Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition by Irving Chernev

I am planning on ordering Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition by Irving Chernev as my first Chess book to help me improve my game. I understand the basics of the game, but I need something that will help me get over the 1150 rating on Chess.com that I can't seem to get over. Has anyone read this book before and was this book effective in improving your Chess playing? Thank you!

-Chris 

I would say thats a great book, as I have it in my library.  If I were you though, I'd start with a basic book on tactics.  I heard Susan Polgar has a great book on it.  I'm not sure of the book though. I'm sure someone here could tell you its name.  You won't understand all of the subtleties of games explaining every move without knowing basic tactical motifs like pins, forks, double attack, discovered attacks and skewers.  In addition, with a book like that which is more based on positional knowledge, you won't know how to go in for the kill or punish a misstep by your opponent.  You will basically be playing to wait for your opponent to hang a piece, which only lower rated players tend to do frequently.

It's a very good book. I went  through it a few times and even as a USCF B player I found it helpfully reinforcing good chess habits.

It's the best first book of games out there.

goldendog wrote:It's a very good book. I went  through it a few times and even as a USCF B player I found it helpfully reinforcing good chess habits.

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 Would you recommend this book to a beginner like myself who understands the basic principles of Chess or is this book too advanced?

I dont know what would be a good book for you.  I do feel that with your rating right now you would be at a point of tactics.  And i think that you should learn more of the essence and strategy of the game in simple ways to put them usefully into your game.  I really hope that makes since.  Sometimes things i say make no since whatsoever.  So here is a book that i think would be a good book to try and achieve that feeling.  So I think that the book "The Tao of Chess" by Peter Kurzdorfer would be a good choice.  It is a book of principle.  And it is a book of understanding the game.  There are so many variations in chess that i become so confused and in actuality you only (speaking about regular people here) chose a few variations you feel comfortable with.  Then when it leaves that variation your done.  No idea what to do.  and you question your very thoughts.  Sometimes you need more than logic.  Sometimes you need to feel the energy of the board and the pieces as they try to win the war.  Principle.  Feel.  Right side of the brain.  And of course with all of that still manage tactical guard (left side of the brain).    Please write back to me and tell me how you feel when you play the game.  I would be glad to read your response.  later

Lurkey wrote:goldendog wrote:It's a very good book. I went  through it a few times and even as a USCF B player I found it helpfully reinforcing good chess habits.

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 Would you recommend this book to a beginner like myself who understands the basic principles of Chess or is this book too advanced?

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 It's a good choice for you. I'd also get something you can drill tactics motifs with. Software is much better for this if you can do without a book. Like Chess Tactics for Beginners.

Irving Chernev's "The Most Instructional Games of Chess Ever Played", is excellent too.

hmmm... ill consider ordering this book after i get my stimulus check... im rated in the 1450 area and havn't bought any books on chess. Anyone know of a book that will help me learn to use my pieces more efficently as a team in attacks? I dont no if that makes sense but if you think you have a general idea of what I mean can anyone suggest a book?

 I am reading this book right now .. The book i have is an older version which uses the older notation. However, it is fabulous. Now i cannot say what book would most help you at your current level of play. But i cannot see how it would be a mistake to purchase this book. It has completely changed my understanding of many things in a chess game. I would recommend reading each game very slowly and playing out each and every thing that he explains.

 Although it is repititious, it is not dull and each repitition continues to back up the fundamental principles of the opening game until they are firmly entrenched in your mind.

 

In short i wholly recommend this book. Enjoy it

Any of Chernev's books are excellent. "Logical Chess" is an excellent book of first chess games. It has helped me tremendously, and I would highly recommend it to anyone.

If you hunt around the internet for the thousands of conversations in which beginners have asked for book recommendations, you'll find that Logical Chess is recommended to beginners more often than all other chess books combined. That's really all you need to know.

 

That said, I agree with others who have said you should focus on tactics, as well. Get a good beginner's tactics book that gives both explanations and lots of puzzles to drill with. You don't want explanations without puzzles or vice versa. You also want books that focus on middle game motifs like pins, forks, and skewers, not just mating puzzles. I'm not sure what the best beginner book in this regard would be, as the various books I've gone through have usually lacked explanations of the really basic tactics. Ask around, or just google the terms "chess", "beginner", "tactics", and "book" to see what others have recommended elsewhere.

 

--Fromper 

That book is my favorite chess book, and just about anyone can benefit it. It taught me how to formulate both attacking and positional plans, and took my chess to a whole new level. I absolutely recommend buying it.

I checked Chernev's book out of the library and studied the first few games.  It's a good book in it's category.  I ended up not choosing it for my personal library though.   I prefer books that are arranged by topic, with more focused discussion by topic, and then uses games or segments of games to illustrate the topic.  Also, if it matters to you, Chernev's book doesn't cover the modern lines.  

When games and segments are used in a book, I do think the move by move method of explanation is excellent for beginner to novice, so I do look for that feature in topical books.  I've learned a lot about pawn structure, strong and week squares, and the purpose of earlier moves that prepare for later moves, from the move by move explanations in some of my books on openings, for example. 

If you decide to go the topical route, I would recommend two books:

One on beginning strategy; space, time, force, pawn structure, week and strong squares.  "Play Winning Chess," Seirawan, is fair.  I would have liked to have seen slightly more advanced concepts in it.  A little more on strong and week minor pieces, and more specific examples on preparing squares for your bishops and preventing squares for your oponent's bishops.  "The Amateur Mind," Silman, on the other hand is too advanced I think.  

One book on tactics.  "Winning Chess Tactics," Seirawan, is very good.  

Just my thoughts.  You can't go too wrong with the Chernev book if you decide to go that route.

phenomenal book. a must read.

A must read book! After reading books on tactics. Yasser Seirawn "Winning Chess Books Series" will help a lot.

 

 I have that book. That book is not that good.

Best book for beginner is "How to Reassess Your Chess" by Jerry Silman. You might find this at your local Barnes and Nobles.

 

http://www.chess.com/eq/chess+books/how-to-reassess-your-chess-the-complete-chess-mastery-course2

 

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1890085006/qid=1024510930/sr=1-1/jeremysilmani-20

I would consider "How to Reasess You Chess" an intermediate book, myself. 

Lurkey, if you could sample a page or two from a book before you buy, I think it would help a lot.  If Amazon has a "Search Inside" and a "Surprise Me" on the book, then you can randomly sample about 5-page exerpts of the book.  I can usually get a good indication on level of dificulty from that.  If the book only has the "Excerpt" choice, the excerpt is of about the first 5 pages, and usually ends before the book gets to it's true level of difficulty. 

I find it helpful to practice endgames. You don't need a book for this, but there are many out there. Start with K and Q vs K from any random position and work through it a few times. Then try forcing mate with other pieces (R&Bs, R&Ns, RB&N, R) vs lone K. This will help you learn to cooperate your pieces, and be aware of stalemate dangers. This will support your tactical study as well.

Dear Chris,

It is with the utmost enthusiasm that I highly recommend this book. I think your understanding of classical chess in general and why the principles of good play work in reality will be amazingly enriched. Later, to deepen your understanding, the book entitled: Chess: the art of logical thinking from the first move to the last, by GM Neil McDonald could be a fine sequel to study. That being said, to improve your play (to complement your understanding) I would strongly recommend the simultaneous work on tactics. The Tactic Trainer on this site is an excellent vehicle for this.

Good Luck.

Don