Learning chess - steps method + Yusupov 9 books

great...thanks! very useful!

@OP : all the resources that have been recommended to you are good, although I think starting out with Chess Steps was the best option and I'll tell you why : as an adult beginner, you're going to struggle with board vision and your brain will naturally look for abstract concepts (expressed with words) rather than geometrical patterns because the concepts will be much easier to grasp and process. But without strong pattern recognition, it's very difficult to play proper chess.

To the best of my knowledge, the best way to ingrain chess patterns in an adult mind is through volume and repetition (active learning), and that's exactly what the Steps series provide in a structured way.

If at some stage you feel you're stuck because of board vision problems, you may want to give this series a try : they also happen to be available as a downloadable software and in Portuguese too !

http://en.chesstutor.eu/

Hi hicetnunc, thanks a lot for the information! 

You're absolutely right!...One of my main problems is with board vision I believe...I am working with a chess coach (a FIDE master) and we've also identified that tactics and calculation are something that need to be worked on....my positional/strategic understanding is relatively high compared to my rating, but the tactical/calculation part is a problem...relatively below to my rating.

Probably exercises and repetition are the way to go, as you said!

Thanks again....very interesting points!

I suggest you get chess tactics books and work as hard as you can at solving the problems. No guts, no glory. Solve the problems on your head. What i like about chess tactics book is that they are organized well and you can have them anytime you want.

Chess Tactics for Champion by Polgar is an excellent tactics book that will help you. Not only it contains mate tactics, it also contains tactics that wins materials. Since you are looking for a book that has good verbal explanation, Seirawan Winning Chess Series are excellent one. It also contain variations, but is has many verbal explanation. You can seperate your tactical study with strategical study. For calculation and tactics, solve problems. For Strategy and over all knowledge of the game, read the Winning Chess Series by Seirawan. His book Winning Chess Brilliancies actually contains many variations that are explained well. But read that book last. Start With Play Winning Chess and then combine Winning Chess Tactics and Winning Chess Strategy.

I don't recall exactly, but I think completion of the Steps Method gets you to about 1400-1500 ELO.

thanks for the tips jambyvedar! 

No problem. Also when you study a strategy book, set up the pieces on a chess board and play all the games.

Chess Steps (the English version of the website: first type "Chess-steps"; then immediately after, type a period; then immediately after type "com"; then press Enter)

Level 1 (workbooks and Chess Tutor CD) is for players up to USCF rating 800

Level 2 (workbooks and Chess Tutor CD) is for players up to USCF rating 1400

Level 3 (workbooks and Chess Tutor CD) is for players up to USCF rating 1600

Level 4 (workbooks only) is for players up to USCF rating 1750

Level 5 (workbooks only) is for players up to USCF rating 1900

Level 6 (one big workbook only) is for players up to USCF rating 2100 

I also like to have exercise books to work out with.

Polgar's "Chess Tactics for Champions," which jambyvedar mentioned, is a great place to start. The problems are easy to moderately difficult.

I got a lot out of Alburt's "Chess Training Pocket Book: 300 Most Important Positions and Ideas." It's more of a stretch than the Polgar and covers more than tactics.

I love Ray Cheng's "Practical Chess Exercises," which is solidly aimed at class players. I'm on my third tour of the 600 exercises.

I think you're right to postpone the Yusupov series. It's meaty material and poses uneven challenges. I've gotten halfway through the first book twice. You really have to strap in and focus. Which is no doubt good for you, though it can be frustrating.

I second what Hicetnunc says. The Steps Method is the absolute best at breaking down the tactical themes into their smallest components and then building on that information. They have a free demo version of the software available on their website.

http://en.chesstutor.eu/download

You don't teach people mathematics by starting them out with Trigonometry.

You explain what the numbers represent, teach them how to count. Then you show them addition, subtraction, etc. and increase their understanding until they have the necessary components.

It is a process of understanding, miss a lesson (or step) and your foundation is shoddy.

You can only build a skyscraper with the support of a strong foundation. If not the structure will be limited in height or outright collapse.

Chess is no different.

I think this is absolutely correct. From the Yusupov books I've looked at I get the impression that it's pretty much what you would get with lessons from him.

He basically gives you the gist of a concept, maybe some subtleties, some examples and then the bulk of the work is on you to really study the examples and figure out the application of the concept. The problem with the book versus a lesson is that there's no opportunity to ask questions. So that probably means you have to work even harder to get the full benefit of Yusupov's experience.

It's excellent stuff that can probably make an excellent player but does demand lots of effort.

Thanks guys for the awesome tips! Will definitely need to buy the chess steps books...I've also been reading that it is indeed useful to buy not only the workbooks, but also the manuals...as they have important theory that is not completely included in the workbooks.

Let's hope my old brain can absorb something :-)

The best chess books are ones you read. 

I like the Steps method for self instruction, and the Yusupov series if you are working with a coach. Yusupov himself admitted that he didn't realize how hard his books were for beginners. It's a fantastic series, but from a pedagogical perspective, it has many problems. That's why I recommend using it with the aid of someone who has experience teaching chess. 

The other book suggestions are also fine, which brings me back to my first sentence.

Also, hicetnunc makes some good points, as usual.

http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/QandAwithArturYusupovQualityChessAugust2013.pdf

This is an excellent source, and not diluted by a dozen other citations that may or may not be useful. 

GM Yusupov was quite honest about the strengths and limitations of his books. He also gave interesting advice on many other topics of interest to players of all strengths.

Yusupov's books are not comprehensive, mainly a self-assessment to guide further study, but he claims that the chapter titles are comprehensive in terms of the subjects they cover in order for a player to avoid gaps in their chess knowledge.  That said, even the thousands of exercises in the Steps need to be supplemented with game-playing/analysis and additional problem-solving before moving to the next level appropriate for a given user.