my very first chess book - suggestions

i've realized that after a few years of playing chess the only area that doesn't seem to improve is my endgame, it a word it sucks.

if i'm going to get any better at this game i need to start converting the games were i'm drawing but should win, into wins. i'd say not winning were i should have and losing when a draw was there is costing me around 100 points.

any endgame book suggestions?

i don't really like 'chess talk' so the closer it is to written word english the better. (you know what i mean)

Originally posted by trev33
i've realized that after a few years of playing chess the only area that doesn't seem to improve is my endgame, it a word it sucks.

if i'm going to get any better at this game i need to start converting the games were i'm drawing but should win, into wins. i'd say not winning were i should have and losing when a draw was there is costing me around 100 poi ...[text shortened]... ess talk' so the closer it is to written word english the better. (you know what i mean)

Get used to 'chess talk'. As with any field of study, the jargon helps you compress complex, specialized ideas into fewer words.

Originally posted by trev33
i've realized that after a few years of playing chess the only area that doesn't seem to improve is my endgame, it a word it sucks.

if i'm going to get any better at this game i need to start converting the games were i'm drawing but should win, into wins. i'd say not winning were i should have and losing when a draw was there is costing me around 100 poi ...[text shortened]... ess talk' so the closer it is to written word english the better. (you know what i mean)

Improve your endgame play,Glenn Flear

Originally posted by trev33
i've realized that after a few years of playing chess the only area that doesn't seem to improve is my endgame, it a word it sucks.

if i'm going to get any better at this game i need to start converting the games were i'm drawing but should win, into wins. i'd say not winning were i should have and losing when a draw was there is costing me around 100 poi ess talk' so the closer it is to written word english the better. (you know what i mean)

the silman endgame book is awesome. it goes by skill level so you know where you should work up to. Im also 1700s and a weak endgame player, and it helps a lot

edit:and he tries to name certain endgames to avoid jargon, to make it easier to remember

Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess series are great books. Very informative and interesting to read. His endgame book is tip top.

agreed about getting used to chess talk - any of the above books should be good as well.

The best endgame education I got was by far from the chessmaster course given by Josh Waitzkin. Books are pretty boring, and in comparison the chessmaster tutorial feels like playing a video game so you would actually do it.

DVDs worked much better for me than written word. there's something about moving pieces on the screen that helps me retain the knowledge better. and go through it much faster. the downside is that DVDs tend to be crap for finding a specific bit again, when you start wondering "how the hell did that work again". so one option are the karsten müller endgame DVDs.

another great way is to get PCT ie 'chessimo' as the software is called nowadays, and just start hammering the endgame positions. the software is a bit klunky, but it does its job. no reading or listening required, you just solve positions starting from basics and learn by doing. it's surprisingly effective. there's a trial version for free.

Originally posted by wormwood
DVDs worked much better for me than written word. there's something about moving pieces on the screen that helps me retain the knowledge better. and go through it much faster. the downside is that DVDs tend to be crap for finding a specific bit again, when you start wondering "how the hell did that work again". so one option are the karsten müller endgame D ...[text shortened]... basics and learn by doing. it's surprisingly effective. there's a trial version for free.

Yeah I think so too. dvds and other interactive methods are way better than books and you will actually finish them!

Id love to get into dvds. I can see why theyd work better than books... only problem for me is the price seems a little expensive (well, books too)
I wonder if we could get a burn group going here and do a bunch of them for cheap

Originally posted by Double G
Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess series are great books. Very informative and interesting to read. His endgame book is tip top.

I was going to recommend these, so I will simply echo this. I would do them in this order, but this is very much debatable:

Play Winning Chess (the basics)

Winning Chess Tactics

Winning Chess Strategies

Winning Chess Endings (if you've read the previous 3, you are still "in the game" when you reach the ending, hopefully)

Winning Chess Brilliancies (not sure of title, and I lent it to a friend)

They are very easy to read, and very fundamentally grounded.

Paul

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I was going to recommend these, so I will simply echo this. I would do them in this order, but this is very much debatable:

Play Winning Chess (the basics)

Winning Chess Tactics

Winning Chess Strategies

Winning Chess Endings (if you've read the previous 3, you are still "in the game" when you reach the ending, hopefully)

Winning Chess ...[text shortened]... lent it to a friend)

They are very easy to read, and very fundamentally grounded.

Paul

yeah, I've only read the opening one, but the guy has a serious talent for teaching. I'd get anything by him if the subject happened to fit my needs.

Originally posted by Paul Leggett
I was going to recommend these, so I will simply echo this. I would do them in this order, but this is very much debatable:

Play Winning Chess (the basics)

Winning Chess Tactics

Winning Chess Strategies

Winning Chess Endings (if you've read the previous 3, you are still "in the game" when you reach the ending, hopefully)

Winning Chess ...[text shortened]... lent it to a friend)

They are very easy to read, and very fundamentally grounded.

Paul

He recently published another book called Winning Chess Combinations which is primarily about checkmating patterns. I really enjoyed it because one of the things I struggle with is putting opponents away when I have an advantage. The combinations he describes are still a little beyond me but hopefully one day I'll get there. 🙂

interesting, i never thought of any interactive source. i think that might suit my learning style better but i'll go down to the literary first and see if a book can hold my attention... might as well find out what is going to work for me before making any purchases.

i'll have a look out for the names mentioned here, thanks.

Originally posted by wormwood
yeah, I've only read the opening one, but the guy has a serious talent for teaching. I'd get anything by him if the subject happened to fit my needs.

Then you might be interested in this.
http://www.chessbase.com/shop/product.asp?pid=485