hi i'm a 1200-1300 player (on Internet) and i'm wondering which chess book i should buy for beginners like me. Right now I'm reading

the winning chess series by yasser seirawan, but i don't know what else to get. Also, can someone (an expert plz) tell me any good method

to get better at chess daily? like a chess training method. thank you!       

also, i'm asking for a chess book on the middlegame (strategies, tactics)

and a nice tactics workbook

Hi

My System by A. Nimzovitch. Good strategy book. There are excellent tactics trainers and strategy lessons in this site. surf around. good luck. Getting better? play someone who is slightly higher rated.

Will

As I noted on your page, it would be easier to recommend something if you posted a couple of your recent losses so we know where you're weakest.  :)

As far as a tactics workbook, my favorite at your level is Heisman's Back to Basics: Tactics. Seirawan's Winning Chess Tactics is also very good. Both of these explain tactical motifs well and provide lots of basic practice. I've read B2B:T six times.

thank you likesforests and Will! (if that's your real name)

but I thought my system was for intermediate players, im kinda a beginner

should i also get "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" and "the complete idiot's guide to chess" by patrick wollf?

I am reading "'How to Reassess Your Chess" and I am learning a lot from it. I recommend this book highly.

I also have "Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess". The book has good concepts for beginner players but is a bit easy if you have been playing for a bit. I've been able to go through it very fast.

jwLtc73 wrote:

thank you likesforests and Will! (if that's your real name)

but I thought my system was for intermediate players, im kinda a beginner

should i also get "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" and "the complete idiot's guide to chess" by patrick wollf?

Don't overload yourself with books! The complete idiots guide is a great beginner tutor, as are many other books. However, if you want even more, I suggest you get the best--Chessmaster 11. It's a beginner's dream, and extremely useful.

A couple of things that have helped me are:

Tactics Trainer - It helps to get beat up sometimes to see a better way of winning positions

Chess Mentor - If you do the lessons and redo the lessons, you will see the game in whole new way. It really is a great tool but I had to get a year subscription because to do and redo the lessons and to use the tools like analysis board really can eat up time.

Book - Understanding Chess Move by Move, John Nunn   After reading a few of the other posts about good books to learn at the level that you are (and I am) this book was mentioned often. I have been working through the games and I am very pleased at how understandable it is and how well presented for players like me. This has been worth the investment of time.

Book - Play Winning Chess, Yassar Seirawan    This book was mentioned in some other posts. I think it is an excellent book for up to your level as it gives a description and examples of the key elements of why games are won or lost (forsce, space, time, pawn structure). I found parts of it very useful for understanding and I like the history and master player bios that are included. It is a good starting point to learn but I dont think it will have as detailed impact as the Nunn book.

PS ilikeforests has a GREAT blog to learn from and I find that he takes the time to make value added comments to the games that get posted here.

I think Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess is a great tutorial, I review it at the pub all the time.  Also, Modern Chess Openings by Nick de Firmian (as reviewed by Chess Life this month) is good.  I am currently studying Eric Shiller's World Campion Openings, as well, and am enjoying it.  I, too, am a beginning chess theorist, even though I've been playing on and off since my early youth. These books, I feel, are pretty great.

thank you guys all! but i didn't know there was a chessmaster 11.

If you want books here are a few suggestions and the suggested order of use:

1. Winning chess tactics -Yasser Seirawan      Learn all tactics first eg pins, skewers etc.  This is the basics of chess but many games are won using tactics.

2. Winning Chess Strategy - Seirawan  Making plans and understanding positions.  Ever sat there wondering what to do next?  Chances are you didn't have a plan...

3. A good end game book.  Many evenish games are decided in the end.  Lots out there.  Please don't think that this is boring.  It can seem that way, but when you win because you knew the endgame, it's cool!

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4. Winning Chess Openings - Seirawan (yes, I think he's a great writer, he explains well).  Try not to concentrate on lots of openings and defenses.  Stick to 1 main opening and learn it's variations thoroughly instead of 10 variations that you know a bit.  Learn a defense for e4 and d4 and their main variations.  Try not to get distracted and learn other openings until you are very confident with your chosen few.

5. Logical Chess Move By Move - Chernev.  Draws lots of the above info together.

Try doing a few chess puzzles each day.  Get a book like 5334 chess puzzles by Polgar.  Keep this in your bag and read a few each day.  Read the puzzles in the paper, it's free.  Analyze a few games.   It's good mind training.

If you can absorb this and practice OTB games when you can, you'll definitely improve!  But don't forget, massive improvement won't happen overnight.  Look how long we go to school.  Chess is the same and takes time and practice.  Good luck with it.

You should definitly get a copy of 1001 winning chess sacrifices and combinations by Reinfeld . At our level we need tactics , tactics ,  tactics .

I got it about 5 years ago and went from 1100 to about 1400 in a couple of months . there are plenty of 1 and 2 move combinations which should get you started before you move onto the harder sfuff . Do a little bit every day . You WILL get better....

good luck

I made this recommendation in several other threads and I think it applies equally to your strength level.  Check out Back to Basics: Tactics by NM Dan Heisman.  It got a very good review at ChessCafe.com and has a 5/5 rating on Amazon.

Novice or not "My System" by A. Nimzowitch is a fantastic book.  Also his seperate but complementary book "Chess Praxis."  I would suggest that you also play games with someone better than you, that way you can see your mistakes.  If you can't find anyone and don't feel like waiting a whole day to see the next move, try live chess here or get a Chess Engine.  Fritz is good as is Chessmaster.

Fine. I'll say it. :)

Chess books are an antiquated old-school way of studying chess! They don't react to you, are not interactive, don't track your progress, and are generally hyper-specific to one area.

We built Chess Mentor to fix all of that - it is an interactive, intelligent, progress-tracking, skill-tuning virtual coach.

And it's FAR cheaper per-hour than buying books or getting personal chess lessons!

Don't believe me? Try it.

Ideas behind the chess openings by Fine and my system by  aron nimzowitsch (spelling?).

Understand the Chess Board:

It's important to really know and understand the Chess Board the color of each square and it's location as well as a squares relation to the ones surrounding it through your minds eye practice and work at this every day!

Basic and Typical Checkmates:

The Art of Checkmate by Victor Khan and George Renaud

Study all of the typical checkmates and how they come about this is very important for you to know this book will teach how to see mates ahead and how to counter them.

Books with Master Chess Games with comments and notes:

300 Chess Games by Siegbert Tarrasch 

500 Master Games of Chess by Dr.S Tartakower

The most Instructive Games  of Chess ever Played by Irving Chernev

Botvinniks 100 selected Chess Games by Mikhail Botvinnik

Morphys Games of Chess by Sergeant 

Studying Master Games will help you improve your Chess you should go over them again and again and again until you understand the reasons for each move.

The Endgame:

 Jeremy Silmans Endgame Course

If you get this one your set it's your all purpose Endgame book until Master level

Tactics & lots of Chess Problems:

To improve you should do lots of Chess problems but always solve them directly from the book or the print out don't set them up either on a Chess Board or on your Computer in this way you'll train yourself to move the men only through your minds eye visualize the possibilities just like you would in a real game.

Middle Game:

I'd suggest the Middle Game in Chess by Zonosko Borovsky a very old book but still very good! this is the first book I ever read on the middle game I have the same copy in my hand here it's also recommended reading by the Dvoretsky School! 

Good Luck in your improvement!

Alec

See Eriks post. Read. Reread. Return to first step. Repeat.