Episode 1 of Learning With: How to Reassess Your Chess

In an attempt to improve my skills and break through my current rating plateau (roughly mid 600's in rapid), I've recently begun reading my first chess book: How to Reassess Your Chess, 4th Edition by Jeremy Silman. Now, in the introduction it clearly states that this book is designed for players in the 1400 to 2100 range, but the thing is... I've already started reading it. So.

I've created a collection of the diagrams from the book which, once complete, will include all of the lines that are mentioned. So far this has been a useful study aid for me since it allows me to more quickly visualize what's being discussed and to dive into a deeper analysis of various lines if need be. I've set the collection to public for those who may be working through the book themselves, although it may take me a while to complete - there are 432 diagrams total, after all!

As for the book itself, I've carefully picked through the fist 8 pages today and I'm already learning more about the specific types of imbalances that frequently occur. While I've heard the idea that imbalances form the foundation for game plans, that's the extent of my knowledge about it. And, it's one of the reasons I'm happy to start with a book on middle games rather than openings, for instance. As fun as memorizing openings is, I'm often at a loss when trying to contextualize them with their underlying strategies and the sorts of plans they tend to lead to beyond the very basics.