Small/short/concise chess books for busy working adults?

Thanks for the latest responses. I have Purdy's guide (I bought it mainly as my sisters name is Purdy) and The Art of Checkmate (not a short book - Batsford edition). Both very good.

I might look at Flear. The main reason for short books is I get to study chess intermittently and randomly. Some weeks I can dedicate a lot of time (5/6hrs) then I'll go maybe a year or more with hardly having any time. A short book means I can pick one up and start and finish it.

To apparently contradict my own desires I have also bought Yusupov Build Up Your Chess 1 (I'm in a period of having some time). But this is no contradiction - each chaper is standalone and they are fairly consitent in the time they take. Each 'next like topic' (say Tactics 3) refers back to the previous lesson(s) on the subject matter (Tactics 1 & 2). A very good book that can be read intermittently. Possibly the holy grail? I'll use my 'short/concise' books to go over any areas I am weak when I revist it.

Too hard for a 1400 OTB? No, I don't think so. Progress so far (as I have had a bit of time last few weeks, hence posting) CH1 Tactics 1 = Good (1 point off excellent), CH2 Tactics 2 = Good, CH3 Opening 1 = Fail (13. 15 = pass), CH4 Endgame 1 = Pass, CH5 Tactics 3 = Ex (100%), CH6 Positional 1 = Pass (only just) CH7 Tactics 4 = Excellent. Yes, it is hard work, very hard. But follow the instructions properly (some negative reviewers clearly haven't), put in some graft and be rewarded

Reminds me of the good old days on my degrees and masters

I think most chess books can be studied one chapter at a time. Same goes for game collections, just play through one game at a time.

This is true. But if after a year you're still on the same book on imbalances (for example) you feel like you're getting nowhere - endgames can wait until 2028.That's my experience at least.

Games collections are different. They can be picked up and dropped. I occasionally 'pop into' Reti's or Giddings as they are well written.

Yes, that is a good point. I was thinking of more general books where each chapter covers a different topic. For instance, Averbakh's Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge (which is very good) is similar in content and length to [combined] two chapters from Maizelis's Soviet Chess Primer (Techniques of Calculation and Endgames).

An addition to this list: Chess Endgame Workbook for Kids by John Nunn. Despite the name, the contents don't seem to be particularly targeted for children. 127 pages of mostly exercises. I thought it was excellent and a good companion to Averbakh's short book. I plan to read the other workbooks from this series.

We are on the same wavelength here! 😀 I bought it as exercises to accompany Averbakh. John Nunns idea of "kids" are Mensa candidates who are already working towards becoming GM's. He has a YouTube video showing/discussing the book.

It is also a little bit like a primer for Yusupov (which is quite hard). I'm using these two prior to and/or to support the relevant Yusupov endgame chapters.

If, for example we said the average difficulty (at my level, 1400 otb) of Yusupov is say 6-8 out of 10, the Nunn book is probably 3-9.

(Note on scale here. 1 = solve immediately, 5= takes some working out but possible, 10 = some 2000 rated players might struggle).

In fact, I've completed CH 1 & 2 of Nunn in preparation for Yusupov CH10 (Build 1, Fundamentals) which is today's plan.

Averbakh? he authored a 5-volume chess ending series? Or 4?

loads, and loads of variations, very informative, detailed, tough as nails (for me that is)

Hence, that book; Chess Endings has to be good, or great!

https://en.chessbase.com/post/the-world-s-greatest-endgame-expert-yuri-averbakh

Nunn on left, Yusupov on right

Re: #31, which Yusupov book is that from?

Build up your chess 1 (fundamentals - orange). Ch10 Endgame 2; Opposition.

there are none