I've looked around at my local libraries for books on how to improve at chess, but I can't find any that aren't basic rules explanations or books for kids. Do y'all have any recommendations of books that helped you improve?
@Taravangia said in #1:
> Do y'all have any recommendations of books that helped you improve?
See the "Two-Book Chess Library:" lichess.org/@/CaseyReese/blog/the-two-book-chess-library/DK6KfPfk
> Do y'all have any recommendations of books that helped you improve?
See the "Two-Book Chess Library:" lichess.org/@/CaseyReese/blog/the-two-book-chess-library/DK6KfPfk
There are two types of book that I would recommend:
(1) A book that goes through complete games with notes about every single move aimed at novices. This type of book is great because it gives you a wholistic vision of chess as it unfolds in a single game: you learn principles of openings, middlegames, and endgames. I really loved Neil McDonald's book "Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking", but there is also an older book on the same model by Irving Chernev called "Logical Chess Move by Move" that is a classic and probably easier to find, although I haven't read it myself.
(2) A book that introduces you to Steinitz's "elements" of chess laid out in a classical way. I think this is really helpful because it's like checklist of all the things you should be thinking about when considering a move, but it's entirely about the middlegame. I would recommend "Chess Training for Post Beginners" by Yaroslav Srokovski, because it is fairly short and will get you through all the elements in a reasonable amount of time. Herman Grooten's "Chess Strategy for Club Players" has the same basic structure, but it's much longer, so there's a greater chance that you'll get bogged down, although on the other hand it will serve you for a longer time if you're committed to your studies and only want to invest in one book.
If you're a real beginner, without any chess vocabulary, I'd probably recommend that you start with a book of the first type, or maybe a book from Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess series. If you're thinking more about middlegame principles, and don't mind serious books that will challenge you to think and work hard, then I think either book from the second category will be accessible.
(1) A book that goes through complete games with notes about every single move aimed at novices. This type of book is great because it gives you a wholistic vision of chess as it unfolds in a single game: you learn principles of openings, middlegames, and endgames. I really loved Neil McDonald's book "Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking", but there is also an older book on the same model by Irving Chernev called "Logical Chess Move by Move" that is a classic and probably easier to find, although I haven't read it myself.
(2) A book that introduces you to Steinitz's "elements" of chess laid out in a classical way. I think this is really helpful because it's like checklist of all the things you should be thinking about when considering a move, but it's entirely about the middlegame. I would recommend "Chess Training for Post Beginners" by Yaroslav Srokovski, because it is fairly short and will get you through all the elements in a reasonable amount of time. Herman Grooten's "Chess Strategy for Club Players" has the same basic structure, but it's much longer, so there's a greater chance that you'll get bogged down, although on the other hand it will serve you for a longer time if you're committed to your studies and only want to invest in one book.
If you're a real beginner, without any chess vocabulary, I'd probably recommend that you start with a book of the first type, or maybe a book from Yasser Seirawan's Winning Chess series. If you're thinking more about middlegame principles, and don't mind serious books that will challenge you to think and work hard, then I think either book from the second category will be accessible.
I have maybe 300 books and most of them helped me at least a little to improve. I recommend endgame books, Muller & Lamprecht or Averbach, or game collections of specific GMs. Openings books are not so helpful, too specific and detailed, except maybe on those openings you like and want to use. Anything about tactical openings by Yakov Neishtadt will open your eyes, give you new ideas. If you are looking for "rules" or "principles" many people like Silman books, but I tend more to agree with Willy Hendricks about them.
Great, thanks for the recommendations everyone!
I actually know a cool book, "700 Opening Traps" by Bill Wall, if anybody needs my opinion :D
Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca is very informative for beginners and intermediate players. I recommend the Algebraic edition.
"... 'Chess Fundamentals' ... does not deal so minutely as this book will with the things that beginners need to know. ..." - from Capablanca's A Primer of Chess
"... For let’s make no mistake, what ground Capablanca covers, he covers well. I enjoyed reading Capablanca’s presentation of even well-worn and standard positions. ...
Still, when compared with other instructional books for beginners and intermediate players, Capablanca’s Chess Fundamentals would not be my first choice. Other books cover the same or similar ground with a less confusing structure and more thoroughness. The following works come to mind as equal or in some ways superior: Lasker’s Common Sense in Chess; Znosko-Borovsky’s series of books; and Edward Lasker’s Chess Strategy. Later works that equal or surpass Chess Fundamentals would include Reuben Fine’s Chess the Easy Way and any number of Horowitz tomes.
Capablanca’s work has historical interest and value, of course, and for that reason alone belongs in any chess lover’s library. But there are better instructional books on the market. Certainly the works of Seirawan, Silman, Pandolfini, Polgar, Alburt, etc. are more accessible, speak a more modern idiom, and utilize advances in chess teaching and general pedagogy, etc. ..." - David Kaufman (2007)
web.archive.org/web/20131010102057/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review564.pdf
"... For let’s make no mistake, what ground Capablanca covers, he covers well. I enjoyed reading Capablanca’s presentation of even well-worn and standard positions. ...
Still, when compared with other instructional books for beginners and intermediate players, Capablanca’s Chess Fundamentals would not be my first choice. Other books cover the same or similar ground with a less confusing structure and more thoroughness. The following works come to mind as equal or in some ways superior: Lasker’s Common Sense in Chess; Znosko-Borovsky’s series of books; and Edward Lasker’s Chess Strategy. Later works that equal or surpass Chess Fundamentals would include Reuben Fine’s Chess the Easy Way and any number of Horowitz tomes.
Capablanca’s work has historical interest and value, of course, and for that reason alone belongs in any chess lover’s library. But there are better instructional books on the market. Certainly the works of Seirawan, Silman, Pandolfini, Polgar, Alburt, etc. are more accessible, speak a more modern idiom, and utilize advances in chess teaching and general pedagogy, etc. ..." - David Kaufman (2007)
web.archive.org/web/20131010102057/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review564.pdf
@njswift said in #3:
> ... there is also an older book on the same model by Irving Chernev called "Logical Chess Move
> by Move" that is a classic and probably easier to find, although I haven't read it myself. ...
As far as I know, only the Batsford edition is available in modern notation. Here is a sample from the Chernev commentary on the position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5 4 d4 fxe4:
"... [5 Nxe5 is apparently] a strong move. White gets his pawn back and prevents 5...d6 or 5...d5. After either of these moves, the continuation 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 Bxc6+ wins the exchange.
White also has a powerful threat in 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 Qh5+ Ke7 8 Qf7+ Kd6 9 Nc4#.
This is all very tempting, since the possibility of mating so early in the game is attractive to the young player, but such ambition should be suppressed. Premature mating attacks are usually repulsed with loss of time or material to the aggressor.
A safer continuation is 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 Nxe5.
... [After 5 Nxe5 Nxe5 6 dxe5,] White has nothing to show for the over-energetic move 4 d4. The simple and natural development of the b1-knight by 4 Nc3 would have been preferable. ..."
> ... there is also an older book on the same model by Irving Chernev called "Logical Chess Move
> by Move" that is a classic and probably easier to find, although I haven't read it myself. ...
As far as I know, only the Batsford edition is available in modern notation. Here is a sample from the Chernev commentary on the position after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5 f5 4 d4 fxe4:
"... [5 Nxe5 is apparently] a strong move. White gets his pawn back and prevents 5...d6 or 5...d5. After either of these moves, the continuation 6 Nxc6 bxc6 7 Bxc6+ wins the exchange.
White also has a powerful threat in 6 Bxc6 dxc6 7 Qh5+ Ke7 8 Qf7+ Kd6 9 Nc4#.
This is all very tempting, since the possibility of mating so early in the game is attractive to the young player, but such ambition should be suppressed. Premature mating attacks are usually repulsed with loss of time or material to the aggressor.
A safer continuation is 5 Bxc6 dxc6 6 Nxe5.
... [After 5 Nxe5 Nxe5 6 dxe5,] White has nothing to show for the over-energetic move 4 d4. The simple and natural development of the b1-knight by 4 Nc3 would have been preferable. ..."
@njswift said in #3:
> ... "Chess Training for Post Beginners" by Yaroslav Srokovski, ...
www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/994.pdf
> ... "Chess Training for Post Beginners" by Yaroslav Srokovski, ...
www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/994.pdf
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