Chess (only through to page 28)
2. The Amateur's Mind (completely)
3. The rest of 'How to reassess your Chess'
4. How to reassess your Chess - Workbook'
Complementary to this 'The Complete Book of Chess Strategy'. This
is an encyclopedic book you can consult in whatever order, openings,
middlegame, endgame, strategy, tactics, minor pieces, forks, King in
the center, etc. Jan

irving chernev said: "if you want funny chess, then play e4;if you
wanna win chess play d4...oh, too is funny.