Another poster asked how many chess books we all have. An interesting question, which my wife would answer, "Too many." My wife also believes I own seventeen chess sets. That statement is true. But I know that if I own "too many" chess books, the number of them I've actually studied is "not enough." I would guess maybe 30-40% of let's say 150 books. So how about you? How many books do you have and what percentage of them have you actually studied?
Very interesting choices. The Nimzovich one worths its weight in gold.
"El tratado general de ajedrez" of R. Grau?
Really? I have seen that book as bedside book for many players in my club. But I never thought I would see here...
I enjoy a lot the silman's books, but I will give the argentinean's an opportunity if it worth the time. At least the original is written in my language.
Do you think it is a good book? Does it worth the effor? Is it too basic?
Thanks to share
Szocio, I don't know. Regrettably, I haven't read it.
:)
I started it, with an edition using algebraic notation. I get the feeling that it was really boring but at the end it would help you a lot to improve your level. Finally I abandoned it, it was too old style for me.
Szocio, I don't know. Regrettably, I haven't read it.
:)
I started it, with an edition using algebraic notation. I get the feeling that it was really boring but at the end it would help you a lot to improve your level. Finally I abandoned it, it was too old style for me.
Well, Scozio, in German, Grau means gray, and is slang for old people. So maybe Roberto's name says it all.
I must agree with Antonio Gude when he says it lacks a systematic approach. I love the style though.
Great Books, cgrau! I have all the books, and I spend hours of my life with the beauty of the games of the "Poet", the logical Botv, and the Extraordinay "Misha". The Grau Trilogy-superb! About Grau, Roberto a rarity:
Since the two months ago... readings, learning, pleasure and beauty in chess, with:
Nunn's Books a wonderful stone in the Lasker building. One thing I don't like in the book's foreword : the criticism about the Soltis book on Lasker, and Soloviev . Yes this two books have flaws, as I have discovered some flaws and omissions in the great book of John Nunn. My book is the Spanish version of the "John Nunn's Chess Course" Gambit.
The Wieteck book is Informative, but no more. It is worth for remembering Soviet GM and IM unfamiliar players.
The S. Sebastián Book is an amazing chess book Tournament.
Associates comments from players of the past with modern analysis, but does not fill the book analyzes and variants like corn fields!
The Soltis Book is one of my hundres and hundreds of books favorite. Amazing! Romance, Novel? Yes is somme sense, But he manages the miracle: as time machine, we are in the tournaments alongside the players. It makes us feel like spectators of matches and emotions of a great chess tournament. It is not a history book? Of course not! But history will not be a true romance?
The best.
I must agree with Antonio Gude when he says it lacks a systematic approach. I love the style though.
Hello Pupofeira,
You have gone into a very interesting point for me. A systematic and progressive book to learn.
I cover my tactics with exercises and a henkin book.
I cover my end games with the endgame course from silman.
But strategy is, for me, far more difficult to train.
I have read "the amateur mind" from silman, "my system" and the club one from Grooten.
I only noticed some improvement when reading the Silman one.
I have heard good things from Gude and also about August Livshitz ("Mida su fuerza ajedrecistica").
But I'm still looking for any set of books (lets say 3-5 books) to make a good systematic approach that covers the strategic part.
Have any of you heard of something GOOD and SYSTEMATIC on that topic?
By the way, the books I have studied:
- Amateur mind. Jeremy Silman.
- Endgame course. Silman. I read till my level and come back from time to time.
- How to reachess your chess. I go through the first part of the book twice. But I came back to the amateur mind. I simply feel I don't have the level and the other is really good for me.
- Chess Strategy for Club Players. Grooten. I abandoned it. Good but erratic.
- My system. Nimzovich. On progress. I think it is quite good.
- 1000 checkmate combinations. Victor Henkin.(I just take solve some problems from time to time)
- Ulman's book on french.
- Playing the french. Aagaard.
- The magic tactics of mikhail tal. Muller and Stolze. (I read some chapters, good as tactics and fan book)
- Logic chess move by move, by Chernev. good collection book.
Most of the times, for strategy books I do what I call: "Guess the move..."
I put the position and try to anticipate the move, If I don't guess it I put it in a module and try to see if my move was good or not. Funny, but slooooow ....
EDITED: to add the photo. Sorry the bad quality.
Ah! I don't read my cats, mas sometimes in your eyes I feel like they can see me!
They love chess, believe me. CHESSCATS!
3 children, woman, no one particularly enjoys chess.
One day I tried to teach my wife to play chess, but when we played some games, only a distraction on my part for her to take their own pieces of the board . His Knight takes is own Knight, or Bishop ans so on.
She thinks chess so boring that he thought that the game ended quickly with that technique!
Well, 25 years of marriage, she supports me in my inexplicable and crazy collector's habit.
Roberto Grau was an Argentinian GM. He was Alekhine second in his match
against Capablanca.I don't know if his Tratado was translated into English, there he gave some insigths on why Capa lost: underestimated his rival,parties and all sort of things which proves lack of preparation.Grau also stated that"nobody in the world plays well rooks endings" and shows a game that was adjourned,Capa 3 pawns down sacrifice one more pawn and was able to draw.
To me, a good plan could be "My system", Ivashchenko's "Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations" and "Los 100 finales que hay que saber" ("The 100 must-know endgames") by GM de la Villa.
I'm on them now, but very slowly.
To me, a good plan could be "My system", Ivashchenko's "Encyclopedia of Chess Combinations" and "Los 100 finales que hay que saber" ("The 100 must-know endgames") by GM de la Villa.
Thanks a lot!
0 chess books, but you won't believe me anyway, so never mind.
I think that books are not important if you have a good teacher. I believe you, and I also think you have had for sure good teachers... lucky you :)
I think he became FM due to a bet. Dangers of alcohol!
0 chess books, but you won't believe me anyway, so never mind.
I think that books are not important if you have a good teacher. I believe you, and I also think you have had for sure good teachers... lucky you :)
I also never had a teacher, nor was I ever a youth player. Completely autodidact.
On the other hand I did play blitz for money (to pay the rent 
) for 6-10 hours a day in our local chess-cafe in my early chess-playing years.
Good ol' times..
0 chess books, but you won't believe me anyway, so never mind.
I think that books are not important if you have a good teacher. I believe you, and I also think you have had for sure good teachers... lucky you :)
I also never had a teacher, nor was I ever a youth player. Completely autodidact.
On the other hand I did play blitz for money (to pay the rent ) for 6-10 hours a day in our local chess-cafe in my early chess-playing years.
Good ol' times..
No books?, no teachers? all autodidact..but only playing...
Yes, you are right. I don't believe. If true, lucky you again.
