Try Micheal Steins simple chess, its an awesome book, very, very clear, much better than Silman who can explain simple things in great detail, but fails to explain complex things simply! I think its a bit like searching for the Holy Grail, an all in one manual.[/b]Michael Stean's book is a superb choice (I thought about posting again to mention it), and GM John Emms book by the same title is also very good, although Stean's is the original and best IMHO.
Paul
Mastering chess: A course in 21 lessons
Yes a truly excellent book. The bloke that wrote the bit about 'Tactics & Combinations'
is, I hear, the handsomest Chess Player of all time.
(it's gone through 19 editions and 4 publishing houses - not bad for a chess book.)
Someone mentioned chess magazines, he's right. CHESS and BCM are
excellent. It should take you a couple of weeks to devour each one.
Lots of other good books have been mentioed but if it's one book that covers
everything then it has to be Mammoth. You can pick up copies on ebay
for a reasonable price.
It's easier these days to write a chess book.
I used something called a typewriter and the diagrams were done by hand
with letraset - blank diagrams and peel off pieces.
I have a spare copy of Mammoth - what do you have to swap?
(I'll chuck in some old chess mags as well).
I see you fly an American flag.
An Apache arrow, I don't have an Apache arrow.
Originally posted by Automatonif you study any single book thoroughly, you'll already be further than 99.9% of the rest of us. -the problem is always the same, we don't study the stuff the books tell us. any chesshead can tell they have a huge amount of books, but they've read maybe 5 of them to the end, and really studied hardly any of it.
I can trade my wife and a bicycle that is missing a wheel for your Mammoth book of chess...deal?
I went back to the bookstore to look for it, I couldn't find it so I got Lasker's manual of chess.
That should hold me over for a few months...maybe longer.
what someone said about lasker's opening theory being dated, is not much of an issue (except maybe in CC). if I understood a tenth of what lasker did on any opening, I'd be leagues better set than I'm now.
Originally posted by wormwoodI will do my best to study Lasker's manual thoroughly and repeatedly if need be.
if you study any single book thoroughly, you'll already be further than 99.9% of the rest of us. -the problem is always the same, we don't study the stuff the books tell us. any chesshead can tell they have a huge amount of books, but they've read maybe 5 of them to the end, and really studied hardly any of it.
what someone said about lasker's ope ...[text shortened]... erstood a tenth of what lasker did on any opening, I'd be leagues better set than I'm now.
Originally posted by wormwoodit should be pointed that the author is NOT the great emanuel lasker, but an homonym : edward lasker (much weaker but master strength anyway)
if you study any single book thoroughly, you'll already be further than 99.9% of the rest of us. -the problem is always the same, we don't study the stuff the books tell us. any chesshead can tell they have a huge amount of books, but they've read maybe 5 of them to the end, and really studied hardly any of it.
what someone said about lasker's ope ...[text shortened]... erstood a tenth of what lasker did on any opening, I'd be leagues better set than I'm now.
A bit like murray chandler is NOT the great geoff chandler ;o)
Anyway edward lasker's book is pretty good, full of exercises and questions, which is the best way to learn IMHO
and simple chess is at the same time a little jewel, and very short! which makes it one of the rare books i read to the end (wormwood is right, unfortunately...most of us are lazy!)
Originally posted by shorbockAre you saying "Lasker's manual of chess" was written by Edward Lasker?
it should be pointed that the author is NOT the great emanuel lasker, but an homonym : edward lasker (much weaker but master strength anyway)
A bit like murray chandler is NOT the great geoff chandler ;o)
Anyway edward lasker's book is pretty good, full of exercises and questions, which is the best way to learn IMHO
and simple chess is at the same ...[text shortened]... e of the rare books i read to the end (wormwood is right, unfortunately...most of us are lazy!)
You kiss your mother with that mouth?
The chess gods are angry. ðŸ˜