I went through the first 1500 or so problems in the Polgar Brick in a few weeks twenty years ago. When I got to the mate in twos with queens and knights in the middle of the board always starting with a quiet move, I moved on to easier problems such as mates in seven where every move is check.
Are chess books useful?
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Ziryab wrote:
I went through the first 1500 or so problems in the Polgar Brick in a few weeks twenty years ago. When I got to the mate in twos with queens and knights in the middle of the board always starting with a quiet move, I moved on to easier problems such as mates in seven where every move is check.
I got threw a couple of hundred. Then just started using chesstempo.
Bain's tactics for student's is also very good starting out.
May 12, 2022
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#24
I heard that Bobby Fischer found chess books (and magazines) useful. Some readers will find no use. Others will benefit substantially.
I first need the right books for my level (or lower).
I try to approach the author's "exercise" positions as if they are occurring on the board in my own game. However, I rarely use a clock but instead aim to understand the position; to follow an appropriate mental process; and, after checking the answer, to identify more features of the position to connect to any other ideas I know.
Like my real games, finding & studying my errors is usually more valuable than getting a right answer.
May 12, 2022
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#25
CooloutAC wrote:
But most of the books are just puzzles and notations with very few actual words. Capablanca's beginner book is basically just the practice page on lichess …
This is completely wrong.
May 12, 2022
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#26
CooloutAC wrote:
what is the practice exercise on here to learn the board positions, where you are timed and get a score. I forgot where to find that.
menu--> more---> vision.
#38
"Most coaches say no point in studying theory until a rating at 2000. in Silman's book he says 2400." ++ That is right: blunder prevention > tactics > endgames > openings
"Capablanca himself was like that, he didn't start studying until much later on."
++ No, that is not correct. Capablanca intensively studied endgames while he was at Columbia University. Later he did not study at all. He even did not own a chess board.
"Capablanca's book is hard to read" ++ It is clear, easy and concise 60 pages. It is not meant to read, but to study with a chess set, or even better 2 chess sets.
They definitely can be, but only if you read them. Sounds a stupid point to make but I love books, always have, so since I was a teenager and started playing chess I've bought more chess books than I read, the ones you buy and put on a shelf don't do you much good at all. For openings I've recently realised smaller (book length) is better, for someone with an intermediate sort of rating like me, as you're more likely to actually read it than some of these dense 400 page books that would probably take several months to actually study properly
May 13, 2022
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#30
A lot of people cannot benefit from books; others can. It is an uncomfortable reality, but in today’s world, growing numbers of people cannot read anything with comprehension. These forums offer plenty of evidence of misreading and abysmal reading failures when the text is not even complex (although also infrequently coherent).
My life has always been spent in a world of books from my mother reading to me as an infant to my first steps with Go Dog Go and some of Dr. Suess. I was quite young when I learned to play chess and it became another game that my siblings and I played with each other and our friends. None of us were any good. The only games we did not play were video games. They did not yet exist.
After several years of chess being one of many games, I learned there were chess books. A friend had one. I found more at the library and brought some home. I learned to read chess notation. My friend and I were equally bad at chess. That changed as I read chess books. I started winning every game.
Chess became a game for me where the development of chess skill became a goal. Other games no longer held my interest.
I can learn from videos. I do lessons and tactics online. I took lessons from a national master one summer. I learn a lot analyzing games with other chess players at tournaments. But most of my chess skill, if I have any, is a product of regular time invested in reading and studying chess books.
May 13, 2022
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#31
Yes, chess books are useful. Chess forums (like this thread), not so much. 
As a relative beginner, I find chess books are difficult to use. It's not that I'm not studious! I'm a professional ghostwriter in the technology industry, former journalist, etc. so it's not for lack of intelligence. What detracts the legacy book format are spin off comments: if you do this, then this will occur; if you do that, then you encounter another line ... etc. Very hard to follow multiple lines in my head. It's easier if I set up two chessboards side by side: one to keep the main thread of discussion intact, the other to move the pieces that illustrate variations. But that's definitely a cumbersome and time consuming process.
I've tried the ebook format extended by the ForwardChess app where you can tap moves that are immediately illustrated on screen. Interesting, but still feels awkward.
The most useful instructional experience I've had is Silman's "How to Play Chess" instructional videos on TheGreatCourses.com. He explains multiple lines while moving the pieces for you on screen. This format is much easier for me to grasp and a very friendly way to illustrate complex ideas. I've watched the entire course multiple times and learn new things each time I rewatch the videos. Unlike standalone YouTube stars blathering along, his course is systematic and well organized.
However, all this is what works best for me. Each person will have their own aptitude and preferences for a particular instructional format. I have never hired a chess instructor; maybe someday. It's just a hobby and while the moments of illumination are welcome from videos and books, I still learn the most by playing chess with opponents rated higher than me and then analyzing the games after I lose. 
CooloutAC wrote:
tygxc wrote:
#38
"Most coaches say no point in studying theory until a rating at 2000. in Silman's book he says 2400." ++ That is right: blunder prevention > tactics > endgames > openings
"Capablanca himself was like that, he didn't start studying until much later on."
++ No, that is not correct. Capablanca intensively studied endgames while he was at Columbia University. Later he did not study at all. He even did not own a chess board.
"Capablanca's book is hard to read" ++ It is clear, easy and concise 60 pages. It is not meant to read, but to study with a chess set, or even better 2 chess sets.
Yes, . no point for me studying anything past basic principles on tactics and strategy until I stop leaving pieces hanging or making obvious blunders lol.
Capablanca was one of those natural talents that never studied seriously. It is one of his major criticisms. He was similar to Morphy and treated chess like a sport and art. He was the opposite of someone like Lasker, and is like many GM's today. Eric Hansen admitting he was one on these very forums who never studied until much later. Levon Aronian is another one who describes himself as someone who hasn't studied much chess, compared to someone like Vishy Anand who is an encyclopedia of chess knowledge.
And exactly again, Capa's book is meant to study with a chess set. Which is what most of these books are. Which imo was useful before the age of computers, or useful for someone aspiring to be a tournament player. But Capablanca's book doesn't explain anything to you. In fact some questions he says you should ask your coach to answer lol . And what is explained is vague or written poorly. You are better off going to the lichess practice page. Recommending Capablanca's book to a beginner chess player seems to be a poor tradition. Silman on the other hand explains things thoroughly and is very easy to read, but again these books are just going over the same basic principles most of us have seen in videos or the lessons and practrice exercises on these websites, so there is nothing to new to learn. As your first point reiterates, and as Capablanca and Silman themselves explain, expecting these books to be the vision for us on the board is naive and will only frustrate players.
It's a pretty basic cliche with chess books that a lot of them that are bought aren't completed.
That's from a lack of suitability, not a general lack of usefulness.
They are either not suited (you got Silman to start out with), or just not to the person's taste (how I generally find tactic books). A lot which generally sell well are on openings.
Anyone below 1000 would find a generalized view of the game useful from something like play winning chess (or online tutorials, or videos, etc) and tactics.
They are obviously meant to be gone through using a board, or whatever software like Fritz.
A good chess book https://www.amazon.com/TOP-100-CHESS-TIPS-Grandmaster-ebook/dp/B0CQD2SGF8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=Simple and efficient, TOP 100 Chess TIPS
i'm fortunate to have been gifted a master's library of books (he trained me, then passed), so i've read hundreds of chess books:
suggest people read as many as possible--they're awesome... it's even enough in my opinion to read the text, skim through the moves & just try to glean whatever strategical ideas, tactical patterns or positional precepts that you can pick up that way;
highly recommend kotov, nunn & silman for authors as their books contain lucid & instructional material;
silman's 'how to reassess your chess' lays out a clear method for developing one's planning skills based on a system of noticing & creating imbalances;
his 'complete endgame course' as well, although not exhaustive, is nevertheless an excellent primer on this phase of the game, with the material presented in order of difficulty based upon what would be most beneficial to the student at graded rating intervals;
polgar's 5334 problems, combinations and games is also worth going through to increase your tactical proficiency & knowledge base of patterns/motifs.