So, when I started out at chess, I was a decent player for a novice, but still terrible, and while I could beat all of my friends, my rating still hovered around the 900 mark, which, as I said, was terrible. As my interest in the game grew however, and I knew I had the potential to be better, I got a few chess books to study from and increased my rating quite exponentially. I can already recommend a couple titles such as 'Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess', which is very helpful for beginners and contains mostly chess puzzles, making it quite entertaining for your leisure time, and 'My Horse for Your Kingdom' by Andrew Soltis, which is more of a tactical book about exchanges in chess for use when you are sat down at a board and have the time to thoroughly study it. Anyone else have good suggestions for quality chess books that improved their game?
When people ask about books, I always send them to this:
http://www.danheisman.com/recommended-books.html
http://www.danheisman.com/recommended-books.html
Over last summer, I was looking for a book to improve my middlegame play. Basically I wanted something that would help me construct plans - identify weaknesses and exploit them. Someone recommended Re-assess your Chess by Jeremy Silman. I read and skimmed through most of it. It was quite good.
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Reassess-Your-Chess-Imbalances/dp/1890085138
www.amazon.co.uk/How-Reassess-Your-Chess-Imbalances/dp/1890085138
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy: Chernev, Irving, oldie but goodie helps players get an idea of positional concepts.
Eric Schiller's books I have found to be badly written.
Anything from Silman is a good value. His endgame book is separated into concepts based on ratings. This allows you to study at your level and learn what is next.
Any book written by Alekhine has good annotations. He writes on the level of the average player. (Although there are places where his ego really shows.) Most "my best games" books are written over the reader's head to prove how much of a great player the author is.
"My System" by Nimzowitsch is probable the best general instruction. It is a bit dated and may be a little advanced, but there is no better one written today. Watson writes books which compliment this book with the intend to show the exceptions to the Nimzowitsch dogmatic views.
Lasker's "Manual of Chess" is a good book, but the third of the book, used for opening discussion, should be removed.
#6 is an excellent book because the games are separated based on motif.
Anything from Silman is a good value. His endgame book is separated into concepts based on ratings. This allows you to study at your level and learn what is next.
Any book written by Alekhine has good annotations. He writes on the level of the average player. (Although there are places where his ego really shows.) Most "my best games" books are written over the reader's head to prove how much of a great player the author is.
"My System" by Nimzowitsch is probable the best general instruction. It is a bit dated and may be a little advanced, but there is no better one written today. Watson writes books which compliment this book with the intend to show the exceptions to the Nimzowitsch dogmatic views.
Lasker's "Manual of Chess" is a good book, but the third of the book, used for opening discussion, should be removed.
#6 is an excellent book because the games are separated based on motif.
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