Talent is definately a factor if you want to become one of the top players in the world, but anyone with the time dedication and proper instruction can possibly become a titled player.
Attacking...improving my game?
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This could be a bit early in your chess study, but I have just finnishd a really good book:
http://www.jeremysilman.com/chess_bits_pieces/040417_Martin_Exam.html
It gives you 100 puzzles to solve, and at the end you know your weak/ strong sides so you should know where to start to study first.
If you feel it's a bit early try this one instead:
http://www.amazon.com/Power-Chess-Program-Training-Improve/dp/0713484152
It's a book with puzzles too, but only 6 puzzles to solve for each week, and a couple of games that you should go trough for each week.
Thanks for the replies...I actually have a reasonably good understanding of chess strategy, but obviously it becomes complicated very quickly...I have some sense of having to learn certain openings and variations thereof to be competitive...after that I don't really know what to do. Polgar's book is fascinating and enjoyable, but will solving 2000 mate in two problems help my chess game? Probably, but what then?
And by the way, the grandmaster games all look approximately the same. I like Anand, Kasparov, and Judit Polgar, to name a few. But I'm not sure if studying their games makes me a better player.
How does your rating compare to the fide? Just guess how good is your chess?
Since you don't play at this site it's not that easy to know.
I would suggest 303 tricky chess tactics as a good puzzle book. Go through that a few times and you should be able to beat anyone in the 1200 range easily in tournament play. Also The Amateurs Mind by Silman will easily improve your play by a few hundred rating points if you go through it carefully.
Hi, I have a few books on Chess including Polgar's Chess and I was hoping someone would advise me regarding how to seriously improve my game. I feel that I can consistently play at the 1500-1600 level (I never passed the mid-1200s in tournament play). How will Polgar's book help my game? I like the archangel defense with black and I'm not even sure what my best white opening might be. I am a very intuitive player and I've played my best games when I wasn't thinking about making the best move, just the move that felt right or automatic.
The question is, do you have to be a natural talent to play chess competitively? Or can someone who reeks actually become quite good at it with the proper coaching and training? Thanks...econ