You might try Silman's The Amateur's Mind. http://www.amazon.com/Amateurs-Mind-Turning-Misconceptions-Mastery/dp/1890085022
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Jeremy Silman's, The Amateur's Mind.
great minds think alike j.
Maybe also check out something like Kasparov's greatest games, or Fischer's greatest games. Doesn't have to be those guys. But pick some collection of games that includes annotation.
Irving Chernev's Logical Chess Move By Move does what you're asking for.
Great suggestions but Chernev's book is the best starting point.
Chernev's first, then maybe Amateur's Mind. I am assuming the OP is at no more than the beginning stage of serious chess.
Repeating what has been said before but I’d highly recommend Chernev and then maybe some of Neil McDonald’s books - ‘The Art of Logical Thinking’ then ‘The Art of Planning.’
I think the ‘Amateur’s Mind’ should come a little later. As an attempting-to-improve player myself, having read the above books and whilst I still lose a lot, having had the process behind moves explained to me, I now see a lot more in my own games and am surprised at how much of what I have read I remember.
They also show games that exemplify how beautiful chesscan be rather that the messy, convoluted affairs my own games become. Certainly it has given me something to aim for!
John Nunn's excellent 'Understanding Chess Move By Move' does exactly what you were looking for. He's a very well respected chess writer who takes the reader through a series of games and explains each side's moves in a simple to understand but very informative way. The games are all chosen very carefully and are split up into 'Opening Themes', 'Middlegame Themes' and 'Endgame Themes'.
Silman's books are excellent also. The main difference I think is that Silman will take a theme (e.g.'Minor pieces in the middlegame') and then show some games to illustrate his points. Whereas Nunn's approach is to take the reader through an entire game move-by-move explaining the reasoning as he goes along, but with a specific overall theme in mind.
I am searching for a book or books to help me learn the, well for lack of a better term, chess thought process or chess critical thinking process. Basically a book that will show you not only what move was made in the situation given but the thought process and rational of each step behind it.
Previously I had found a program several took you step by step though every move from a postion of a game that had actually taken place then walked you through first as one side then the other on the thought process behind each move.
Does anyone know the a book or even a program that does this? I have found that I learn better by given several situations and learn not just what move was made but how each one would tie into the overall strategy and the tactics used with that strategy.
Thanks in advance