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Best Chess Books at My Level, if Even Needed

#1

I have been playing chess for a couple of months and at this point I am mostly doing puzzles due to college. I still want to get better since this is my main hobby. I currently own a physical copy of Silman's "Complete Book on Chess Strategy", The small ebook series of "Tactics in the chess opening" (which is a collection of games in those openings), and "Complete Idiot's guide to chess strategy". Right now I figure that I have way more than I need to improve, as there are also tons of informative videos on tactics and structures, but to be quite honest I am not sure what to focus on, lately I have been working on tactics which feels like the best way to start. To the more experienced players, what do you recommend? Books, Videos, etc...

I have been playing chess for a couple of months and at this point I am mostly doing puzzles due to college. I still want to get better since this is my main hobby. I currently own a physical copy of Silman's "Complete Book on Chess Strategy", The small ebook series of "Tactics in the chess opening" (which is a collection of games in those openings), and "Complete Idiot's guide to chess strategy". Right now I figure that I have way more than I need to improve, as there are also tons of informative videos on tactics and structures, but to be quite honest I am not sure what to focus on, lately I have been working on tactics which feels like the best way to start. To the more experienced players, what do you recommend? Books, Videos, etc...
#2

Personally (as you can see) my rating isn't that high but I've read quite a bit on how to study chess and many people have recommended that the endgame is the first thing that should be mastered. To this end, I'd recommend Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (which Kasparov himself recommended when asked for one good book to read). I've also picked up a copy of The Seven Deadly Chess Sins per a friend's recommendation and I've found it quite brilliant and unique in its approach. The main idea isn't actually that you're reading or watching YouTube videos, but that you're practicing what you're reading and watching - reading is no substitute for practice when it comes to tactics, openings, endings, or the middlegame. I'm also in college and although I'm quite trash at chess, I would definitely be down to play and practice if you're looking for someone regular to play.

Hope this helped, cheers.

Personally (as you can see) my rating isn't that high but I've read quite a bit on how to study chess and many people have recommended that the endgame is the first thing that should be mastered. To this end, I'd recommend Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual (which Kasparov himself recommended when asked for one good book to read). I've also picked up a copy of The Seven Deadly Chess Sins per a friend's recommendation and I've found it quite brilliant and unique in its approach. The main idea isn't actually that you're reading or watching YouTube videos, but that you're practicing what you're reading and watching - reading is no substitute for practice when it comes to tactics, openings, endings, or the middlegame. I'm also in college and although I'm quite trash at chess, I would definitely be down to play and practice if you're looking for someone regular to play. Hope this helped, cheers.
#3

Chess Rating: 1200-1400

  1. Chess Tactics for Students by John Bain
  2. Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev
  3. Back to Basics: Tactics (ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess) by Dan Heisman
  4. Winning Chess Tactics, revised (Winning Chess – Everyman Chess) by Seirawan
  5. Silman’s Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman

Chess Rating: 1400-1600

  1. Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman
  2. The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev
  3. Chess Training Pocket Book by Lev alburt
  4. Chess Exam and Training Guide By Igor Khelmenitsky
Chess Rating: 1200-1400 1) Chess Tactics for Students by John Bain 2) Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev 3) Back to Basics: Tactics (ChessCafe Back to Basics Chess) by Dan Heisman 4) Winning Chess Tactics, revised (Winning Chess – Everyman Chess) by Seirawan 5) Silman’s Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman Chess Rating: 1400-1600 1) Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman 2) The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev 3) Chess Training Pocket Book by Lev alburt 4) Chess Exam and Training Guide By Igor Khelmenitsky
#4

Just playing I think, i think silman's middle game book whatever it is called is probably best but i dont remember any of that.. i think i went through some of the pages but chess books arent very interesting. I'd recommend though i think it has a basic ideas of imbalances on it in a certain page and think about those things each game i suppose.. most of it becomes natural if you just play though

Just playing I think, i think silman's middle game book whatever it is called is probably best but i dont remember any of that.. i think i went through some of the pages but chess books arent very interesting. I'd recommend though i think it has a basic ideas of imbalances on it in a certain page and think about those things each game i suppose.. most of it becomes natural if you just play though
#5

where in texas are you? if you near temple tx/ waco tx I know a fun to play on friday

where in texas are you? if you near temple tx/ waco tx I know a fun to play on friday
#6

Book-wise for your level Susan Polgar’s World Champions guide to chess, and do that book over and over until you solve every puzzle in it instantly, basically you should give the correct answer the very instant you glanced at the position. And all endgames and demo games in it you should memorize.

Remember, solving some puzzle in 5 seconds is so slow that it doesn’t even count, do them until you solve each puzzle in less than half a second. You may need to read the book several times until you can do that. Must build up your basics.

Supplement to that Lev Alburt’s 2 first volumes of his comprehensive chess course is good. Then you can go into Silman’s book or two so that you will know what to do and what the game is all about. Then just solve tons of puzzles over and over and analyze your games with stockfish. For openings just watch YouTubes until you hit 2000 or so. after that you will need some specific repertoire 6-hour long videos etc.

Book-wise for your level Susan Polgar’s World Champions guide to chess, and do that book over and over until you solve every puzzle in it instantly, basically you should give the correct answer the very instant you glanced at the position. And all endgames and demo games in it you should memorize. Remember, solving some puzzle in 5 seconds is so slow that it doesn’t even count, do them until you solve each puzzle in less than half a second. You may need to read the book several times until you can do that. Must build up your basics. Supplement to that Lev Alburt’s 2 first volumes of his comprehensive chess course is good. Then you can go into Silman’s book or two so that you will know what to do and what the game is all about. Then just solve tons of puzzles over and over and analyze your games with stockfish. For openings just watch YouTubes until you hit 2000 or so. after that you will need some specific repertoire 6-hour long videos etc.
#7

Engames beginner to master by jeremy silman._. Must have

Engames beginner to master by jeremy silman._. Must have
#8

@RubySeaTurtle

Speaking as an older guy who learned the rules as a kid, played off and on again as an adult though never studied the game prior to returning to it one year ago after a 20 year hiatus, I believe you can most usefully breakdown your "improvement" project into two broad and interrelated categories.

1- behaviour
2- knowledge

1-Behaviour: at your level, games are generally "lost" rather than won. And the main reason is because games at this level are replete with egregious mistakes and blunders. Now, there are all types of mistakes and blunders so you would do well to Google the subject to at least develop an awareness of simple and frequent types of blunders. You can then analyze each of your games with the sole and specific purpose of identifying occurences of these types of blunders and developing a methodology to reduce their occurences in your games. For example, you may realize that you very frequently hang a piece or a pawn in the opening, simply because you haven't developed the habit of guarding them.Or perhaps you are absent-minded, have difficulty sustaining focus throughout an entire game, only have partial board vision, lack impulse control, etc. Identifying these behavioural components and adressing these issues will go a long way towards improving your game.

2- Knowledge: a well-rounded chess player must develop a good knowledge of all three (opening, middlegame and endgame) phases of the game as well as become tactically proficient and capable of evaluating positions to understand how he stands relative to his opponent, in all phases of the game. Just as importantly, this knowledge must translate into real-world skill. The problem is, unless you are a prodigy or still young and living with your parents or independently wealthy and without work and family obligations, time is a very finite resource and you want to allocate it as optimally as possible. So, here are my suggestions:

a- Opening study. Experiment with a few openings, both as White and Black, and choose one as White and a couple as Black that seem to suit your style. Find model annotated games and get the hang of the ideas and plans associated to these openings. Do not spend countless hours with specialized books trying to learn or memorize each in depth, in all their multitudinous variations. Opening study is the biggest "resource-sink" (time, effort and money) on the vast majority of serious yet often misguided students of the game. Unless one is already a very good player, the return is not at all commensurate with the investment. You are much better off getting a firm grasp of opening principles and fundamentals in general, as well as ideas behind openings in particular, than trying to learn "opening theory" related to specific openings. An excellent use of your time will be studying SmithyQ's magnificent free book "Smithy's Opening Fundamentals" https://www.chessable.com/smithys-opening-fundamentals/course/21302/ on Chessable.com

b- Endgame study. It is much easier to understand the power of pawns and pieces when only a few of them are on the board rather than 32. You will also understand how the King becomes an attacking piece and how vitally important it usually is to centralize it. Understanding what is a favourable endgame will allow you to work towards it in the middlegame. Having said that, books like "Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual" are definitely to be avoided. Though it is a classic, you aren't quite ready to summit Everest. Not by a longshot. An excellent use of your time will be studying Theoryhack's magnificent free book "Basic Engames" https://www.chessable.com/basic-endgames/course/6371/ on Chessable.com or any of the free "endgame booklets" available on that site. Just stick to the simpler and more common endgames.

c-Tactics. This is probably the subject whose study will provide the greatest dividends for the time investment. I am not talking about "opening tactics" which belong to the "magic-bullet" theology of lesser chess players who are looking for quick ways to improve their ratings. This category should really be reserved for when one is already a better rounded player. You must first learn the basic tactical concepts, of which there are many. Just Google "Basic tactic concept chess". Then you must expose yourself to as many tactics patterns as possible, on a daily basis, and develop instant recognition so you immediately know what move or sequence of moves is required from the position. An excellent use of your time will be studying Dan Heisman's "Back to Basics"https://www.chessable.com/back-to-basics-tactics/course/23488/ , CraftyRaf's ""Checkmate Patterns" https://www.chessable.com/checkmate-patterns/course/17841/ and Benedictine's "Common Chess Patterns" https://www.chessable.com/common-chess-patterns/course/13348/ , all of which are available on Chessable.com

d-Positional evaluation. The best thing you can do is study books like Chernev's "Logical Chess" or Réti's " Masters of the Chessboard" which explain the ideas behind a master player's moves. You won't understand everything but these books will expose you to fundamental concepts which will help you understand why one position is more advantageous than another. You can then use this knowledge by applying it when analyzing positions during your own games and afterwards, with the help of chess engines, such as Stockfish. Analyses should be a part of your daily study routine.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Pix

P.S. You are also welcome to join my "Adult Improvers" team: https://lichess.org/team/adult-improvers

@RubySeaTurtle Speaking as an older guy who learned the rules as a kid, played off and on again as an adult though never studied the game prior to returning to it one year ago after a 20 year hiatus, I believe you can most usefully breakdown your "improvement" project into two broad and interrelated categories. 1- behaviour 2- knowledge 1-Behaviour: at your level, games are generally "lost" rather than won. And the main reason is because games at this level are replete with egregious mistakes and blunders. Now, there are all types of mistakes and blunders so you would do well to Google the subject to at least develop an awareness of simple and frequent types of blunders. You can then analyze each of your games with the sole and specific purpose of identifying occurences of these types of blunders and developing a methodology to reduce their occurences in your games. For example, you may realize that you very frequently hang a piece or a pawn in the opening, simply because you haven't developed the habit of guarding them.Or perhaps you are absent-minded, have difficulty sustaining focus throughout an entire game, only have partial board vision, lack impulse control, etc. Identifying these behavioural components and adressing these issues will go a long way towards improving your game. 2- Knowledge: a well-rounded chess player must develop a good knowledge of all three (opening, middlegame and endgame) phases of the game as well as become tactically proficient and capable of evaluating positions to understand how he stands relative to his opponent, in all phases of the game. Just as importantly, this knowledge must translate into real-world skill. The problem is, unless you are a prodigy or still young and living with your parents or independently wealthy and without work and family obligations, time is a very finite resource and you want to allocate it as optimally as possible. So, here are my suggestions: a- Opening study. Experiment with a few openings, both as White and Black, and choose one as White and a couple as Black that seem to suit your style. Find model annotated games and get the hang of the ideas and plans associated to these openings. Do not spend countless hours with specialized books trying to learn or memorize each in depth, in all their multitudinous variations. Opening study is the biggest "resource-sink" (time, effort and money) on the vast majority of serious yet often misguided students of the game. Unless one is already a very good player, the return is not at all commensurate with the investment. You are much better off getting a firm grasp of opening principles and fundamentals in general, as well as ideas behind openings in particular, than trying to learn "opening theory" related to specific openings. An excellent use of your time will be studying SmithyQ's magnificent free book "Smithy's Opening Fundamentals" https://www.chessable.com/smithys-opening-fundamentals/course/21302/ on Chessable.com b- Endgame study. It is much easier to understand the power of pawns and pieces when only a few of them are on the board rather than 32. You will also understand how the King becomes an attacking piece and how vitally important it usually is to centralize it. Understanding what is a favourable endgame will allow you to work towards it in the middlegame. Having said that, books like "Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual" are definitely to be avoided. Though it is a classic, you aren't quite ready to summit Everest. Not by a longshot. An excellent use of your time will be studying Theoryhack's magnificent free book "Basic Engames" https://www.chessable.com/basic-endgames/course/6371/ on Chessable.com or any of the free "endgame booklets" available on that site. Just stick to the simpler and more common endgames. c-Tactics. This is probably the subject whose study will provide the greatest dividends for the time investment. I am not talking about "opening tactics" which belong to the "magic-bullet" theology of lesser chess players who are looking for quick ways to improve their ratings. This category should really be reserved for when one is already a better rounded player. You must first learn the basic tactical concepts, of which there are many. Just Google "Basic tactic concept chess". Then you must expose yourself to as many tactics patterns as possible, on a daily basis, and develop instant recognition so you immediately know what move or sequence of moves is required from the position. An excellent use of your time will be studying Dan Heisman's "Back to Basics"https://www.chessable.com/back-to-basics-tactics/course/23488/ , CraftyRaf's ""Checkmate Patterns" https://www.chessable.com/checkmate-patterns/course/17841/ and Benedictine's "Common Chess Patterns" https://www.chessable.com/common-chess-patterns/course/13348/ , all of which are available on Chessable.com d-Positional evaluation. The best thing you can do is study books like Chernev's "Logical Chess" or Réti's " Masters of the Chessboard" which explain the ideas behind a master player's moves. You won't understand everything but these books will expose you to fundamental concepts which will help you understand why one position is more advantageous than another. You can then use this knowledge by applying it when analyzing positions during your own games and afterwards, with the help of chess engines, such as Stockfish. Analyses should be a part of your daily study routine. Hope this helps, Regards, Pix P.S. You are also welcome to join my "Adult Improvers" team: https://lichess.org/team/adult-improvers

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