With regard to openings you want books that go into explanations of the "why". You want to understand the ideas behind certain openings etc. To this regard I would highly recommend-
1. Mastering the chess openings- John Watson
2. Chess Openings Essentials: the ideas and plans behind all chess openings- Stefan Djuric
3. Fundamental Chess Openings- Paul van der Sterren
4. Modern chess openings- Walter Korn
Siman's Endgame Course is a great book, broken down by Elo rating, which is brilliant, but like any "textbook", it is almost useless if you can't practice the material. Also, software is better because you can "see" what you are being "told" to see, which mimics actual game play, and is therefore a far more direct and effective way of learning.
More interactive and effective ways to learn beginner endgame cocnepts would be to practice the endgame lessons on chess mentor (most of the <1400 endgame lessons are authored by Silman and overlap with his book), chesstempo.com, Chessmaster XI, and/or Think Like A King software, as they all have plenty of practice endgame problems for beginners/lower-level players.
As for openings, the typical advice to beginners is to avoid memorizing opening lines and rather learn "opening principles", because memorizing opening lines doesn't build positional/strategic or tactical analysis skills, and certainly doesn't help when your opponent makes move outside your opening book or memory.
However, the whole concept of beginners learning opening "principles" is as flawed as memorizing opening moves, because beginners simply cannot grasp the "why" of certain moves even if someone explains it to them with great depth, clarity, and insight...the beginner simply accepts the word of one expert over another, then rants about how Rybka proved both experts wrong at an analysis depth of 40 moves, again not knowing why any of these moves were considered aside from not losing a piece on the very next move.
So avoid opening books and practice tactics and endgame problems on a computer. Don't read textbooks because they just tell you in writing (without showing you like a computer/software would) things that are best learned through repetitive practice. When I become the first GM who started as an adult, people will take my advice more seriously (stupid job ruining my dreams).
thefuzz24: I would not recommend working on openings right now. You would be better served studying tactics and basic endgames. Silman's book would work just fine for endgames.
dannyhume: I have to disagree. I have learned much more from books than I have from computer programs, etc. I have had no problem practicing material taught in books on a physical board or in an actual game. The problem I have found with computer programs is that the lessons do not go into as much detail or spend as much time with each concept as a book would. Old chess books that are still in print today have stood the test of time for a reason. Computer lessons seem to cater to the generations that would rather watch a movie than read a book.
Bardu: Perhaps the content of certain chess software programs are lacking compared to several time-tested books, however there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that all the great classic books would be far better, useful, and accessible for learning if they were in PGN format for instance while maintaining the text. Even better, if it existed, would be a "program" where real positions are automatically set up on a real 3D chess board instantly, allowing one to avoid the wasted time inherent in setting up numerous positions.
Books are simply inefficient, which is why grandmasters must use computers today. The most obvious examples of the inefficienies of books that I can think of are endgame books which give several refutational multi-move alternative lines, forcing a student to set up the board several times just to make a point that can be shown almost instantly on a computer. It is the same information, but the efficiency and relevance to actual playing are far better on a computer (you "see" several positions and how they play out on a computer in the same time that it would take to set up just one of those positions over a board that you are forced to set up, take down, re-set up, etc).
To label computers as "cater[ing] to generations that would rather watch a movie than read a book" is almost a form of anti-intellectualism, and essentially disrespects Kasparov and all of the GM's today who have needed computers to attain/maintain a high-level of performance.
That being said, I do agree that opening study is a large waste of time for the beginner.
The problem I have with tactics software vs books is that I have a tendancy to "try" moves without really thinking things out. No, this one didn't work, let me try this one, no, it's the wrong move too, let me try this one--bingo, this one's right. On to the next puzzle.
Robert1838: The temptation of impatience abounds with tactics software, I agree, but that is the fault of the user not the medium. One who practices tactics in such a manner will no doubt get crushed tactically in actual games if that is how they practice.
But if student A can correctly practice 300 tactics problems on a computer in the same time that student B correctly practices 100 tactics problems in a book (because of board-setting time consumption inefficiencies), then student A will have improved more because s/he will have seen that many more patterns/motifs...now compund that difference in tactics exposure over days/weeks/months/years and one can easily see how much "experience" and efficiency count.
Danny: I don't disagree with you. I clearly stated that is was a problem that I personally had and books seem to work better for me. That is why there is chocolate AND vanilla.
I hate vanilla and wish it were eliminated from the planet. No, maybe vanilla is good for others, just not for me. This was a good after-school special.
You are right.
Interesting discussion. I personnally do not like to study openings. In fact I dislike the beginning of chess games. I wish they could start in the middle game. There are several reasons for this.
1. As white, I know how I like to start, but find myself at a lost for a plan after developing my pieces.
2. As black, I usually find my pieces blocking each other with little mobility.
3. My opponents have an opening repertoire which leaves me struggling to get out of the opening with a decent game.
So I am forced to study openings though I would rather spend what little time I have to studying tactics and endgames.
You people do realize you are not giving any sugesstions about books like the author asked?
Openings: First Chess Openings by Eric Schiller
World Champion Openings by Eric Schiller
Standard Chess Openings by Eric Schiller
Unorthodox chess openings by Eric Schiller
Gambit Chess Openings by Eric Schiller
Endings: 639 Essential Endgame Positions by Eric Schiller
He is my coach, I reccomend his books they are awesome
tactics training: (software) Toby Deep Tactics 7 (includes TobyTal the most advanced chess engine in the world better than rybka!)
CT-ART 3.0
I am looking for some chess books for beginners/intermediates. Does anybody have any recomendations for me? I have been looking at "Silman's Complete Endgame Course," is this a good idea? I also have been looking for books on openings. Any suggestions would be helpful.