Beginner - intermediate reading list..

Hi, I need some recommendations for books to read. I have been a casual chess player for over 15 years (I'm 31 now) and have recently decided to become a better player. Don't get me wrong, I don't have delusions of becoming a grandmaster or anything like that, I just want to become a better player and someone who will be a competent opponent for my son over the years. My son who just turned 8 has fallen in love with the game and it has energized me to want to elevate my game. I need a list of books that will help us both out on our pathes. I recently bought my son Fred Renfields "Complete Chess Player" and he has been reading through that and working the board scenarios out and he really seems to enjoy it but I feel that he may be finished with it soon and will want to move on to the next step. There seems to be a conflicting opinion about what books should be read and in what order they should be read. Here are the books that seem to be a common factor in everyones lists:

Modern Chess Openings 15th edition

Logical Chess

Art of Attack in Chess

Practical Chess exercises

One Thousand and One Winning Sacrifices and Combinations

Pawn Structure Chess

Fundamental Chess Endings

Laskers Manual of Chess

This is the list I've compiled so far. Unfortunately, I can't buy them all at once so if I could get some help in deciding what to start with or if there are better books out there to start with , that would be great.

Thanks

If I were you to start I would buy logical chess and one thousand and one winning combination or sacrifices(or buy CT ART instead). 

Then later I would buy Practical Chess Exercises.

I wouldnt bother with pawn structure chess or the art of attack until after you have gotten through those three completely.

Um MCO  I would pass up for membership here with full access to the database which gives better opening reference than MCO as it you have access to all the games as well.

For the endgame I like Silmans Complete Endgame Course. Just study the chapters you need for your level and would recomend studying those chapters before getting into the art of attack or pawn structure chess.

So in order of buying.

Logical Chess

1001

Practical Chess Exercises

Silmans Complete Endgame course(maybe only first 100 pages)

rabidcatfan wrote:

Modern Chess Openings 15th edition

A reference book, not an instructional book.

Logical Chess

Definitely the first one you should get.

Art of Attack in Chess

Not yet.

Practical Chess exercises

One Thousand and One Winning Sacrifices and Combinations

Puzzle books are good.

Pawn Structure Chess

Nope, tactics come first.

Fundamental Chess Endings

More of an encyclopedia than a how-to book.

Laskers Manual of Chess

A decent choice. You can probably get it for free on the net (I believe the copyright has expired).

Logical chess, a book on basic tactics (e.g., "Winning Chess Tactics" by Yasser Seirawan), and a book of tactics puzzles are what you need now.

Thank you guys, I really appreciate it. BTW, what is CT ART?

Thanks.

CT ART is a software program for tactical training. About 1200 exercises from beginner to very advanced. I buy most of my software from chesscentral.com. You can also dowload it directly from chessok.com(they make the program). One caveat:  If you have windows vista you most likely need to desactivate user acount control to install and use the program.

I have gotten a lot out of Lev Alburt's Comprehensive Chess Course, Vol. 2.  Can't speak for V.1, but this takes a classroom approach and has homework, review, and lots of guided walk-throughs of historic games.  I have put aside most of my other books, some of them mentioned above, until I finish this one.

Does anyone have an opinion about Graham Burgess's "Chess" as a beginning reading source for tactics and strategy? It's the only book I can get local that isn't "Chess for Dummies" and it is supposedly a word for word reprint of "Mammoth Book of Chess".

I have found The Everything Chess Basics Book put out by the U.S. Chess Federation & Peter Kurzdorfer to be  an overall good beginner book. It starts w/ very basic stuff, but unlike many intro books that come off as piecemeal,this provides an overarching theme to teach you how to play through a whole game. It teaches basic stratagy,how to plan,the importance of operating w/ threats,etc, & the finishes w/ a chapter on "putting it all together".

check it out!