Hello,

As there are book about the best learning strategics for exams, or for courses, methods to learn to drive, and so on, I ask if there are books not about strategic or tactics, but about the best methods to reinforce your chess learning. A book about the best strategics for plan your daily exercises, how and when to play otb, blitz, internet, what type of positions to study, the most adecuate players to learn from, etc.

I remember "How to choose your chess opening repertoire", but it is very that game phase specific.

Can you point books about this theme?

thanks.

http://www.amazon.com/Studying-Chess-Made-Andrew-Soltis/dp/1906388679/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324602405&sr=1-1

I've heard good things about this book. Maybe this is what your looking for.

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I have that book, and agree it is a worthwhile look.

Soltis brings forth many accurate nuggets worth chewing on.

There are some issues he brings up that I don't like, but must reluctantly agree with.

Silman, everyone's love/hate author (I'm in teh first group) has some interesting study ideas in his 4th edition of Reassess Your Chess.

There are some issues he brings up that I don't like, but must reluctantly agree with. I recently got the book but I haven't read it yet. Could you tell me what issues you don't agree with. Just curious.

I probably did not make myself clear;

I meant there are some issues that I did not like reading, but not that I disagreed with.

I struggle with his concept of TMI (too much information), which means I will need to accept that I sometimes/often study the wrong stuff. He also sugegsts that "what you think are your best qualities may, in fact, be weaknesses." This will entail great introspection on my part, which will not be easy.

It would be good to point out some of the many things I did like about the book:

• While playing against a chess engine, use the small numerical evaluation changes (like 0.20) as signs that I am being positionally putplayed by the software, and the larger changes as signs that I need to work on my tactics. (Pg. 41)
• The idea of cyber=sparring against a computer and trading sides against a chess engine anytime the silcon beast gets 1.0 evaluation ahead of you. (Pg. 58)
• The use of correspeondence play to improve. (Pg. 66)
• Sources of tactical improvement (brief software and book recommendations.) (Pg. 88)
• Some words of advive for selcting the "right books". (Pg. 103)
• Wisdom on improving opening play. (Pg. 118)
• Exercising "your mind's eye" (visualiztion.) (Pg. 132)
• Exact versus inexact positions to study/understand. (Pg. 161)
• "Must know" endgame positions versus TMI (again, too much information.) (Pg. 167)
• Machine endgames (more practice against the engines.) (Pg. 183)
• Methods to practice planning. (Pg 216)
• Learning form masters' games. (Pg 230)
• Studying game collections (with a nice selection of suggested books.(Pg. 236)

I would enjoy reading your thoughts of Soltis' ideas as you progress through the book.

Thanks for all of the great insight! It's a big help. Now I want to read it. I really suffer from TMI

Very apreciated. I like your insides.

You should read about Botvinnik and his works, the father of a scientific approach to chess. I just can not name a particular book where his method is described.

Basically, what you need to do is devote at least 75% of your study time to analyzing your own games.  The ideal is to do it with a much stronger player.  The rest of your study time can be used to study tactics, go over master games, and learn new openings and endgames.  Oh, and you also need to play enough OTB games if what you're trying to do is gain rating points.

That's more or less what you gotta do.