Improving my Game
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Not that I'm one to talk about becoming a decent player, but I'd suggest playing a lot of chess, especially with people slightly above your skill level. Also, see Silman's Reassess Your Chess, as I find it's a good book for amateurs as well as others more versed in the game.
Disregard the other guy's post. Silman's book is too advanced for you. Hell, Silman's book is too advanced for him! If you want to improve, learn all the basic rules of the game(you'd be surprised at how many newb's don't understand en passant). From there, study tactics. Don't worry about openings at all until you can confidentally hold your own against 1400-1500 USCF players. If you want a good book, get Winning Chess Tactics by Yasser Seirewan. Great book with many great examples. I would also suggest getting a tactics training software application. If you can't do that, then get a combinations book like "1001 Winning Chess Combinations". That's about all you need for right now. Training is a slow process unless you're a child prodigy. You have to psychologically force yourself to think in this manner. You're not going to be a master overnight, or even in a year, or even in 5 years. It takes time. That's all.
I had a difficult time when I started studying a few months ago with getting destroyed in open, leaving me few tactical opportunities.
I found Eric Schiller's First Chess Openings to be quite helpful in this regard. While the book does not cover every possible variation, I have found it to be useful in at least 90% of my games.
I also read a book by Silman (Amateur's Mind) as my first book, I struggled through it for quite a while and noticed my game get worse as I attempted to integrate the ideas into my game. Learning anything greatly depends on the individual, but for me I found this in depth approach quite useful. If I had it to do over again I would go with rootworm's suggestion and use Seirawan's series, starting with 'Play Winning Chess,' then Winning Chess Tactics, followed by Winning Chess Strategies. I am about half way through Winning Chess Strategies and am noticing the considerable overlap between Amateur's Mind and this book, only Seirawan does not assume you have an existing strategic understanding (that is not to say you won't be challenged!).
Hope this helps, you can message me if you would like to hear more about my recent experiences in learning chess.
No great player has ever become great without being first an amateur. The important thing is for you to study the essence of the game itself. Capablanca's My Chess Career is good since the auithor himself was not familiar in opening schemes. You would understand how to play the game based on intuition and commonsense. Only after understanding the book should you proceed with studying tactics like Susan Polgars book on tactics. And to keep you in balance at least get a copy of CJS purdy's Guide to Good Chess. Learn these book by heart. Make these 3 books your guide for the meantime. And as you try to analyze with the authors, try to be objective to see the "What If's". You'll hae at least a good understanding of why the players chose their moves and not what you had in mind. KAsparov once said seand time if you want to succeed.
I have to continue to fight for Silman's book. His presentation of the imbalances in chess is easy to grasp and can help one's game almost immediately.
First study your own games and analyse them you cant improve till you know where your going wrong you can use a program to do this it will help.Also study tacticts and endgame books these help you grasp the soul of chess go to openning books last but try not to memorize. Understand the theory of the moves so if they deviate from what you know you can logically work out the best response.Also play lots against better people
rednblack wrote: I have to continue to fight for Silman's book. His presentation of the imbalances in chess is easy to grasp and can help one's game almost immediately.
So that's why your rating is still in the 1400's right? Because you praise a book who's audience is 1600 and above. Sure you'll learn the imbalances in a position, but the book leaves out many important factors. For example most positions don't have any imbalances, thus proving that this book is a horrible introduction to strategy. Silman's books are best for players who already have a solid foundation of strategy. His imbalance theory is to help the player come up with a plan but how can the player do that without the basic knowledge first? Not to mention, if you take any position in How to Reassess Your Chess and The Amateur's Mind and load them into an engine, the computer will stray away from Silman's horrible plans of play and completely anhiliate you... even when it's handicapped.
As I've said before, TACTICS IS THE ONLY WAY TO IMPROVE YOUR GAME!
Give a player a Grandmaster's tactical ability and pair him with a player with a Grandmaster's strategic ability... the tactical player will win 100% of the time.
At the Class level(Under 2000 USCF), tactics is ALL that matters. If you doubt my preachings, go right ahead and study Silman's books on strategy... even Seirewan's book on strategy... but don't complain when you can't seem to pass the 1400 USCF mark.
Play Chess often against players who are rated higher than you. Learn basic tactics and strategies, either through the tools on this site, books, or programs such as Chessmaster.
To be fair I've got to flop and side with Root here; I flipped through the book, and in the first paragraph of the preface he says it's intended for D through master strength players. That said, my rating is still in the 1400s because I'm not a particularly strong player and I have little natural acuity for the game, though I do enjoy it. Why you, Root, are taking such a tone I don't understand.
Hi! I'm glad you are starting out in chess! I remember when I was just starting out in chess. I would first look at tactic books. I would also learn how to record moves, so you can go over your games (hopefully with a stronger player).
If you want more general tips about getting better, my website offers lots of tips to starting beginners: www.geocities.com/chessdiva.show
Criminal Money, it is my intention to help every chess enthusiast to improve themselves. I have really enjoyed chess in my life-time and it has brought me much happiness and friends all over the world, not only in the Asian countries! To pay back to chess, what it has given me, I give my help for free and not to make money. I have sufficient funds of my own. Later,when I have more time, I hope to post lessons here in the Forum page and in my blog too as I have promised erik. Meanwhile rootworm is absolutely right that we should not worry too much about openings when we are at the 1200-1400 elo rating. Concentrate on improving our tactical skills instead. The book "1001 ways to win in Combinations" is an excellent choice. He is also right that Silman's book:" Reassess Your Chess" is too advanced for you. Why is it called "reassess"? It is more a book for an old-fogey like me to reassess what I have learnt before, in the light our modern rapid time-control chess to-day! We have to recap and rethink our way in an entirely different manner from what we used to do. 
thanks for all the replies guys!
chess tactics server.
Do a couple hundred of these everyday and you'll be ok
Okay, so I'm gonna buy a few books soon. I was wondering how long I should actually spend studying each "part"? If that makes sense :S
Feb 17, 2008
0
#16
Criminal_Money wrote: Okay, so I'm gonna buy a few books soon. I was wondering how long I should actually spend studying each "part"? If that makes sense :S
Dont worry its actually a good question, i usually study 1hr tactics, 1-2hrs endgames, 0-1hr analising games. this at least 3 times per week. but thats for me, it might differ acording to each one's preference.
Good Luck!
play play play
Many people fall into studying openings first, and that is definitely wrong. However, it IS useful to know opening "theory"...i.e. central control, not moving one minor piece more than once (this is not always true, as is so with most of opening theory), developing quickly, getting castled, advanced posts for your minor pieces, taking toward the center (pawn-wise, and usually otherwise), and the list goes on. For UNDERSTANDING the opening (NOT memorizing numerous opening lines) I would recommend Nizovich's "My System"...I do not reccomend trying to go through the whole book, but definitely try to understand his opening theory. It is a good book to study through and through, but only after you've progressed a ways (at least 1500 or so). I disaggree with rootworm about Silman's books, they are very good learning tools and he is one of the better writers on the game, in my opinion. I do agree that they are not for you, though, at this time in your development. Study tactics to understand how tricky chess can be, and when you have some form of grasp on this it will be the time to study (like Silman's books) strategy and how to play positional chess in order to get to positions in which you can apply your newfound knowledge of tactics. Tactics very rarely just appear...it does take understanding of position/planning to see tactics/use tactics in your own games. You have to work quite a while to understand all these posts, but it is a very fun process and seeing results from your work is a true reward. Another great book is by Vukovich, and it's entitled "The Art of Attack". To play offensively you must understand tactics...but please don't neglect every other aspect of chess just so you can show off an ability to solve problems.
I've recently decided to get serious about chess, and am eager to learn more and get to be a decent player. But I don't really know where to start.
I've read a few books on different subjects, but I still don't really know how to proceed. I was wondering if anyone could push me in the right direction?
Cheers.