Hi.
Little update. I just finished Weapons of Chess and took some notes from it. I understand now why it was recommended. It's and easy read, but it's enough of a read to be easely and effectively assimilated. Chapters were brief but well explained enough to be understood and memorised. I read some chapters more carefully than others (I read everything, just didn't took notes from every pages).
The structure of the book is a little weird, but not a big deal. He talks about pawns structure in many chapters but not in order (talks about types of pawns, suddenly about visualisation, then comes back to pawns, then goes to paired bishops, then back to central pawns...).
I particularly like the "types of pawns" chapter around the beggining/middle (looking for outposts, blocade cases, weak bases central pawn structure part, variation calculation part and analyse part (as the little exercices about visualisation around the end).
I'm a little sad that he didn't go more trough the analyse part in the beginning. This really helps me and i feel like i was doing a ton wrong on this part that some more "tips" would have been even better!
The same goes with the chapter "avoid errors" wich basicaly tells be to be concentrated the whole time and move carefully. It's good to be reminded of that but not that usefull (although the part were they told me not to look for fancy moves but more solid moves reminded me of some games)
Now, i'll slowly reread the notes that a took (4 full pages). Maybe go back to some chapters that i might have passed to fast.
Tomorrow arrive my other books. When i'll feel ready (around middle/end of next week) i'll start Emms book about opening principals. I'll continue to update my thoughts on them
Cheers!
Fedec - you are doing the right thing. If you continue on your path of studing these good chess books, you are sure to become a very good chess player!
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond
By the way. "Weapons of Chess" is organized like a encyclopedia (not like a texbook), with the topics arranged in alphabetical order. One can skip around in the book at will. However, once you have completed the book you will have learned the same material had it been presented in textbook format.
I got the abridged version of Pachman's books used on Amazon for a lot less than $50 lol. Also I don't think the three volume set comes in English anyway.