Hi there,

I've got vacation next week and i want to pick up a chess book to read.  I'm rated around 1100-1200.  If you were to pick one book for me to read next week to help my game which would it be?

I'd recommend Silman's Complete Endgame Course to anyone no matter their rating level.

You won't get through it in a week though, nor will you be able to bring it if you're travelling light.

Got two here "Mammoth Book of Chess" and "More Chessercizes: Checkmate !" Pandolfini.

I actually have Silman's "how to reassess your chess" on order but the new edition won't be out until after i leave.

oh what a bummer !

Reinfelds "1001 brilliant ways to checkmate" might be a good option. Drumming lots of tactics into your mind. I think it's probably dirt cheap.

hovercraft2x why don't you tell us what have you got now

"Chess Openings Essentials the ideas and plans behind all chess openings" by Stefan Djurie 

You can choose vol1- e4 openings or vol2- d4 openings.

It it a very good book written for beginners, not only giving you the main opening lines, but more importantly explains the strategy behind these lines. A must have for your collection I would say.

I only own 1 chess book:  'my 60 memorable games' by bobby fischer (with the above mentioned one on order as well).  I was thinking about 'bobby fischer teaches chess'  seems like a classic and sounds like it's good for my skill level.  I don't want anything too heavy either, since i'll be trying to relax as well.

forget it "BF teaches chess" is not good as I was told

"My 60 Memorable Games" is excellant

got anything in the library ?

good idea, i might swing by the local indigo or library and just pick whatever looks good from there.  I thought i'd post here though as everyone seems to have good suggestions for those who've posted in the past.

An endgame introduction would be fun (like Pandolfini's book) or some quick and not too dense tactics book (Seirawan or Polgar perhaps).

Tal's winning chess combinations. A great browsing book.

I STRONGLY disagree.  BF teachs chess is perfect for an 1100 player.  It's a book full of basic/beginner tactical puzzles that are organized, as I recall, by themes.  I read that book when I was about 10.  I got it after my first tournament, my USCF rating afterwhich was about 1100.  However, please note it's not really written by Fischer. 

Simple Chess - Michael Stean. 

Fairly short, not difficult so good for vacation but nevertheless quite deep in what it teaches you.  One of the best chess books.

At the 1100-1200 level, definitely a tactics puzzle book. Silman's Complete Endgame Course and tactics books should be the only books you read until at least 1500.

Ok, so i got Winning Chess Strategies from the bookstore and The Amateur's Mind just came in at the library.  should provide some good reading over the next week.