Author: Sandi Ordinario
Date: 09:35:14 02/12/03
Go up one level in this thread
On February 11, 2003 at 20:26:31, Bob Durrett wrote: >On February 11, 2003 at 18:34:39, Janosch Zwerensky wrote: > >> >>>(...) Are books or other formal >>>instructional materials worthwhile? >> >>If you are weak compared to the average club player, going through a book that >>covers basic tactics with suitable excercises will help you a lot. Also quite >>useful could be basic opening principles and a working knowledge of the most >>frequent endgames (if you don't know how to do these yet, I'd recommend you >>learn KQK, KRK, KPK, and the basics of other pawn endgames for a start). >>Unfortunately, I am not familiar with the English literature on these topics, so >>as far as concrete hints to further reading are concerned, you're out of luck >>with me. >> >>Regards, >>Janosch > >Since I am familiar with the English language literature, I'll try to expand the >above, for "a person who is weak compared to the average club player." > >Chess tactics books come in easy to very hard. It is important that you avoid >the very hard problem collections because you will only suffer much frustration. > >If you have never read a chess book, you could not do better than to start with >Bobby Fischer's "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess." Another excellent first book >would be "Comprehensive Chess Course Volumes I & II (From beginner to advanced >player in 24 lessons)," 3rd Revised and Enlarged Edition, by Roman Pelts and GM >Lev Alburt, Copyright 1992, ISBN: 0961720700 (series) or ISBN: 0961720751 >(volume). > >Judit Polgar's father, Laszlo Polgar, produced a good collection of relatively >easy tactical positions. The book is: "Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations, and >Games" by Laszlo Polgar, copyright 1994, ISBN: 1884822312. > >A small opening theory book is: "How to Play Good Opening Moves" by Edmar >Mednis, copyright 1982, ISBN: 067914109X. You should NOT use this book as a >source of your opening repertoire. The opening book for your chess engine would >be much better for that. Mednis's hardcopy opening book gives you ideas. An >older book, "Ideas Behind the Chess Openings," by R. Fine is also excellent but >it describes openings which are very much out of date. > >I wish to stress the importance of avoiding study of opening books. They can be >marginally useful for advanced players, but a severe hindrance to anyone who has >never read a chess book. If you don't have a chess program, purchase a good one >such as Fritz v.8 and its companion PowerBook 2003. This software should be >your only opening resource until you become a strong club player, IMHO. > >Amazon.com had these last time I checked. Note that you can search Amazon.com >using the ISBN number, but you must not include dashes and spaces. > >If you are more advanced than "a person who is weak compared to the average club >player" or have already acquired a few chess books, then re-post and I'll try to >make more useful suggestions. > >My answer to the question "Are books or other formal instructional materials >worthwhile?" is yes. > >There is also tutorial software available but I have not used it. Some people >give this software rave notices. > >Bob D. Hi Elvin, I have taught grade school kids for some years now and you could not be any much of a beginner than that. I had to start teaching a number of them how the pawn and pieces move. What Bob D and Janosch posted are essentially my approach to teaching and learning chess. As you get familiar and comfortable with applying tactics and simple endings in your games you could then raise the level of your study using Nimzovich's My System and My Praxis. Use the Algebraic editions. This may take you a long time to go through but you can in the meantime join a club and start applying what you learn. For more non-human practice, I would suggest buying a Chessmaster 9000. You will enjoy its flexibility as far as choosing opponents and setting up positions to study are concerned. Later on you'll probably graduate into reading Averbakh's Tactics for Advanced Players but this is down the road after you have played for some years. You can e-mail me if you need some form of loosely drafted curriculum. Good luck! Sandi
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