Jeremy Silman, Imbalances and King Safety

Hello everyone!

I tried to choose a good evaluation and thinking system, and stumbled across 2 ways:

The Classical Way:

-Material

-Pieces

-Pawn structure

-King Safety

And there are the Imbalances of Silman:

-Material

-Superior Minor Piece(s)

-Development

-Pawn Structure

-Space

-Control of a key file/square

-Initiative

I tried to mix up the 2, and in complex positions try to check all 7 of the Imbalances. The thing is - how does king safety collide with the imbalances? Shouldn't it be an imbalance of its own? And if it does, isn't it too much to check and remember in so many positions in my games?

I read a couple of his middle game books like reassess your chess, never understood a thing so that book is collecting dust somewhere.

King safety is certainly an imbalance, and a very important one.

Update - I looked at his workbook. In the book, he added statics vs dynamics and king safety as an imbalance. Isn't that too much to remember and look at in every position tho?

Nah it is not too much to check especially if it is a classic tournament. You have to build an instinct for that. So, read the book. After that , your positional instinct would be great. No one constantly looks for these imbalances in every moves. Rather when evaluating a certain position, they just notice any notable difference between white and black (which is the definition of imbalance)

And you should not read them. First increase your rating by reading books related to tactics and practicing them. Once you reach like 1400, only then you should read those books related to positional chess

I refuse to put that kind of mental energy into the game.  I would soon quit because that would be no fun.

We are all patzers.

...let us just enjoy each game, and learn from every defeat we encountered...after all, that is what CHESS is all about: A LEARNING PROCESS...
GOD BLESS EVERYONE!

I mostly play to play.

I achieved my chess goal.  I just wanted to figure out what you were supposed to do after developing your pieces and be able to beat any 400.

Then why did you put that mental energy into reading positional chess books? I just pointed that your reading was useless because the rating range for that book was not suitable for you and thus you cannot blame the author

Do you, in your OTB games, check imbalances? Do you check them in your rapids as well? And if so, please describe your thought process regarding imbalances. Thanks!

I don't.