Lev Alburt

Has anyone read Lev Alburt's books?  If so, what do you make of them and which ones did you read?  The reviews on Amazon are sparse, but chesscafe.com reviews claim that Lev is a top teacher and his books are popular and helpful.  I've never heard of him before.

I recently found one of his books hidden in a remote corner of my local library. It's title is the "Chess Training Pocket Book" by Lev Alburt.  At first I thought it looks really corny and terrible (particularly the cover art), but I think it might actually be a brilliant book. I love how there is no theme to the problems.  300 puzzles is large enough to cover many tactics and positions, but small enough to review a few times over the next few months.  The format is awesome!  Its small, light and has the answers on the next page (no more flipping to the back!).  Moreover, the answers are easy to read and understand and they are helpful!  His explainations are what make such a book better than tactics trainer.  Furthermore, I can pick it up or set it down as needed and do not need to set up a board for study.

I was planning on reading something else this spring (like Yusupov or Weteschnik or McDonald).  But I'm considering Alburt instead.  What are his other books like?

The one you mention is the only one of his books I've read entirely, and I really like it. I'm planning to go through it 3 or 4 more times eventually. They're the types of useful puzzles you can do over and over to really learn the patterns so you can spot similar stuff in your own games.

I also have his "Just the Facts" endgame book, which I've partially read. It was pretty good for the time it was published, but has since been surpassed by Silman's Complete Endgame Course as the best endgame book around for amateur players.

Fromper, do you know the intended level for this book?  What began as great enthusiasm is starting to slip into distress... I have only correctly solved a couple of the puzzles out of the first 10 or 15.  I fear this book may be beyond me.  I'm about 1300 on tactics trainer and 1460 for my turn-based games.  Am I not ready for this book?

I'd recommend it for people around 1400-1800 USCF. Since internet ratings tend to be highly inflated compared to USCF or FIDE, that's probably above your level.

Other than the tactics trainer here, what puzzles have you done? I'd highly recommend starting with a book like Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, Bain's "Chess Tactics for Students" or Heisman's "Back to Basics: Tactics". Unlike the random positions you get in online puzzles, those have specific positions chosen for their instructional value. Pick a book on that level and go through it over and over until you can spot the solutions instantly (maybe 5-7 times). At your level, that's probably the best thing you can do to improve your chess. That and reading Heisman's Novice Nook column online.

Thanks Fromper.  I've read Seirawan's tactics book and Heisman's.  Seirawan's was great a couple years ago, but now it is too easy.  I recently read it again and he simply gives too many hints.  Heisman's is a little harder.  Maybe I should work through it again...

I've only recently started reading Heisman's column.  do you have any recommended columns from his archives?  There are simply so many to read! Tough to know where to begin... Otherwise, I've considered picking up his "ultimate guide" since I heard it is basically the best of his novice nook articles to-date (as of the publication).  Worth reading or no?

I don't know about his ultimate guide, but his columns are great. I'd start with his old columns titled "The Four Homeworks" and "A Different Way to Study Tactics" or something like that. Those two are good for coming up with an ongoing study plan. One of his four homeworks, besides playing, tactics, and studying master games, is "other reading". His old columns would be great reading material for that.

Lev Alburt has had a very good column in " Chess Life " for quite a few years, perhaps a library in your area has some back issues ? 

here's the link to dan's book I was referring to...

Thanks for the recommendations!

I think his best book is Just the Facts he co wrote with Nikolay Krogius.

@Bruch, you could do worse than to try Lev Albert's Comprehensive Chess Course I and II (which are a single volume). This is easier than the Pocket book (which I have gone through several times). The book is fairly basic but is said (admittedly by the author!) to be enough info to take you to 1800 level - if you really know the book's contents. Albert really stresses this last point - in the last chapter of the book "Moving on to Expert and Master", he says you might want to reread the book again, before moving on to anything more difficult. He says that it is not enough to know, for example, K+P v K - you need to know it so well that you play the right moves automatically, instantly. Another example he gives is - Black has pawns on f3 and g3 - white has a rook on h1. The Kings are far away. It's Whites's move - can White stop the pawns? You should be able answer instantly if you've mastered the contents of the book.

I'd also echo the Dan Heisman recommendations, I think he talks a lot of sense

I've just come across this book by chance - I thought oh my god look at that cover, but actually it sounds really good and I'm ordering it now.

As a beginner I was searching around for books to study and was overwhelmed by the number. So rather than bounce from author to author I settled on two. I've read Seirawan's set (except for Winning Chess Combinations) which I found to be an excellent intro/intermediate course with a lot of meat. It is a set to keep and go back and re-read and study. I am finding the same with Lev Alburt's series. I skipped volume 1 of the Comprehensive Chess Course in favor of Chess for the Gifted and Busy (I'm the busy one, not the gifted). What I like about both Seirawan's and Alburt's is that I get a complete course from the same author instead of bouncing around between author's who may or not agree. I think bouncing around is ok for the higher rated players, but for a beginner like me consistency of instruction was more important. The problem I have with Alburt's series is that some of the books seem to cover the same material -- but there is something to said for review. But best of all both authors, mostly Seirawan, have numerous lectures free to review on YouTube. So you get to hear their lectures as well as read them.

I found "Pirc Alert!" to be the best opening book I've ever read.  Clear, but complex and rich in ideas and concepts.  Nice explanations.

Everything I have read by Lev Alburt is great.  I haven't done his stuff on openings, but I hear good things.  I have reviewed Lev Alburt's "Chess Training Pocket Book": http://www.amazon.com/review/R1MHNWIZC1OHWO/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1889323225&nodeID=283155&store=books 

His series of volumes for beginner to tournament player was very good.

I've just started to read some of Alburt's work. I went to my library and found a couple of his books, and so I checked them out. I can say that for me- his work is helpful and instructive. I'm looking into more of his work and it's like any teacher- some will like that teacher and find them instructive while others will not. I find his books direct and to the point and easy to read and understand. I def advise looking into his material and do not let the covers of some of his books deter you

Chess Training Pocket Book is one of the best books out there for the 1200 to 1600 player. I went through the 300 positions over about 18 months, setting up most of them on a real board. When I started I was about 1400 USCF and when I finished I was over 1600. My accuracy was about 60-70% correct while spending about 15 minutes per problem. I definitely noticed an improvement from beginning to end. When I started I was struggling to get 50% correct and at the end I was getting 75-80% correct.

Can anyone compare CTPB 1 vs CTPB 2?

The Training Pocket Book is really great if you can get beyond the cover art!

Pirc Alert was way over my head when I looked at it but it was a really good book. The theory is probably outdated now but half the book talked about literally nothing but pawn structures and ways they can be played. I remember Kramnik talking about a Pirc book he read before he played blindfold match with Smeets and although he didn't specify exactly which book it was, I bet it was that one.

Kind of funny to see, you me and Benedictine commented on the same thread so long ago.

The second pocket trainer does not have nearly as tactical of a feel as the first pocket trainer.  There is more of a positional feel to the problems.  I have only been about a third of the way through the book, but it is on a par with the first one, though I prefer the first one.  I can imagine that players who like the first one might just as well not like the second, and vice versa, just so you know.