Hi everybody !

First of all, sorry for my poor english writing skills !

I'm currently working really hard to improve my chess knowledge. To do so I bought a bunch of books, especially some of te winning chess series (play winning chess, winning chess tactic and winning chess strategie). I finished reading the first one, i went thrue the exemple on a chess board many times, but now i asking myself :  what to do next ? Sure i'm going to start the chess tactic book but i feel like leaving the first book really fast.

So my question is : How do you work with books ? Do you read them and then go for another one when you finished them ? Do you read them many times ? etc...

sorry if my question makes no sense to you ^^

Another question about the winning chess books : In wich order should I study them ?

Thx a lot for your answers !

Renaud

I haven't read the winning chess books, so I can only respond to your first question.

What I do is I read books very slowly. I am currently reading three chess books, and I just do a little bit from each at a time. I also do a lot of rereading. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

 I used to go straight through a book and then go to the next. I do things differently now for a couple reasons. What I do now is go through a book until I've covered material and ideas that are new to me. Then I put the book down and try to use that material in games I play. Some time later (1 week to 1 month) I pick the book back up and go over that new material again to make sure I understand it. Then I continue through the book. How far I go before I put the book down varies depending on how complicated the material is and how much time I have.

 Which brings me to the real reason I study that way now. I don't have time to study entire books at a time, unless they're very small or simple books. So, I learn something new and practice it for a while. Then I review it to make sure I really learned it before I continue. It's slow, but hey, so am I.

Your improvement doesn't really depend on the book, but on the work you put in based on the book. So if you study it deeply, try to find mistakes, improvements, check all the assessments -- then it should improve your game quite a bit. If you just read it, you won't improve so much (although depending on the book it can be pretty entertaining).

While being able to practice (Slow Games, OTB or Online!) what you've been reading is the best way to "reinforce" learning, I've found that makng your own "chess journal" and copy-pasting anything and everything that is new to you in these books helps a lot, especially if you have a system that involves easily capturing diagrams. That ways, after finishing the book you can review your notes and this will help make the transition from short-term to long-term memory.

Thx for your answers !

I'm practicing what I learned on my games. The most difficult thing for me at the moment is to creat position that allow some tactics trick. I'm pretty good at tactic puzzle, but not at create them in my games ^^

Salut,

For the reading order you need to look at what Yasser has to say about each book in "Winning chess openings" introduction. In brief:

"The first book, "Play winning chess" was intended as an all-purpose primer - an introduction to [...] chess. Books 2 and 3 "Winning chess tactics" and "Winning chess strategies" taught tricks and plans and can be read out of turn. Book four, "Winning chess brilliancies" [...] could be appreciated best by being read last."

Yes. Also it's essential that you try to find all of the moves yourself as if you were playing an actual game before you compare your analysis to the author's notes. The material will really stick in your head better that way.

Well they say that tactics flow from a superior position. Creating such positions should be mostly down to a good understanding of strategy. So if you are already pretty good with tactics I now advise you focus on the strategical area of your game, and you'll find the tactics will start to pop out at you over the board...

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First off, your English is better than many people who have spoken it all their lives! :)

Second, I have to agree with most the advice here given on books. I normally study on the computer, but when I decide to hit the books, I get a real chess board out and move the pieces along with the GM, or whoever I'm studying.

I find that helps me get a good feel of what is going on. Besides, I'm way too stupid to picture all those moves in my head! 

great post, renaud56. i have been wondering this myself. i have beentrying to improve my chess for about a year. ever since my friend was released from jail. where he played every day, and got so he could kick my ass all the time. apparently. i read alot,but retain little. my problem is understanding the material. i have read Silman's books, recommended highly here. and can't seem to grasp the concepts. perhap's i lack the vocabulary to grasp and comprehend the ideas. the same goes for chess videos and chat on chess TV. i think that after a while. this "chessic" language will take hold. until then, i'll remain a consistent lurker in the forums. happy halloween to all chess.com members. aloha,...ppeets

I would point you here my friend...its from another site but these authors have diagnosed the "must haves" for each level of play and advise you know everything within these books before tackling the next level...hope this helps.

http://hilmichess.blogspot.com/2008/02/path-to-improvement-in-chess.html

COOL article!  Definitely food for thought!  :)  Thanks!

thx for the link !

Allô,

Comment ça va?

Which book did you read, what was the title of the book? and what did it want to teach you? openings , middle of games et.?

If you can tell us we may be able to help you.

If you are interested to be helped for free, challenge me and tell me what you want to play as an opening, if you want to play white or black and whatever else you are looking at expanding your knowledge, middle game, end games , tactical play, positional moves, pening, always select an opening you are familiar with to be able to follow the moves and interpretations I will attempt to give you, etc...and always I will try to explain why and what is(are) the alternative(s) in your move.

I play mostly unrated or takeback games to help people out, both types of games are unrated games, meaning that your scoring or rating is unaffected by the result of the game, win, draw or loose when you are playing against me.

If you are interested send me a message on this site.

If you do not know how just repost here and I will guide you.

I have played chess many, many years and played possibly over 3,000 games in my life and continue to solve puzzles on this site and elsewhere and buy new books and study them and practice end games and tactical play, etc...

This offer is for to you and anyone else that which to learn, it is free and there is no catch to it. I do not ask for any money at all even if you get a lot better and improve beyond your expectations.

If you find that I do not meet your needs then simply tell me.

Hi !

thx for that !

The book i'm currently reading is : Winning chess strategy.
i was on "winning chess tactics" just before that.