Which book helped you the most in your chess improvement?

the subconscious remembers everything read in chessbooks,but because  their are enough  variations with pawns alone to fill every star in the galaxy, theirs can nevr be enough  books.

   fischer read  2500 books and russianarticles. he also recommended silmansendgame.

This is  a classic Neil McDonald book(no longer available). One of his best. I have this book before and this book helped me too.

I'll do it by level:

Total beginner -> Able to beat my dad: The Usborne Book of Better Chess, by GM David Norwood

New tournament player -> 929 (first established rating): Chess Life magazine [this was in 1996], especially columns by Karpov, Benjamin, Rohde, and Benko

~1000 -> ~1400: The Zurich International Tournament of 1953, by GM David Bronstein

~1400 -> 1600: From the Middlegame to the Endgame, by GM Edmar Mednis

1600 -> 1800: Mastering the French with the Read and Play Method, by GM Neil McDonald and FM Andrew Harley

1800 -> 2000: (Tie) Chess Combinations Encyclopaedia, by Convekta; and CT-Art 3.0, by Convekta (Maxim Blokh)

2000 -> 2100+: Studying openings 

"Think Like a Grandmaster" by Kotov helped me the most in my improvement. I was stuck around 1550 for over a year before studying it. The part of the book on analyzing variations really brought its lesson home to me. My results improved immediately, so that within another year I was right about at 1800.

If you folks who have mentioned McDonald's "Planning" are referring to the Batsford book of that name, it can be obtained through Amazon. I'm thinking of ordering it based on your comments. Thank you for opening my eyes to it.

@OldPatzerMike, Yes "Planning" by Batsford, originally published 1995. That's the one.

ima check out planning myself.........  

is their a more technical book than laskers chessmagazines?

id like to know, please no suggestions on PAWNBOOKS  or anything by LASKER ,because i have them.

     i seek a technical book, other than pawns and lasker. 

Nimzowitsch's   "My System"

gbidari wrote:

@OldPatzerMike, Yes "Planning" by Batsford, originally published 1995. That's the one.

Thanks. I just ordered it from Amazon.

Ampplebee: for a technical book, Creative Chess Strategy by Alfonso Romero. I think I already suggested this once in this thread but it's a great book that covers a broad spectrum of positional a and how to apply CREATIVITY combined with technique as well as proper planning. It's pretty advanced however, so you'd probably want to read over the chapters several times to digest the material well

Thank you the both of you for my system and creative chess strategy.

The 2nd edition of secrets of pawn endings is extremelly  technical thank you for bartering book ideas with me. Normally I wouldn't tell anyone about that book but you gave me what I need, thanx.

I think the first book of yusupov series. It had too..

Honorable Mention: "Chess For Tigers" by Simon Webb. It has a lot of practical advice for the club player.

The Inner Game of Chess - Andrew Soltis

Bishop v Knight: The Verdict - Steve Mayer

Forcing Chess Moves - Charles Hertan

Grandmaster Preparation:  Calculation - Jacob Aagaard

Grandmaster Preparation:  Positional Play - Jacob Aagaard

Many other books have helped with examples, many of them deep.  Books like Chess Lessons - Popov, Training for the Tournament Player - Dvoretsky, Techniques of Positional Play - (Forgot the author), etc.

But those 5 books listed up top have completely altered my thinking process, hence them having the greatest impact.

ive beentrying to find that for awhile. chess for tigers.  

i did read "tao of the chessboard". good book.