is it better to read How to Reassesses your chess or the amateur mind first?

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Avatar of Suchi47

As the title said, i have both books from Silman but I'm not sure where is better to start from. ideas?

Avatar of PromisingPawns

IMO either way it's fine. If I were you then I would have started with reassess your chess

Avatar of Yenorc

I read the amateurs mind first.

Avatar of optionresign

Amateurs mind is geared for the under 1400 range reassess is geared for over 1400 at least that's what the book says

Avatar of landloch

At your rating I would recommend Amateur's Mind.

Avatar of Falkentyne

Reassess your chess is VERY good for young kids and lower rated players and for even higher rated players who need to focus on structured thinking.

While some may say "I never got anything out of his books", you have to remember that many kids don't know how to think logically about chess positions, with regard to their opponent ("The opponent also has a right to exist!") and make wrong plans by just going to attack something without knowing how to evaluate a position or what is left weak by a move or venture. Silman's books teach you a good logical way of thinking. I'm teaching two of my students (who are also my friends) these things and it's helping them to evaluate a position. Then they can help determine a plan based on who is better or worse, and how to try to equalize if he is worse, and how to stop the opponent from equalizing when he is better (something discussed extensively in Dvoretsky's books as "prophylactic thinking").

Of course, the hard part comes with combining imbalances with dynamism (dynamic factors) in a position, and direct tactics with the implementation of strategy. And evaluating pawn captures with "tension in the center" and the changing structures is probably the most difficult thing for anyone (which structure favors me or my opponent, and why?).

Avatar of RussBell

check my commentary on Jeremy Silman's HTRYC and "The Amateur's Mind" here...(search 'Silman')...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

i.e., for most players rated below 1500-1600, better to study Silman's "The Amateur's' Mind" first..

Avatar of tygxc

There are better books.