I've bought a couple of books (Jeremy Silman's How To Reassess Your Chess and the work book, have helped me) but would like to improve my game, particularly my endgame and strategies. Would I be better off getting the membership package with Chess Mentor, or buying a couple of books? What is the best option and why?

thats a great book.

I like both and thats why i joined.

I want every book to be like the e books at evermanchess.com

chess.com has so much to teach for the money

gerard

So what is the difference between studying with Chess Mentor to books? I like the fact that you have a physical object with a book, but I seem to think that Mentor might be more helpful when you are going wrong.

aidanmcc> So what is the difference between studying with Chess Mentor to books?

It's very different. Chess Mentor challenges you to pick the correct moves and explains just about any mistake you will make. The more engaging learning is, the better you will remember the material. On the minus side it doesn't cover as many topics, or cover them in as much depth, as some books do. I would encourage you to look over the list of courses and see whether any coincide with what you're learning now. If they do, you don't have much to lose with a one month trial of Chess Mentor.

aidanmcc> What is the best option and why?

Both, of course!

How "books" compare to Chess Mentor also depends on how many and which books you mean. A 50-book library is attractive and covers all phases of the game well--but it typically costs more than 10 years of Chess Mentor subscriptions! And with modern glue bindings, at least some of those books will fall apart well before ten years.

Thanks for your help. I'm not totally sure, can you pay for Chess Mentor in single months, for instance pay for may, take a break and then purchase another months subscription in July? It's not a minimum of a year?

Yep, there's both a $96/year option and a $13/month option.

You wont read the books most likely. chess players are lazy. for the most part

How did you come to that?

I went through the same dilemma, but have always had troubles working through chess books.  I try to read them in a comfortable chair, and follow along with a nearby chess set, but invariably get tired or bored and start to doze off.  I've never had this problem with Mentor.  I find it pretty engaging, and really enjoy the interactivity.  You try to make the "right" move, then you are immediately critiqued on your  choice.  The Mentor gives you hints as to things to be thinking about, then makes a move, and tells you to respond.  For me, it is much closer to having a personal coach.