How to study chess

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MindGrabber

hi i wanna start read chess books, my list are : 1. My System 2. Silman's complete endgame course 3. Italian opening is it good to read all of them in the same time t.ex. one hour each , or finish one then read next one ??

peepchuy

Avoid my system. It is a classic, that is, a good but very old book. There are plenty of much better books now.

SmithyQ

Read one book and deeply understand it before moving on to something new. Treat it like school: you learn far better studying one subject in depth over a period of weeks than if you tried to flip-flop between different subject every day.

That said, if you are new to chess literature, it would be helpful to read a general work before diving into any one part.  Learn basic opening principles, standard middlegame attacks, basic tactics, simple endgames, and from there you have a foundation where you can launch into more specialty work.

[And, for what it's worth, I think My System is better than 95% of modern chess books.]

ArubanRefugee

"How to study chess"

 

You could ask "how to study?" Research says the best way to study is in a room, or outdoors with headphones (or just a stereo) at a very HIGH VOLUME. This loud noise will improve your focus and help you remember what you are studying. 

wayne_thomas

You could take notes while you are reading.  Get out a chessboard, play over the variations, try alternate lines, and try to figure out why one line is better than another.  Write down any questions you have.  Also, after a few days, review, and quiz yourself to see if you have retained what you learned.

Also try to apply what you are learning in your games.  Analyze your games to see if what you have learned has sunk in or not.

I agree with SmithyQ that Nimzowitsch's My System is a good book, packed with interesting ideas.

BISP247

You mean??? People still read books? Try anything Reinfeld.

WallStrKnight

My view is that the best way to learn chess is by playing. Chess theory you can learn on the internet and Chess.com has awesome tools to learn. I used to be a diamond member here. Right now I haven't the time to make it worth but you can't find a best and funnier way to learn chess. Besides you would be supporting the best website for chess players. It's better than reading a book in my opinion.. Lessons and videos can help you evolve a lot.

WallStrKnight

Also, after playing you should review the games to find better alternatives for your play. Strategy is better learnt with the videos and lessons but you can see a lot of missed tactics when reviewing your games.