What Book To Read Next?

Hi Everyone,

I started playing chess just before Christmas and am now playing a fair amount and trying to improve.  I am new to the game and learning so if you look at my history of games prepare to be shocked at the amount of mistakes.

I recently just finished reading - Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess and found it really interesting.  The language and ideas in the book around checkmate attacks and defenses were super insightful.  Really easy to read and everything was explained so simply.  Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good first book.

So with that complete what book do i read next?  I found an article on chess.com and i think this would be a good next port of call:

How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman

Any recommendations welcome and please bear in mind i am a sub 1k player who is at the very early stages of theory.

I definitely need a chess.com membership for analysis at some point soon!  TIA

Hi. How to Reassess is aimed at 1600+ players. I'm sure it is very interesting but unlikely to help you win games, as the brilliant strategic evaluation and planning it teaches will unravel as soon as you hang a piece to a simple tactic 🙂. Suggest learning basic positional ideas such as weak squares, backward pawns etc. and how to use them. Try Logical chess by Chernev which is a collection of GM games selected and annotated to teach basic principles to beginners. When you get to 1200+ try Amateurs Mind by Silman as a precursor to Reassess. Pickup Reassess when you reach 1600+. Good luck.

Reassess Your Chess is a fairly advanced book on positional play. You need to focus on learning tactical patterns, simple opening principles and the basic checkmates and endgames first.  RussBell has a great list of beginners books to start with which I agree with. 

@Playerh8a - 

How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman is an advanced book.  You might think about studying it when you reach the 1500-1600 level, but not before.  Otherwise most of it will simply be over your head.

Instead, check out...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

+1

Thanks for the comments.  @RussBell your post is excellent and what i was looking for.  Solid direction of what to read.  As i have just read Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess then i think the next port of call is :

Winning Chess By Irving Chernev

Winning Chess Tactics By Yasser Seirawan.

Thanks Again

I've read most of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess and will come back to it later. Also, I'm reading Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess and plan to start Logical Chess soon. I found with Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess it's only focused on checkmating or avoiding it. We're at a similar level and I've noticed a lot of my games don't involve much in the way of checkmating ability. A lot of players resign early once you get the upperhand or if someone gets the upperhand it creates a downward spiral for the opponent.

hi

Sorry further reflection and I think Bobby Fischer's book has helped in some games. It's given me a bit more confidence in king safety and proposing more of a threat. 

@Novocastrian4 
  100% agree it was good at explaining checkmates and avoiding them but i don't get that far a lot of the time.  Definitely worth finishing though and it has helped my thought process in getting pieces ready to try and mate.   Super easy to read and follow as well. 

Yeah it has helped more than I realised. I noticed puzzles are easier here too, when I have access to them. That's true, it's easy to get through and nice to cross off your checklist of books read. 

hi