KC, you could start out by picking Dan Heisman's brain. Go to his Novice Nook page, find the two sections on general improvement (Sections 3 and 4), and read at least the following articles:
The Theory of Chess Improvement
Understanding Improvement and Elements of Chess Strength
Chess Books and Prerequisites
An Improvement Plan
(and any others that catch your eye)
http://home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Articles/Novice_Nook_Links.htm#subjectorder
That should give you some food for thought.
Hello, All,
I'm sure this has been posted somewhere, but I could not find a topic exactly about what I'm trying to ask. I'm not just looking for a couple good chess books for novices, I'm looking for a methodology for studying chess. When I learned to play backgammon, I learned by following a pretty specific curriculum that taught concepts that built on other concepts. I'd like to take a similar approach in chess. So, I guess my question is: What chess books and other types of learning materials are available to me, and in what order should I study them to become a solid intermediate (or better) player? Should I study the endgame before openings? Should I go to this book before I go to that book? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Just for a bit of background - I completely stink at the game now (but hey, at least I know it). I did buy "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess." I've read through the first chapter, "Elements of Checkmate" and that's about my level. I knew and understood concepts like pinning pieces, interposing pieces to block, etc. I wouldn't say I necessarily always use them optimally, but ...
Anyway, any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
KC