pfren wrote:
Every chess book I've ever had was read cover to cover- including the bad books (some 40% of the 700+ I own).
No suprise you're an IM then. Since you've read so many books, what are some of the best ones? (IYO)
Have you EVER really finished reading any Chessbook??
Sort:
Don't own too many,
All of jeremy silman a books and didn't read then cover to cover... But they're falling apart excluding his end game course.
Always open one up and look for a section that doesn't seem familiar but ive read those things at least five times each
The only other book I read deeply was Mastering The French by McDonald more than 10 years ago. I did not read the chapters on the Winawer or Rubenstein variations because I did not use them, but I read everything else. At that time, my performance rating with the French Defense was over 2000 and my overall performance with everything else was between 1600-1700. Yes, that book made an impact on me. It made studying the French really easy but as with any opening you have to really believe in and understand its ideas for it to work.
Yes, I finished my book for chess endings. I can't say that I improved very much in endgames, but it is my fault, because this book is one the best. I have to take my time and study the rook endings first of all.
cappa book for beginners. Cool book. One day i should read Fischers 60 best games. As far as i know its a gem
robbie_1969 wrote:
I have read literally about thirty chess books, maybe more and I suck. There is a disparity that exists between chess knowledge and chess ability for sure. Its really strange though for i would rather study chess than play it mostly. I like reading chess books for entertainment, cold scottish winter, real fire, glass of single malt, chess book, its awesome :D
Sounds spot on to me.
It depends on what is meant by finished...
1). read cover to cover
2). all the information inside absorbed (uncritically)
3). all the information inside understood, including where it might be at error
But no, I haven't even achieved 1). yet! 
Even absorbing one new idea from a book would improve one's game though. 
[COMMENT DELETED]
I found a great book titled, "The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy" by Irving Chernev. It's pretty awesome almost through the first go aroung, replaying alot of the games because the commentary is so insightful.
I like watching chess DVDs.
I watched the following chess dvds and my chess rating skyrocketed up from 1320 to 1850 within 4 months. I think it was the knowledge that these dvds covered because it had common chess positions and material that occur frequently in games.
The nice thing about DVDs is that used DVDs are pretty much as good as new DVDs because they play well. But Used books look worse than new books and the spine can be broken too.
These DVDs are what I watched:
Foxy Volume 17 (Caro Kann Defense)
Foxy Volume 45 (Sicilian Dragon)
Foxy Volume 48 (Dutch Stonewall)
Foxy Volume 56 (Win with 1...d6 Part 1)
Foxy Volume 57 (Win with 1...d6 part 2)
Foxy Volume 58 (Combat Chess #1; Ten Lethal Weapons)
Foxy Volume 62 (21st Century Weapons)
Foxy Volume 121 (Dzindi Indian Volume 1)
Foxy Volume 122 (Dzindi Indian Volume 2)
Foxy Volume 123 (Dzindi Indian Volume 3)
Foxy Volume 135 (Stonewall & Colle Zukertort)
Crash Test Chess Volume 1: Using the Initiative
Crash Test Chess Volume 2: Think Outside the Box
Killer Endgames Part 1 (with GM Nick Pert)
Killer Endgames Part 2 (with GM Nick Pert)
Dec 11, 2014
0
#112
Have all of Silman's books, all of Seirawan's series, all of Benko's 7 volume series, and many others.
I've given away a goodly number over the years when I realized I just wasn't ever going to open them in this lifetime.
So what have I read cover to cover? "Logical Chess Move by Move," "The Fireside Book of Chess," "The Chess Companion," by Chernev. Also, "The Bobby Fischer I Knew and Other Stories" by Denker, "Karl Marx Plays Chess" by Soltis, volumes 1 & 2 of the "Comprehensive Chess Course" by Benko, and "The Complete Idiots' Gude to Chess" by Wolff.
A caveat, though, in the story and anecdote books by Chernev, Denker, and Soltis I only read the stories and anecdotes; I didn't play over the games.
Read:
Logical Chess - Chernev
Play Winning Chess - Seirawan
robbie_1969 wrote:
I have read literally about thirty chess books, maybe more and I suck. There is a disparity that exists between chess knowledge and chess ability for sure. Its really strange though for i would rather study chess than play it mostly. I like reading chess books for entertainment, cold scottish winter, real fire, glass of single malt, chess book, its awesome :D
I'm with you there! Cheers!
Another one which I can say that I have finished is step 4 . I only have 2 pages to solve.
Much depends on the level of focus one brings to books or DVDs.
Dec 11, 2014
0
#118
Yes, I have read all of the books I have, and only then buy more.
From Tobermory distillery, aye i have visited that hallowed shrine, personally my favourite is Bunnahabhain.
greenfreeze wrote:
I like watching chess DVDs.
I watched the following chess dvds and my chess rating skyrocketed up from 1320 to 1850 within 4 months. I think it was the knowledge that these dvds covered because it had common chess positions and material that occur frequently in games.
The nice thing about DVDs is that used DVDs are pretty much as good as new DVDs because they play well. But Used books look worse than new books and the spine can be broken too.
These DVDs are what I watched:
Foxy Volume 17 (Caro Kann Defense)
Foxy Volume 45 (Sicilian Dragon)
Foxy Volume 48 (Dutch Stonewall)
Foxy Volume 56 (Win with 1...d6 Part 1)
Foxy Volume 57 (Win with 1...d6 part 2)
Foxy Volume 58 (Combat Chess #1; Ten Lethal Weapons)
Foxy Volume 62 (21st Century Weapons)
Foxy Volume 121 (Dzindi Indian Volume 1)
Foxy Volume 122 (Dzindi Indian Volume 2)
Foxy Volume 123 (Dzindi Indian Volume 3)
Foxy Volume 135 (Stonewall & Colle Zukertort)
Crash Test Chess Volume 1: Using the Initiative
Crash Test Chess Volume 2: Think Outside the Box
Killer Endgames Part 1 (with GM Nick Pert)
Killer Endgames Part 2 (with GM Nick Pert)
Do they come with any written material or PGN files etc?
Well, I suspect the terrible secret of IMs and higher is that they have spent an ungodly amount of time studying chess.