More Questions (and books)

So, if you read my other threads you know that I have many books. I decided on writing them all so you experienced guys can help me with which book to read first 🙂

English books:

Opening-

1-Pirc Alert! by Lev Alburt and Alex Chernin
2-Starting Out: the King's Indian by Joe Gallagher
3-Win With the London System by Sverre Johnsen and Vlatko Kovacevic.
4-Chess Openings The Easy Way (MCO-Beginners) by Nick de Firmian
5-Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan
6-E97 by M.Gurevich

Middlegame-

1-Essential Chess Sacrifices by David Lemoir
2-Chess Strategy in Action and
3-Secets of Modern Chess Strategy by John Watson
4-The Amateur's Mind,
5-How to Reasess Your Chess and Workbook by J.Silman
6-Art of Attack in Chess by Vukovic
7-Pawn Structure Chess by A. Soltis
8-Modern Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker (this book is my first chess book. I never knew about the Turkish names for the pieces until I went to my first chess club 😛)
9-Winning Chess Tactics/ Combinations by Y.Seirawan
10-The Middlegame in Chess by R.Fine
11-Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov.

Engame-

1-Winning Chess Endings by Y.Seirawan
2-Basic Chess Endings by R.Fine (the biggest chess book I've ever seen!)

Turkish books:

Opening-

1-Opening Theory and
2-Openings and Traps by S.Dalkiran
3-The First Steps To Mastery by U.Unkan

Middlegame-

1-Draws in Chess by L.Verhovsky
2-Tournament Preparation in Chess by A.Koblenz
3-Chess by O.Kulac (a most original name...)
3-Learning Chess (Tactics) by K.Olgac
4-Storming The Barricades by L.Christiansen
5-Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by well.. Bobby Fischer
6-Chess Teaching Method by S.Dalkiran
7-Combinations and Calculating Variations by S.Dalkiran
8-My 60 Memorable Games by Fischer
9-Handbook for the Chess Teacher by R.James
9-Systemmatic Training in Chess

Endgame-

1-Pawn Endings in Chess by S.Dalkiran
2-The Endgame by Averbach
3-Rook Endings by S.Palavan

General books:

-Short Games in Chess by U.Unakitan
-Lessons for Mastery by A.Suetin
-My Chess Book by S.Palavan
-Kasparov's Games Vol:1 by Igor Stohl
-Chess: Basic acts and Games by R.Fine
-How the GM's Play by K.Olgac
-Winning Chess Brilliances by Y.Seirawan

I also have Fritz 9 and Chessmaster 9000 as well as 10th Edition.

So...

Wow, I haven't read your other threads, but I have to ask, you've bought all those books and haven't read any yet?

I would start with basic opening principles. Development, central control, etc. That Turkish book of your's, Opening Theory, I think it was, sounds like a good start. For how are you to paint a picture, if you don't have the right brushes?

Personally I would skip the middle game for the present and focus on Endgame study. This will do wonders for your tactics. Then after you crunch all that, move on to the middlegame. Anything by Yasser is good. Learn your basic traps and sacs. Good reading, you have a lot to go through.

Well my first thought in going over the list was that I personally feel that Bobby Fischer teaches chess isn't worth the paper it's printed on. I'm sure a few others will agree with me. It was mildly amusing to go through the puzzles standing in the bookstore but it didn't teach me a damn thing. My 60 memorable games by Fischer, on the other hand, is fantastic.

Also, I agree about skipping the middlegame for now but depending on how comfortable you are with it I would start with the endgame before I did openings. It helps with the openings and the middlegame if you first have a clear understanding of exactly where it is you are trying to end up. Think of it like a roadtrip. Step one is picking a destination.

Try to learn in this order (wish I did)

1) all the moves & rules if you have any doubts at all
2) basic endgame strategy
3) tactics
4) openings
5) strategy
6) get a repertoire & stick to what suits you
7) good luck!

Winning Chess Tactics/ Combinations by Y.Seirawan
Winning Chess Endings by Y.Seirawan
Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan


I am not sure on the order, but tactics are used all game long so that must be first. I could go either way on the last two, but if you could only read one, endings would probably help you more.

Update: I also bought

-365 ways to checkmate by Joe Gallagher

-English Defence by Daniel King

No one ever won in the middlegame without surviving the opening, and nobody ever won a game in the ending without surviving the middlegame. In light of these obvious facts, I believe that openings should be studied first, then middlegame strategy and tactics, and finally endgames.