I have a feeling , that Aron Nimzowitsch " My System" book is only ...

ESP-918 wrote:
"For begginers.
I mean I consider myself as a begginer too, not a master yet.
But I feel like all the staff there is so simple and just obvious. Control the center, tempo, double pawns bla bla bla
Maybe this book is for novices only? It claims that it's for advanced players !?"

"... I found [the books of Aaron Nimzowitsch to be] very difficult to read or understand. ... [Nimzowitsch: A Reappraisal by Raymond Keene explains his] thinking and influence on the modern game in a far more lucid and accessible way. ... The books that are most highly thought of are not necessarily the most useful. Go with those that you find to be readable; ..." - GM Nigel Davies (2010)
In 2016, IM pfren wrote:
"My System is an iconoclastic book. A lot of things in there is sheer provocation, and it does need an expereienced player to know what exactly must be taken at its face value.
I love 'My System', and I have read it cover to cover one dozen times, but suggesting it to a class player is an entirely different matter."
"[Some things] ARE wrong, and it's not easy for a non-advanced player to discover those wrong claims.
Nigel Short has claimed that 'My System' should be banned. Stratos Grivas says that the book is very bad. I don't share their opinion, but I am pretty sure that there are more useful reads for class players out there."
"... If you don't read My System until after you've become an experienced player, you may initially feel disappointed that the material is elementary and almost self-evident. ..." - IM John Watson
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/john-watson-book-review-108-of-eplus-books-part-2-nimzowitsch-classics
A My System sample can be seen at:
https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/MySystem-excerpt.pdf

I found Aaron's work very interesting. A lot of concepts: easy to read, but certainly hard to retain all the information. In my opionion, as much as you advance, the more you should read it to understand deeply the concepts. 

As far as I know, ESP-918 has not been willing to allow that.

Just to add to John Watson's comment and to illuminate what he really thinks about "Mein System", I quote his conclusion from the link offered above:

"...In conclusion, for those who haven't read them, I recommend My System and the associated works in this ebook as strongly as I do any other chess book. These days most classic works are no longer essential to a chess education, especially since the Internet; but if there's an exception, Nimzowitch's work is it."

Siegbert Tarrasch's "Schachspiel" and this one are easily my most favorite and most used books about chess.

ESP-918 wrote

'I mean I consider myself as a begginer too, not a master yet', is this because he read the Nimzowitsch book? Perhaps if he hadn't read it he would be a GM by now?

Personally, I like to think it is a fantastic book, one of my favourites, not easy to read but an absolute classic of its era and that is what one has to remember. I learnt a huge amount from this book.

I am wondering why so many masters are so excited about "My System". Is it because there were not as much good chess books available when they grew up?

There was also no 'text speech' so they could read difficult books. I wonder what people think about Fisher's 'My 60 Memorable Games'? I was spellbound by it.  Just one thought- every GM's ideas are worth learning about if one is serious about the game.

Good point. Being "serious" about the game is certainly not my main priority when reading a chess book. 

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/chess-equipment/tarrasch-auf-deutsch

its the only chess book Wesley SO read and recommends

Perspective on Aron Nimzowitsch's "My System"...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/perspective-on-my-system-by-aron-nimzowitsch

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell

I wonder if ESP-918 is a chess master yet.....

I don’t think it is for beginners, but beginners can work with it, as the examples are great. For example diagram 30 “The seventh and eighth ranks”. Nice example. In diagram 32 he wrote about extending “the range of action in the seventh rank”. We tend to learn these things through tactical exercises. He however was explaining what the rook sac was actually achieving. I like it.

However, I like more My System Easy, a simplified version of the book with only  158 pages (by Brunthaler, in German), where a lot of text was deleted or the language was modernized. I like when an author goes directly to the point.

My system was written to produce good chess at all levels. the whole theory of the blockade alone spans any level of play and only nimzo spells it out so 700 can even get it. starting with the pawn chain the book transforms into something that no other grandmaster book has claimed. that positional play is not about the "winning" of small advantages. ie lasker. he basicly says the positional play is based on restricting the opponent's play by prophylaxis combined with attack depending on the restrictive open line. now what really irks me is the propaganda that nimzo had some different theory about the center. if he did it was only that he stressed it as the number one priority of all moves(to prepare an attack on the wing or repulse an ill-timed flank attack) the whether there is play there or not.("The Balkans of the chessboard") worst of all it does not matter where I get my biographies or theory of Nimoz's idea is that he thought the center was not to be controlled by pawns but instead by pieces. this is simply incorrect. read chapt one of my system and his controversial ideas about the demobilizing effect of pawns on the enemy position if they are not restricted at least on the way at worst. ie the move he always recommends to the defender of the basic openings is the move d6 a central pawn and square according to my primer. he only argued control of the center is not counting how many pawns sit on the center but how well a central occupation can handle a Stalin organ...ie something that can bombard an occupier into some sort of discomfort or death. we see it in all hypermodern openings for black at least..when white plays "hypermodern" it really is not the same. another discussion maybe,

hi guys

Is this book good for beginners? Yes great book if you study it seriously, You can't go wrong with the Quality version hardback beautiful book much,much better than my old dog eared torn and have eaten Hayes version from 1995 . https://buyozempiconlinesouthafrica.com/

My system was written for all levels. but its primary focus is to educate the less experienced player in his version of the elements of chess that if mastered puts one on the road to mastery. for one thing his endgame chapter is a set of principles that if understood reasonably well will aid a player in navigating the ending without memorizing endless conditions for wins or draw since most of that stuff rarely pops up in an average game. i have never faced or seen in any game quote book game a playing out of the knight bishop against king ending. i tried with a computer in 1988 and failed. i have not faced the position again and i wont waste any time trying to learn it. Nimzo never mentions it but is considered a basic mating pattern to be learned by the student early on in endgame courses including being placed in the basic exercises at various improvement sites. the second half of the book is rather difficult, if you don't know what the author was trying to illustrate in simple conditions and if you have deeply engraved ideas about how an opening is to be carried out will have a difficult time in chapter one like i did. in fact, i had problems understanding his salient idea that preventative action is more important than just finding aggressive or defensive continuations and dumped the book for the most part except it did help me with such things as basic endings. he trys to teach in the book that moves designed to strengthen your strategic balance are stronger than attacking unprepared. most authors will say player a is attacking unprepared. but never tells you why. much of that kind of writing is found in beginner books along with a set of principles about how to get pieces out. lasker told me to get out my knights first and so did Nimzo but Lasker never taught me how I might lose time by threats from the enemy and a concrete method of saving tempo while improving my deployment. etc. Silman is the only author(I know of to be fair) besides Nimzo to introduce ideas about about what the objective truely is in the opening in modern times. his ideal objective in the opening is creating an imbalance you can work with to further your game. that wont matter if your pieces are being driven all over the world.. my system its a text book of positional play and recommends its ideas at all levels. its also a good

tactics trainer if you follow the notes. a more modern work that is popular among players wich i studied. its about chess in general ,pachman's modern chess strategy. he basically takes nimzo and breaks down theory into sections based on piece agains piece rooks queens good or bad and how to know. and further instruction based on theme. many players do well with that. but my opinion is its not a beginner treatise.. i tried it as a a total noob and learned some things but i did not get it. regards from The Nimzowitsch aoplogist