Winning chess openings is a good start.
seeking a good chess book
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Whats all this stuff about forget the chess opening at your level. Start playing poor opening moves and you could have the greatest tactics in the world and still lose poorly.
TheIsolatedKing wrote:
At your level (based on your rating) you should forget about learning openings and focus on tactics instead. Having a theoretical advantage out of the opening is irrelevant if your opponent has superior tactical skills.
As for a good book, I found "How to become a deadly chess tactician" by David LeMoir the most helpful tactics book I've read so far and I've studied quite a few. Nicely categorized, well presented and building up on previous material.
Whats all this stuff about forget the chess opening at your level. Start playing poor opening moves and you could have the greatest tactics in the world and still lose poorly.
benonidoni wrote:
TheIsolatedKing wrote:
At your level (based on your rating) you should forget about learning openings and focus on tactics instead. Having a theoretical advantage out of the opening is irrelevant if your opponent has superior tactical skills.
As for a good book, I found "How to become a deadly chess tactician" by David LeMoir the most helpful tactics book I've read so far and I've studied quite a few. Nicely categorized, well presented and building up on previous material.
Whats all this stuff about forget the chess opening at your level. Start playing poor opening moves and you could have the greatest tactics in the world and still lose poorly.
Yes, you could. However if you have a good opening knowledge and nothing else to back it up, you will get crushed every time.
Capablanca Chess Fundamentals. It was my first book and it opened my eyes to real chess quite a bit.
I think that I will be able to put to use some of the advice given, I know that I need to work on my focus when I am playing, often I lose games as a result of my not check the strength of my opponient possess, and come up with the poper response. I have a really bad habit of under estimating my opponient. More study is needed on my part because I am losing game that I should't. thanks for the advice.
Probably the biggest mistake that you can make at our level is to make a weak move, assuming that your opponent will fall for some sort of trap or make another move in reply. So long as you are making what you think is the best move possible, it shouldn't really matter what your opponent's rating is.
Play the King's Gambit(1.e4 e5 2.f4) every time. It's solid(despite what Fischer says), there's no obvious or well-known refutation, it gets you used to the tactical nooks and crannies of chess and it'll serve you well for matches against your big brother.
When you become better, learn a few more openings.
Jeremy Silman, "Complete Chess Strategy" (1998). Everything you need in just one book. And it won't be "too complicated" for you.
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Book-Chess-Strategy-Grandmaster/dp/1890085014/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327940303&sr=1-5
BECAUSE--"You MUST first learn the fundamentals and the general principles of chess planning and strategy, and only then bother about openings." *(Quoted from post above).
There's a simple core of knowledge you must know COLD, before you can play at USCF B Class (1600-1800) strength. Consider leaving "the classics" alone until you first learn this core, and reach that playing strength. Otherwise you might never reach it.
You should also consider joining the Maryland Chess Federation.
FCO (Fundamental Chess Openings) is definitely the way to go if you are a beginner or intermediate player.
TheIsolatedKing wrote:
benonidoni wrote:
Whats all this stuff about forget the chess opening at your level. Start playing poor opening moves and you could have the greatest tactics in the world and still lose poorly.
Someone with superior tactical skills cannot play poor moves, whether it be in the opening, middlegame or endgame. Yes, in the opening these might not be the absolute best moves, but like I said, at such levels that is irrelevant.
Besides, I said forget about learning openings, not forget the opening.
Depends on what you mean by "learning openings". I agree that memorizing tons of specific variants does not really make sense at our level, but to learn the basic positional ideas and sensible middlegame plans for the openings of your choice surely won't hurt. The "Starting Out" series from the publisher Everyman Chess helps a lot with that.
My recommendations to start would be a basic tactics book, like Chess Tactics for Students, and a book that explains the ideas behind all the moves, like Logical Chess: Move by Move or (more advanced, and useful after the previous) Chess: the Art of Logical Thinking. And a good book to guide your studies, which recommends all of the above, is A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook.
hicetnunc wrote:
Winning chess openings is a good start.
or all Seirawan's books :)
since youre a diamond member,
why not use the previlage to watch full video of one of the best video instructors
http://www.chess.com/video/library.html?author=ACEChess
even only 4-5 minutes of full ~30 minutes videos, i think i learn a lot from IM Rensch 
pfren wrote:
Read some classic books (Lasker, Capablanca, Pachman, Reti, Gligoric...), and forget about Silman. You MUST first learn the fundamentals and the general principles of chess planning and startegy, and only then bother about openings.
The problem with diving straight into the works of Silman (which are excellent for intermediate players+) is that your play will suffer as a consequence. I know this because I did it. I neglected tactics and began looking into minority attacks, superior minor pieces etc. The result? I would drop my well positioned knight to a tactic. I would miss elementary checkmates because I was more concerned with getting my rooks on to open files. A keen eye for tactics and an effective thought process will take you along way even with only a rudimentary knowledge of strategy and openings.
wandafish wrote:
hicetnunc wrote:
Winning chess openings is a good start.
or all Seirawan's books :)
since youre a diamond member,
why not use the previlage to watch full video of one of the best video instructors
http://www.chess.com/video/library.html?author=ACEChess
even only 4-5 minutes of full ~30 minutes videos, i think i learn a lot from IM Rensch
Agreed.
Work on general opening principles for now such as the ones below. Maybe try learning a few specific openings such as the Fried Liver Attack and other open, double KP lines. Also do not ignore learning basic endings and endgame principles! I have several blogs which you might find useful on endgames.
CHESS OPENING PRINCIPLES by SIX FAMOUS GRANDMASTERS
Lasker's rules for the opening (from Common Sense In Chess)
1. Do not move any pawns in the opening of a game but the King and Queen pawns.
2. Do not move any piece twice in the opening, but put it at once on the right square.
3. Bring out your knights before developing your bishops, especially the Queen's Bishop.
4. Do not pin the adverse King Knight (ie. by Bg5) before your opponent has castled
GM Reuben Fine on the opening:
1. In the initial position White, because of the extra move, has a slight advantage. Consequently:
2. White's problem in the opening is to secure the better position, while...
3. Black's problem is to secure equality.
Fine's rules for the opening
1. Open with either the e-pawn or the d-pawn.
2. Wherever possible, make a good developing move which threatens something or adds to the pressure on the center.
3. Develop knights before bishops.
4. Pick the most suitable square for a piece and develop it there once and for all.
5. Make one or two pawn moves in the opening, not more.
6. Do not bring your queen out too early.
7. Castle as soon as possible, preferably on the king's side.
8. Play to get control of the center.
9. Always try to maintain at least one pawn in the center.
10. Do not sacrifice without a clear and adequate reason, eg.:
* it secures a tangible advantage in development * it deflects the opponent's queen
* it prevents the opponent from castling * it enables a strong attack to be developed
Fine's two last questions to be asked before a move is made:
* How does it affect the center?
* How does it fit in with the development of my other pieces and pawns?
Nimzovitch's Seven Axioms (from My System)
* Development is to be understood as the strategic advance of the troops toward the frontier line (the line between the fourth and fifth ranks).
* A pawn move must not in itself be regarded as a developing move, but merely as an aid to development.
* To be ahead in development is the ideal to be aimed for.
* Exchange with resulting gain of tempo.
* Liquidation, with consequent development or disembarrassment.
* The pawn center must be mobile.
* There is no time for pawn hunting in the opening, except for center pawns.
Suetin's four principles for advanced players
* The fight for control of the center
* The striving for the quickest and most active development.
* The creation of conditions that permit early castling.
* The formation of an advantageous pawn structure
GM Hort's 13 rules for all players
* Take advantage of every tempo.
* Develop flexibly!
* Do not make pawn moves without careful planning.
* Begin the game with a center pawn, and develop the minor pieces so that they influence
the center
* Develop harmoniously! Play with all your pieces
* Do not make aimless moves. Each move must be part of a definite plan.
* Do not be eager for material gain. The fight for time is much more important than the fight for material, especially in open positions.
* A weakening of your own pawns may be accepted only if it is compensated by a more active placement of your pieces.
* With the help of your pawns, try to get an advantage in space and weaken your opponent's pawn position.
* Do not obstruct your pawns by grouping your pieces directly in front of them; pawns and pieces must work together.
* During the first few moves, pay special attention to the vulnerable KB2 square on both sides.
* Remember that the poor placement of even a single piece may destroy the coordination of the other pieces.
* With White, exploit the advantage of having the first move and try to gain the initiative. With Black, try to organize counterplay.
GM Portisch on forming a repertoire:
"Your only task in the opening is to reach a playable middlegame."
Just curious: do you have any indication that the OP does not know these rules (and maybe even likes to break them intentionally)? I mean, he just asked for advice on opening books and what he gets is advice on something completely different. 
I repeat: many books from the "starting out" series from Everyman Chess are highly recommendable, focussing on the ideas behind the openings and on the resulting middle game plans.
I recomend, “Silman’s Complete Endgame Course” From beginner to Master, 2007.
It starts with entries for "unrated to 999." From there it goes to "1000 / 1199" and continuous up in "200" increments until it reaches "2400." It will always be good till you get to be a master.
So if you are rated, you can begin at your rating or look back and check what you already should know and learn it if you want to. Then you can improve from your rating.
There is another series by Russian grandmaster "Lev Alburt" it is a four book series with grandmaster "Nikolay Krogius, 2005.
"Who the heck is that?" He is the man Spassky insisted as his special coach, he has trained many Russian grand masters.
"Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player" 2005
"The King in Jeopardy" 2005
"Chess Strategy" 2005
"Just the Facts" 2005
TheIsolatedKing wrote:
benonidoni wrote:
Whats all this stuff about forget the chess opening at your level. Start playing poor opening moves and you could have the greatest tactics in the world and still lose poorly.
Someone with superior tactical skills cannot play poor moves, whether it be in the opening, middlegame or endgame. Yes, in the opening these might not be the absolute best moves, but like I said, at such levels that is irrelevant.
Besides, I said forget about learning openings, not forget the opening.
If you taught everybody to play like many GM's learnt how to play you wouldn't have many chess players. Wouldn't it be a dull game indeed if you were constantly figuring out everybody else's board positions and couldn't play your own.
Can anyone give me some advice on a good chess book to learn openings from, I would like to improve my game and I know by strengthing my knowledge of openings will give me a better chance of winning. So if anyone can tell me some good books to buy, I would appreciate it very much.