How to read a oppening book

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PossibleOatmeal

I read through an opening book and translate all the key variations I am choosing to learn into a format I can read.  Here's a sample of the format I can read easily for opening variations:

This is just a tiny slice of some stuff I studied a while back from a book.

Anyway, I read the book, typing out variations into this sort of indented outline format.  Then I take each discrete line and find some model games for them either from the book or from a database.  I study each game, taking notes as I go (adding them to the file I'm working on as footnotes).  Then, I add the lines to Chess Position Trainer (and/or Lucas Chess's Personal Opening Guide).  Here, I let it schedule daily practice in recalling the lines.  After I've got them pretty well burned into my brain, I go back and re-read the section of the book that pertains to the lines I'm learning.  The improvement in my understanding of what the book was saying about the lines is significant after having studied multiple games in each line, and having committed it all to memory.  I always feel this second read-through of the book kind of "seals" it into my head.  Only after this step do I ever try to play the lines.

That's just how I do it, though.

nobodyreally

@ Ylblai2

You just play and play and play. Improvement will come.

I firmly believe that without a decent understanding of what you want to end up with, you cannot begin to understand how to set up a game.

A good player knows how to avoid certain structures that will always come back to hunt him in endgames. Or to exchange the right pieces not to end up with a bad bishop. etc.etc.

Of course over time one will recognize that stuff on autopilot.

Work on your openings later. When you do that early on in your chess life it's just a waste of time since you're just memorizing moves without understanding the underlying concepts.

nobodyreally
ylblai2 wrote:

"UNTIL YOU ARE MASTER STRENGTH YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW MORE THAN ABOUT TWO DOZEN EXACT ENDINGS." - GM Andrew Soltis (2009)

 Nothing to do with this discussion. He's talking about something else.

i.o.w. out of context

kindaspongey
FM nobodyreally wrote:

@ Ylblai2

You just play and play and play. Improvement will come.

I firmly believe that without a decent understanding of what you want to end up with, you cannot begin to understand how to set up a game.

A good player knows how to avoid certain structures that will always come back to hunt him in endgames. Or to exchange the right pieces not to end up with a bad bishop. etc.etc.

Of course over time one will recognize that stuff on autopilot.

Work on your openings later. When you do that early on in your chess life it's just a waste of time since you're just memorizing moves without understanding the underlying concepts.

I missed the part where you said what happens to the person's chess during the "couple of years" studying endgames. Is it there somewhere?

nobodyreally

Ok, wise guy, it seems you know better. Good luck with that.

kindaspongey
ylblai2 wrote"

"UNTIL YOU ARE MASTER STRENGTH YOU DON'T HAVE TO KNOW MORE THAN ABOUT TWO DOZEN EXACT ENDINGS." - GM Andrew Soltis (2009)

 FM nobodyreally wrote:

Nothing to do with this discussion. He's talking about something else.

i.o.w. out of context

Does it sound to you as though GM Soltis was thinking in terms of a "couple of years" working on endgames while ignoring opening books?

kindaspongey
nobodyreally wrote:

Ok, wise guy, it seems you know better. Good luck with that.

Why would that "seem" to be what I am thinking if you do not have even a single example of a specific assertion by me that you wish to question. I see nothing "wise guy" about trying to raise a specific QUESTION in connection with your "couple of years" advice.

kindaspongey
dfgh123 wrote:

don't bother reading them, people have a nasty habit of playing a move not mentioned in the books.

"... a good opening book can open up new vistas that you would probably not discover for yourself. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

kindaspongey
FM nobodyreally wrote:

... Work on your openings later. When you do that early on in your chess life it's just a waste of time since you're just memorizing moves without understanding the underlying concepts.

"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

kindaspongey
dfgh123 wrote:

if everyone stopped buying the opening books we might get some useful books on chess

"[Positional Decision Making in Chess by Boris Gelfand and Jacob Aagaard is] a great book!" - GM Matthew Sadler in the latest issue of New in Chess

"... the approach towards the study of the endgame must be multi-staged and always keep the same pace as the player's overall playing level. Therefore, the different stages must be separated in time, if necessary. ... Almost any amateur who is willing to put in a small amount of work, is able to achieve [the first stage] ... and actually that is enough until one reaches, say, a FIDE rating of around 1900-2000. ..." - GM Jesus de la Villa (2008)

"... a beginner needs to spend very little time on the endgame. (Basic mates are all he or she needs.) ... On the other hand, a tournament player in the 1500 range needs quite a bit of critical but easy-to-learn endgame knowledge if he or she wants to move up the rating ladder. However, such a player shouldn't indiscriminantly study random positions. The balanced study of tactics, strategy, opening theory, aand appropriate endgames is more important here than ever. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2007)

Spectator94

@Oatmeal yes Chess Position Trainer ftw. Just adding the lines in carefully will make me know them better, let alone looking back at them whenever I want.