Chess Book recommendation
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Hello currently I have My System and Art of Attack. I was hoping to add to my collection shortly after I finished the two books. Would purchasing "My Great Predecessors" be worth it? If not that what book recommendations do you guys have. Any help is greatly appreciated.
Heisman has a pretty good list. Please be aware of the slippery slope that you are treading though. Two books lead to 3 and then pretty soon there are stacks of the damn things surrounding your chess table. 
http://www.danheisman.com/recommended-books.html
Hum, in his recommandation, I see « Rapid Chess Improvment » by De la Maza.
This book is all except a good chess book.
AutisticPerson wrote:
Hum, in his recommandation, I see « Rapid Chess Improvment » by De la Maza.
This book is all except a good chess book.
Dan has stated that he agrees with the general idea of RCI, but he also has stated that he thinks DLM took his training to an extreme level. Dan has also provided links to the two articles that were the basis for RCI, so you can just read the two free articles, and you wouldn't really need to buy the book.
Dan still recommends MCO too. No one's perfect...
Bronco wrote (~3 years ago):
Here's an article by Dan Heisman that may give some insight [into RCI].
http://www.chess.com/article/view/the-michael-de-la-maza-story
ylblai2 wrote (~4 months ago):
GM John Nunn commented on the book in his own book, Secrets of Practical Chess (2nd Ed.).
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708110907/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review580.pdf
fiolmattias wrote (~4 months ago):
Nunn ends his review:
"The above comments should give the potential reader a good idea what to expect from Rapid Chess Improvement. The best that can be said is that if this book persuades you to spend more time on studying chess, then your game will probably improve. However, the author's highly mechanical training methods, quite apart from not being much fun, may also not be the best way to spend your time. "
ylblai2 wrote (~4 months ago):
"Every now and then someone advances the idea that one may gain success in chess by using shortcuts. 'Chess is 99% tactics' - proclaims one expert, suggesting that strategic understanding is overrated; 'Improvement in chess is all about opening knowledge' - declares another. A third self-appointed authority asserts that a thorough knowledge of endings is the key to becoming a master; while his expert-friend is puzzled by the mere thought that a player can achieve anything at all without championing pawn structures.
To me, such statements seem futile. You can't hope to gain mastery of any subject by specializing in only parts of it. A complete player must master a complete game ..." - FM Amatzia Avni (2007)
damngoodcoffee wrote (~3 months ago):
... Anyone who's considering buying or reading this book will do well to read Jeremy Silman's review before they decide. Silman's review is a great read even if you have no desire to read the book.
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Rapid-Chess-Improvement-p3511.htm
ylblai2 wrote (~3 months ago):
"Jeremy Silman's How to Reassess Your Chess is an example of a good book which explains many important ideas in clear terms. ... de la Maza ... quite unfairly attacks competing authors (which in most cases are far superior to his own effort). Jeremy Silman is a particular target." - GM John Nunn (2006)
damngoodcoffee wrote (~3 months ago):
"When all is said and done, I can’t recommend Rapid Chess Improvement (a book that, in my view, offers a philosophically bankrupt vision of what chess is). It smacks of "the blind leading the blind.” But, as I said earlier, his book might prove useful for some.-
Last paragraph of Jeremy Silman's review of Rapid Chess Improvement
ylblai2 wrote (~3 months ago):
Milliern wrote:
Just a reminder: MDLM talks smack on Silman, so Silman's review is immediately compromised with bias, or should be viewed as highly likely to be compromised.
Any dispute of specifics written by Silman?
"Mr. de la Maza ... tells you, over and over and over (page after page after page), what he’s going to do for you without teaching you anything." - IM Jeremy Silman
There are 16 pages before one gets to Chapter One Chess Vision Drills. Here, by the way, are some excerpts from an approximately page-long description of one drill.
"Use [these drills] if you feel that you are missing obvious opportunities or are taking too much time to find simple moves. ... start with the knight on a1 and move it to b1 in the shortest number of moves, ... physically hit the squares that the knight moves to, but do not move the knight itself. Once you have completed the a1-b1 circuit, move the knight from a1 to c1. ... After you have completed all of the circuits that start on a1 and go to all of the other squares on the board ..., move the knight to b1 and repeat the process. ... This drill will take half a day to complete. ... (64*63) pairs of squares ..." - Michael de la Maza
"on page 47 of his book: 'If you do not have access to a computer you should make every effort to get one. New computers can be purchased with a monitor for under $400 and used computers can be purchased with a monitor for under $200. The money you spend will be immediately returned to you when you start winning prizes at tournaments.'" - IM Jeremy Silman
"his sample game (one of his own in which he plays White), where he shows how one should think move by move:
'Opponent’s threat: No significant threats. Decide move: 1.e4 of course! 1.e4 c5 Opponent’s threat: No significant threats, but watch out for …Qa5. Decide move: No tactics. 2.Nf3 or 2.Nc3 are both reasonable. 2.Nf3 d6 Opponent’s threat: No significant threats. Decide move: No tactics. 3.e5 is most shocking. Continue development with 3.Nc3. ...' ..." - IM Jeremy Silman"... the 16 pages he devotes to reader’s praise. The title of this chapter is "Success With Rapid Chess Improvement.” - IM Jeremy Silman
And here is another GM John Nunn comment:
"... de la Maza ... recommends ... going through a set of 1000 tactcs problems seven times. One might imagine that a suitable set of 1000 positions would then be provided, but no, readers are advised to buy a piece of software ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
The contents of the book are about 120 pages.
I recommend you to try Understanding Chess Middle Game by Nunn. In my opinion, this is one of the best middle game book out there for its intended audience. This, for me, is also one of Nunn's best work. You will get a wealthy of middle game knowledge from this book. This book is enjoyable.