Master about 3 good opening moves as white and black, practice them every way that it can be used. you need to start there. A good opening can make or break the game. The best offense is a good defense. Get great at defending with your openings so they are just about impregnable. Also, Wikipedia.org is a vast resource on chess information its free. They have every topic imagineable from theory, to end games to the masters, etc.. There is a hell of a lot of reading but you will definently learn alot. Cool??      Play on!!!!!

Well, the way I see it:

Tactics are probably still the most important thing at your level. I don't know the individual books, but tactics are not a bad idea.

The endgame is not very important at your level, unless you find that you reach an endgame a lot (when games aren't decided in the opening. And by endgame I don't mean one side having 2B vs. N, Q vs. B, etc. I mean ones like R vs. R+P, 2B vs. B+N, etc. Otherwise, it's probably not worth it to read a whole book.

I don't know much about the books, but I've heard good things about Logical Chess.

thank you both for the help. i will go intense with pandolfini's end game course along with winning tactics for juniors. i will also study the logical chess book carefully. these books will cover basic end game knowledge and some tatic drills. the logical chess should give me a light supplement on general chess, i.e openings, strategy tactics end games etc...these three should help me build on something along with the matches i play here in chess.com and the post match analysis. i should reach 1400 rating if i am consistent with my plans..if there is anything i do not know, i can always lean on this forum for advice.....thank you people..

Hi echecs06,

Please give me the author for each book you have suggested. I will do some research..Thank you for the help!

You should go with logical chess and chess tactics. Tactics is the most important to start off with. Those two will help you most at your level. Then as you get stronger (1400+) try silmans book and the endgame book.

Amateur's Mind by Silman.

I agree with a few of the above posts, but not most.  Tactics are clearly the most important thing at your level.  Learning openings is useless if you drop a piece 5 moves in.  Learning endgames is a little less useless, but still not helpful if you're down a rook.  Books like Praxis and Logical chess are fun reads, especially since you can see someone else's thinking. But you'll be unlikely to replicate these in your games at your level (or mine, for that manner). Focus on tactics and puzzles, then endgames, then strategy (like all of Silman's books) and finally, openings. Good luck.

From those books, what I would do is go through "Logical Chess", then go through #4, then go through #5, then go through either #4 or #5 again. Winning Chess Tactics for Juniors might be the better of the two for doing that. I would suggest you read this page to see how you should read through that book: http://danheisman.home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Events_Books/General_Book_Guide.htm

Poke around Dan's site, he has a couple good ideas for you. Getting a 1400 ICC rating is not going to be too hard if you brush up on tactics a little and think during your games about your opponents' threats.

 I second this!

 If you put your mind to it, I'm sure you must have more resources than that.

My local library had dozens and dozens of chess books, and my local library stinks.  I've seen other libraries with hundreds of chess books to choose from.

There are also hundreds of free videos and lectures online to view, from sites like YouTube.

Used bookstores can also a be a good source for chess books.  eBay, Craigslist, and Amazon are other sources.

That being said, at your level, you need to study tactics more than anything else.

Those six books are all he needs (as well as slow games against strong opposition which he then critically analyzes) for quite some time. Say, at least until he finishes reading those books. Which really should take him a while.

 agreed.

 was looking at your link---Exeter chess club--Logical Chernev.

And came across this at the bottom of the page---Its a quote from Bent Larsen about how he felt as a teenager ---from a Ray Keene book.

"Nimzowitsch became then for me more or less the author of the only book which could help me get away from these Euwe books, which, I admit, are very good for the ordinary club player. But once you've reached a certain strength you get the impression that everything that Euwe writes is a lie." -- Bent LARSEN, in KEENE, Nimzowitsch: a reappraisal.

 I was curious about the strength you have to be to believe everything Euwe writes is a lie.

@ michaelcraign,

i dun want to go to openings now man. its too complex for me at my level. i just stick to e4 opening
for white and e5 opening for black. also, i am learning the easiest opening for black which is the dutch stonewall defense. but thats about it when it comes to opening.

@ fliers comment "You should go with logical chess and chess tactics. Tactics is the most important to start off with. Those two will help you most at your level. Then as you get stronger (1400+) try silmans book and the endgame book."

i agree with you about tactics. logical chess by chernev is soooo general that together with the tactics books, they are a deadly combo for 900 - 1200 rated players like me..

@ rdbhan's comment "I agree with a few of the above posts, but not most.  Tactics are clearly the most important thing at your level.  Learning openings is useless if you drop a piece 5 moves in.  Learning endgames is a little less useless, but still not helpful if you're down a rook.  Books like Praxis and Logical chess are fun reads, especially since you can see someone else's thinking. But you'll be unlikely to replicate these in your games at your level (or mine, for that manner). Focus on tactics and puzzles, then endgames, then strategy (like all of Silman's books) and finally, openings. Good luck."

i thought endgames should be learnt first than tactics but what u say makes sense..i will focus on tactics, endgames then strategy of silman. openings, i will want to study on that once i reach a higher level...(if possible) lol..

@ gzthompson

i understand what ur saying dude..i have bookmarked danny heismanns website. the trick is to go through the tactics books again and again until one can solve every puzzle in like, 15 seconds? this is to see the pattern in games i understand. it goes like this: 5 mins, then 2.5 mins, then 1 min then 30 seconds, then finally 15 secs per problem...i need to think alot during games thats y i want to play long games like 90 minutes plus 30 seconds per move...i am not sure if chess.com has that...would love to play long games against opposition of my standard...

@ niven42 and mottsauce,

i believe the amatuers mind is a wonderful book. sadly, this book is so good that i might have to purchase it..i am saying sadly coz it will add to my collection of 6 books already. but the reviews i read for this books are nothing short of amazing..this book along with the reassess your chess are a must buy for me...but i dun wanna rush...just want to use my resources now...tactics, endgames, tactics, endgames, tactics, endgames suplemented by chernev's general chess. if i am not improving past 1400 in about a year, i will start to analyze my games and change my plans. maybe i will expedite the purchase of the two books by silman. reassess your chess and the amatuers mind.

thank you all for your advice. please do advice me if u feel based on experience there is something important for an amatuer like me. i am looking forward to playing chess on chess.com every weekend. really love the interface. especially when u can see the captured pieces unlike in icc or playchess.com...

Read How to beat your dad at chess until you can do any exercise in it in a matter of seconds ( 5 at most).

Then read Logical Chess.

Then read How to beat your dad at chess again.

You'll be 1400 in no time.

thats very specific advice. thanks! how to beat ur dad at chess is simple but very important..along with the chess tActics for juniors. these two books may be like books for kids but as an adult, i couldn't solve alot of problems from these books. i realise that if one cannot solve these simple puzzles then its better to work on them...how to beat your dad will be the next book i will be reading after i have mastered chess tactics for juniors...

if you have plans to achieve 1400 on ICC first adjust your mouse (lol)

You don't need any resources except a tactics book / site until you are 1500 or so.