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I am a complete novice to chess. I do know the rules, and how the prices move, but I could not play a game right now and win (I know that's where everyone starts, right?). I want to learn with books and a with a real chess board which I ran out and bought to study. I do not like online chess, but I do play against the computer and use it with conjunction with a real chess set. I am aiming to join a club (there is one local, I am in Scarborough, Ontario) and play face to face.
If I'm asking a really stupid question please excuse my ignorance, but what is good reading material for someone at my level? A book list would even suffice, as my googling skills lack finding a good one. Thank you for reading my post, and again, please excuse my ignorance.
Mostly prose, as opposed to variations. As the title describes, the author attempts to explain the why behind each and every single move. His explanations are accessible, and he often stops to answer "stupid" questions that more advanced books wouldn't bother to answer, which is great. You might be able to find a pdf online and take a quick look to decide if this is something you would find useful.
Heisman has a tremendous amount of experience dealing with novice/near novice players and has a good sense of what they should prioritize. He also answers questions that other authors don't bother to answer. You can probably find a pdf sample of this book somewhere as well.
"Tom is a well known racist, and like most of them he won't admit it, possibly even to himself." - Ed Seedhouse, October 4, 2020.
I agree with everything Tom wrote about Heisman. You might want to try his "A Guide to Chess Improvement", which is a revised and collected set of articles he wrote for his "Novice Nook" column on the now-defunct Chess Cafe website.
I would avoid Chernev's "Logical Chess: Move by Move". It was a very good idea for a chess book, but there are so many mistakes in it -- both tactical oversights and strategic judgments -- that it is better to avoid. Happily, there are much more recent books by much stronger players than Chernev which copy his "move by move" commentary and style, but which have much more reliable notes. I recommend two by GM Neil McDonald:
Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking
The Art of Planning in Chess, move by move
The first has chapters organized by openings, the second had chapters organized by middlegame themes. I suggest beginning with the first.
I found the "Winning Chess..." series by Yasser Seirawan to be a great set of books for a novice player. Not too dense and describes the material in a very digestible manner.
He did books on Tactics, Strategy, Endgames. Often available at any local bookstore.
You can preview some of our early player
books here. The "Kids" classification is
a misnomer - both the Gambit and Coakley
publications teach the fundamentals in a
much cleaner and easier memorisable manner!
Wow! You have 4 masters and one expert, and all experienced coaches commenting here. To browse you can check out the local library which should have most of the choices above so that you can determine which ones you like best. (if your branch doesnt have some of them you can borrow via interlibrary loans). As for obtaining the books I recommend Strategy Games. Just a visit alone is a highlight.
Wow! Thank you for the responces. I know I may be stubborn but I like to learn with a book and a chess board in front of me. Might that be old school? I know most people prefer to play online now. I see no soul in it. Having those three-dimensional prices in front of you add a sort of magic for me so to say. I will check out the books and give them a read. Many thanks again, I can't wait to get to a level that I can join my local chess club.
I think I like the Yasser Seirawan books. I am going to get those for my kindle as they are much cheaper than the dead tree version (9 bucks for the beginner book).
Wow! You have 4 masters and one expert, and all experienced coaches commenting here. To browse you can check out the local library which should have most of the choices above so that you can determine which ones you like best. (if your branch doesnt have some of them you can borrow via interlibrary loans). As for obtaining the books I recommend Strategy Games. Just a visit alone is a highlight.
Given that I have a lifetime record of 1-0 vs Tom that will never ever change because I will never play him again, I think it's clear the original poster made a good decision following my recommendation over his :D
Given that I have a lifetime record of 1-0 vs Tom that will never ever change because I will never play him again, I think it's clear the original poster made a good decision following my recommendation over his :D
lol thanks David. The books are great so far and very interactive with my chess board. i like how you play out the moves that are listed in the book to understand (For example) mating patterns.
Given that I have a lifetime record of 1-0 vs Tom that will never ever change because I will never play him again, I think it's clear the original poster made a good decision following my recommendation over his :D
I will never argue against Uncle Yaz and 1-0 against Tom is a vague dream for me that I never had (I only had suffering). Good for you on both counts.
Wow! Thank you for the responces. I know I may be stubborn but I like to learn with a book and a chess board in front of me. Might that be old school? I know most people prefer to play online now. I see no soul in it. Having those three-dimensional prices in front of you add a sort of magic for me so to say. I will check out the books and give them a read. Many thanks again, I can't wait to get to a level that I can join my local chess club.
Thats definitely old school and its a good thing. And I agree with you wholeheartedly - it is soul deadening. I wish we could sprout a whole new generation of players like you. Three dimensional pieces are magical and its especially comforting holding them in your hands. (especially after two years of the covid atmosphere)
Wow! Thank you for the responces. I know I may be stubborn but I like to learn with a book and a chess board in front of me. Might that be old school? I know most people prefer to play online now. I see no soul in it. Having those three-dimensional prices in front of you add a sort of magic for me so to say. I will check out the books and give them a read. Many thanks again, I can't wait to get to a level that I can join my local chess club.
Hi Joseph, I have another "old school" suggestion that's really added to my enjoyment of studying. It costs a little bit of money (it IS little), but I've taken some of my favourite books, like How to Reassess Your Chess by Silman, to a Staples store, and I have them spiral-bind the book. It's really more pleasant than holding a book open with one hand while moving the pieces with another!
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