How to "read" a book

First of all, hello everybody.

I am playing chess for about 10 years, and have been in some local tournaments. I wanted to improve my game a while ago, so i joined a chess club in Istanbul and started to get lessons. The poblem is, I don't know how to study chess at home. I have a lot of books concerning chess, and am now currently working on "The Endgame" by Averbach. However I don't know if I should just play the moves that are shown on the pages and illustrarions, or try to memorize the positions. I ask this because sometimes I go back to the previous example because I don't think (or convince myself) that I have learned it.

i can read! 😀

Originally posted by anthias
First of all, hello everybody.

I am playing chess for about 10 years, and have been in some local tournaments. I wanted to improve my game a while ago, so i joined a chess club in Istanbul and started to get lessons. The poblem is, I don't know how to study chess at home. I have a lot of books concerning chess, and am now currently working on "The Endgame ...[text shortened]... to the previous example because I don't think (or convince myself) that I have learned it.

Yea, I have the same problem. I've focusing on opening books right now and I've just started memorizing the moves really. Like if he goes here in this opening then the correct move for me is...but im not sure if that's the correct way but its the best I've got. GL

Originally posted by anthias
First of all, hello everybody.

I am playing chess for about 10 years, and have been in some local tournaments. I wanted to improve my game a while ago, so i joined a chess club in Istanbul and started to get lessons. The poblem is, I don't know how to study chess at home. I have a lot of books concerning chess, and am now currently working on "The Endgame ...[text shortened]... to the previous example because I don't think (or convince myself) that I have learned it.

Skip the memorization and try to understand the move.

i.e. he moved there to pin the f6 knight and threaten e5 winning the knight (most moves are more subtle than this, but you get the idea).

DEFINATLY try to understand why moves are made, and appreciate the thought behind them. even if you think "i would never have thought of that" try and look at the type of position it was, and understand why the tactic employed was employed, and you may find yourself using it in similar positions. though... iv never read a chess book in my life, im sort of assuming this is the right way to go about it

the best way for me to learn an opening was to know the variation and after i knew the moves i went back and asked myself what does this move do. usually an opening move will control the center of the board develope a piece pin attack or activate a piece etc etc. learning an opening is pointless if you dont know the middle game of it. also endgame books are good but memorizing the positions wont do you much good there are millions of positions that can be made. learn why they make those moves and how its purpose is good. endgame books just show you the basics and how to go about them.

And know how to continue in a game after you get out of the opening book. I have seen so many times when someone gets out of the book and loses immediately. Have a plan when playing a specific opening.

BV

Sometimes I'll spend a long time working through just one page with a chess board set up to help, then put it aside and come back to it a day or so later. Chess books can be like language books in that a book that is too advanced, and assumes a lot of knowledge, may be too hard to comprehend...this is what I've found anyway. It can be a joy to pick up a book that you used to struggle with sometime ago and find that now, with your improved knowledge, you can get into it.

what i've found with reading is that you can learn something but not really feel like you could use it in your games. sometimes you dont really understand some of the things tought in a chess book until your in the middle of a game.

The best way to "read" a chess book in my opinion is to make a notebook out of it. Make important positions on the computer, print them out and paste them in your notebook. Include ideas you have about the position, the main ideas and themes, etc. For example, if you take a look at my endgame notebook, you'll see Lucenas position pasted in there, along with my own ideas on it and analysis as well as book analysis. I believe this (untested since I only started it recently) method helps you abosrb the material rather than just reading it.

I have the same problem. I don't know whether or not to play the moves on a board or try to do them in my head. Would doing them in my head be less effective?

Originally posted by BillyVoltaire
know how to continue in a game after you get out of the opening book. . . . Have a plan when playing a specific opening.

BV

This is just the thing I have the most trouble with. Moving into the middle game with most or all the pieces developed, I am overwhelmed by all the forces at work. How to formulate that plan?

Originally posted by basso
This is just the thing I have the most trouble with. Moving into the middle game with most or all the pieces developed, I am overwhelmed by all the forces at work. How to formulate that plan?

get 'How to Reasess Your Chess" and "How to Reasess Your Chess Workbook" by jeremy silman I just got it a few weeks ago and just finished and I find myself looking at positions much differently now.

Originally posted by TEXASmade
Yea, I have the same problem. I've focusing on opening books right now and I've just started memorizing the moves really. Like if he goes here in this opening then the correct move for me is...but im not sure if that's the correct way but its the best I've got. GL

I did exactly that (remembering the moves), you will find that it will win you some games (we are talking otb here as obvioulsy no access to databases etc) as your opponent makes errors in the opening. However the position you really want to get to is to actually win games as opposed to your opponent losing them. That can only be achieved by having a plan and successfully executing it. I suffered in the middle game (and still do to some extent as my middle game is still weaker than my opening game) but eventually even on the path you are on now you will naturally start to look at the games you loss and start toi understand why, and that will be because your opponent made a valid move but not in your opening book and you did not make a good reply due to not fully understanding the position, because you got there by memory rather than by executing a plan, which leaves you not knowing what to do.