How important is "My System"?

I am rated 2200 USCF, and I have never read "My System" - is it still worthwhile to read?

I've read that 9/10 Grandmasters have read this book, and that it is really good- but I don't know if it is still beneficial for me since I have already gone up a lot.

Any feedback welcome, I own a copy of the book I just have not touched it.  

Everyone who reads the book will find something new in it.

The new edition is the best, I love Nimzowitch's writing style.

Buy it!

I'm over half way through and loving the book - especially the writting style but also the content and concepts - many of which were new to me.

If you don't learn much new you will have fun with his passion and writing style.

By the way, how does one get to NM? Any chance you could break it down for me (i've already done the buying 6 books and shyly started on two of them part..)??

Cheers,

Marcos

You'll probably find the annotated games just as interesting as any concepts he tries to teach. All of the most important concepts are assimilated into other works. Others seem to find his writing good, I'm not a fan of Nimzowitsch as a writer at all. 

It is said, that Dvoretsky refuses to train anyone who hasn't read it. 

About 3 months ago, IM pfren wrote:

"My System is an iconoclastic book. A lot of things in there is sheer provocation, and it does need an expereienced player to know what exactly must be taken at its face value.

I love 'My System', and I have read it cover to cover one dozen times, but suggesting it to a class player is an entirely different matter."

"[Some things] ARE wrong, and it's not easy for a non-advanced player to discover those wrong claims.

I'm much weaker than you but I absolutely loved it.

"... I found [Nimzowitsch's] own books very difficult to read or understand. ... [Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal by Raymond Keene] explain's Nimzowitsch's thinking and influence on the modern game in a far more lucid and accessible way. ... The books that are most highly thought of are not necessarily the most useful. Go with those that you find to be readable ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2010)

Sample My System pages can be seen at the Quality Chess site.

Since you're 2200, you probably have a grasp on most or all of the concepts in the book. It's an exceptionally handy book, especially for developing players who need a variety of lessons on positional chess in one volume. In regard to the stat that 9/10 GMs have read it, I assume that most of them read it before reaching 2200. There's a new edition of My System that combines it with Nimzo's Chess Praxis (2 books as one). My Praxis is essentially a book of example games and positions that relate to the positional motifs covered in My System, much like the latter sections of My System that use example games and positions. It's in algebraic, and there are affordable editions of My System and Chess Praxis in algebraic on Amazon. Perhaps, at your level, Chess Praxis is all you need, as you surely can learn from the examples without introductory lessons on the positional themes at play. Lastly, My System shouldn't be particularly difficult to understand for intermediate players and beyond.

P.S. I had a look at your blitz game vs FM bugsbunny444 in the French Tarrasch with the damn 3...h6 line. Nice work.

Sample Chess Praxis pages can also be seen at the Quality Chess site.

"... I asked a few chess friends to chime in about their favorite chess books, ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)

My System was listed by: ANTHONY SAIDY, DANIEL RENSCH, JOHN WATSON

It was not listed by: YASSER SEIRAWAN, JACK PETERS, CYRUS LAKDAWALA, DAVID PRUESS, JEREMY SILMAN

JACK PETERS, DAVID PRUESS, and JEREMY SILMAN listed Chess Praxis

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever

i have this book but i never read,but i will....a lot of people do not like tigran petrossian style,but i like...and this was his favourite book if i not was wrong..and i have a lot of books to dvoretsky(i do not have time to read too) but i thhink dvorestsky aprove my system..

another book i want read is ZURICH INTERNATIONAL CHESS TOURNAMENT 1953 by David Bronstein...but do not have this book

I have this book, and I have read Dvoretsky's endgame manual

can you send to mr by email?

Do you have Calculation by Jacob Aagard, or other Dvoretsky books?

no i do not have

I heard the book is useless now.

but I think maybe is interesting for me,i like the history...and understand how the players act and what they think...

the lucenaposition..can use yet....

My System is always a good book!!