I look at my Play 1.b3! book and see that it's about 250 pages. A 250 page book should take me two or three days. But reading chess books takes much more time than regular books. What's a realistic ratio of time it takes to read a chess book as opposed to regular books?
Originally posted by Eladarchess books are meant to be enjoyed, you need a large bottle of single malt, a huge open fireplace somewhere secluded away from family, preferably in a castle with forty rooms, so that they do not bother you with trivialities and just relax and enjoy. if its rubbish you can always toss it on the fire and try another.
I look at my Play 1.b3! book and see that it's about 250 pages. A 250 page book should take me two or three days. But reading chess books takes much more time than regular books. What's a realistic ratio of time it takes to read a chess book as opposed to regular books?
Originally posted by EladarThe time will vary greatly depending on the content; your familiarity with it; whether the content is challenging or not; how much you want to get out of it; etc. Any average value will be meaningless.
What's a realistic ratio of time it takes to read a chess book as opposed to regular books?
Originally posted by EladarWhen reading a book, forget about when you're going to finish it. Just focus on making the most of whatever part you're currently reading and let the rest take care of itself.
But if I had some idea about how long it really should take me to read a chess book, perhaps I wouldn't find it so frustrating to feel like I'm getting no where.
Originally posted by EladarFor books with annotated games, you could set a target of reading one game a day. When I am working on a book, I may well get in multiple annotated games a day if I have the time (and depending greatly on the length of the game, the nature and length of the annotations, etc), but I always stop at the end of a game, because if I stop in mid game I always end up starting back at the beginning anyway.
But if I had some idea about how long it really should take me to read a chess book, perhaps I wouldn't find it so frustrating to feel like I'm getting no where.
For a book on an opening I plan to play in tournaments, I will study it harder, but for a book of annotated games on an opening I don't play, I will go through much quicker, as I am reading for general learning and for fun.
EDIT: I should add that I typically play through a chess book with a tournament board set up in front of me, and I play through the moves as I read.
A good endgame book is like a fine wine or liquor in that you need to go through them more slowly to absorb and appreciate the nuances, because the nuances are the difference between winning and losing. Pawn endings themselves have no style- they are a black and white calculation- but how you get to the pawn ending is all about style.
But I digress!
Paul
Reading a chess book takes more time when reading the notation is tougher than reading a language for example english.
Perhaps the first couple years of reading chess notation is semi slow in book form anyways since you kinda maybe keep your finger at a spot in the book and then oops my finger moved now which variation was I on hmm.Oh yeah there was my spot that wasn`t too tough only took me about 7 seconds to find my spot.🙂.
Three moves later hmm this moves seems illegal . I can`t jump pieces with a bishop hmm maybe i made a notation reading booboo earlier in this game I guess I`ll start this game at the beginning.
I did the game I played through today! I realized my mistake when my opponent was supposed to take my rook on a1, but I moved that rook to b1 earlier in the game! I was supposed to move my f pawn to b1, but I guess I figured that couldn't be the right move since a1 seemed much better to me.
I'm doing it the wrong way. I'm playing through it on Winboard and saving the game instead of clearing the board.
Originally posted by EladarYou don't finish a chess book!
I look at my Play 1.b3! book and see that it's about 250 pages. A 250 page book should take me two or three days. But reading chess books takes much more time than regular books. What's a realistic ratio of time it takes to read a chess book as opposed to regular books?
You have to think of books as being more like relationships. Run into a bit of difficulty with one
then go and get another with a better looking cover and promises of new secrets revealed.
But after a few of these - say four or five or even a hundred for the more promiscuous - most
people realize that it will be better to settle down with one in order to get the full benefits such
relationships offer to those willing to commit. This is where you must chose wisely. Too easy
and you'll become bored, too complicated and - hard as you might try - you will never fully
understand.
Some never find this happy equilibrium. They become obsessed with buying new books and
end up like Emelda Marcos with her shoes. Never opened books sit on the shelf. They try to
throw some out and pick the most useless book in the collection (often an Eric Shiller title) but
then decide to keep it as a fine example of a useless book. In an attempt to normalise their
addiction they re-name it; the big book collection becomes a small chess library. Then one
day they experience the leitmotif of the compulsive shopper when they go out and buy a new
book only to later discover they already own it.
Originally posted by orion25That is what I was going to say.
You don't finish a chess book!
It's not like a novel where you give it away once you have read it.
I've read only a few books more than once, Treasure Island and Catch-22
come to mind.
But a good chess book is like a Beatles LP*. You go back every now and then
to play over again a game you like, to hear the music.
Also as you get better and your understadning of the game develops you will see
things (hear things) you never noticed before.
Never lend out chess books, you won't see them again.
*LP. it's a large round plastic disc with hole in the middle. Often called a record.
In the olden days we stored our music on these discs and listened to them
via record player.
Never lend out LP's, you won't see them again.
Records warp, they skip and if you have the speed set too fast the voices sound funny. I don't know now that arm thing that allows you to stack the records works. One of the great mysteries of life.
Oh the good old days.
OK, I got understand. I was using my opening book more as a reference book anyhow. I understand that the more you know, the more you'll get out of a book. when I first started playing and had a rating around 700 I ordered Gellar's KID books. Couldn't make heads or tails of them. Went back to them a few months ago and could follow the logic of the moves like a5 before playing Na6, as well as playing f5 after the center is locked down with pawns.
I have a couple of "I'm smarter than you and you're an idiot" guy's books. I'll give them a try again and see what's up. Although I think working miniature's will do more good. Thanks for the links to those games Greenpawn.