Originally posted by tomtom232BCE??? Maybe 20 years ago. Or if you're the kind of masochist who revels in reams and reams of endless variations and all in descriptive notation. A better bet today, for the rational player who isn't killing time in a sanitarium, would be Fundamental Chess Endings. That's regarded as the definitive endgame reference today and its much more approachable.
Practical Chess Endings or Basic Chess Endings
However, other than as a reference, I would still recommend a thinner and simpler endgame book as a primer. IMHO learning to play the endgame is like learning a new language, you need to take a building block approach. I have Silman's "Chess Endings Explained Move by Move", but his newer "Complete Endgame Course" would probably be a better buy today. Or Flear's "Improve Your Endgame" would also be a good place to start.
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Originally posted by RamnedHaving never read a chess book, this is not the place to begin. Watson writes at a very high level and chess books need to be approached at a level that is appropriate to your current understanding, the same as with any other complex subject matter. One does not go from elementary school straight to University to begin work on their doctorate thesis.
I think what I am going to do is start off with openings. Just concentrate on becoming versatile. THEN I will advance.
(Mastering the Chess Openings, Watson) Volume 1 and Volume 2 look perfect - fairly advanced it seems and in depth. This is my final decision unless i am advised against it...
You'll find your chess reading much more enjoyable, and you'll get a lot more out of it, if you start with something simpler and work your way up to increasingly sophisticated and more challenging material, which is what Watson's books are.
I remember several years ago buying The Art of Attack because it is the definitive treatise on the subject and because at the time my play was very dry and I wanted to sharpen it (and of course, make some brilliant mating attacks as well). So I ordered it. I looked at it. And it was really quite impressive looking. Then I even tried reading it. I didn't make it very far. The book may be outstanding but it takes for granted a certain amount of both tactical and positional knowledge that I didn't have then and I probably still don't have now.
By comparison, around the same time, I bought The Art of the Checkmate. The theme is the same but no positional understanding is required and even an elementary knowledge of tactics is adequate to get the full effect from the book. I devoured it, thoroughly enjoyed it (my eyes were literally opened to patterns I never knew existed) and my play sharpened immensely. In fact I'll probably read it again soon (this is what separates the good chess books from the great ones, a desire to re-read them). And one day I will read The Art of Attack. Its simply to promising to allow it to collect dust on my book shelf forever. But I know I need to read some more slightly basic books first.
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Originally posted by RamnedIts a good primer, its algebraic, and it only costs about $10 US. It'll give you a good overview of most openings and some decent coverage of the more common openings. Mostly what it'll do is help you understand the various openings and find the ones that are right for you. At that point you can then move onto more specialized repetoire books to deepen your understanding of specific openings.
All right, then is the Openings for the average chess player the way to go; and start on openings rather than taking books discussing all angles?
I recommend pairing the book with "Better Chess for Average Players" by the same author (Harding), which is also about $10. Even though it covers a lot of general topics (tactics, strategy, attacking, planning, endings) it does so at a level that you can probably benefit from (i.e.: not too basic, like a beginner book, but nothing so advanced you won't understand it). The book is well organized, the sections bite sized, and it is very concise and to the point (a gift I've noticed many British authors seem blessed with).
The two books will give you some solid foundation that you can then build upon with more specialized books later on.
By the way, one last point. The opening book isn't really meant to be read cover to cover. Its something you leaf through to get an overview of various openings before digging into the specifics a little deeper while you're playing a CC game (as opening books are permitted here). The second book is meant to be read cover to cover, although you can read the chapters in whatever order they interest you.