What's a good book on overall strategy?

You really don't want a book on strategy per se. Since you are a beginner get a book that discusses the elements of positional chess. When you have those down, you can use them as building blocks to understand about strategy.

If memory serves, one of Seirawan's books is good for the first task.

It has been slow but it is very readable without an inordinate and daunting amount of technical analysis but I find John Nunn: Understanding Chess Move by Move to be fantastic. He analyses games and explains each move in great detail at a level that a new player should be able to understand. I know it sounds like a challenge to analyse games but you might as well start there because as you play you will ultimately have to go there if you want to get better. Start with games that open with moves that you like to open with and you will already have a good headstart.

Thanks, guys. You've given me some great suggestions.

I think for now I will go with Winning Chess Strategies by Seirawan.  I can get a good used copy (older edition) through Amazon.

I was a little disappointed that no one commented on Lessons from a Chess Coach by Weeramantry. I read about this book in the Complete Idiot's Chess Guide. It was one of his suggestions. Anyone read it?

I'm debating a few other books you suggested in addition to the one I mentioned earlier: Seirawan's Competitive Chess for Kids: Winning Strategy.

I also thought about Pachman or Pandolfini, but wondered if they might be too advanced right now.

Your thoughts are always welcomed.

stwils

"The Complete Book of Strategy" by Jeremy Silman. It really helped me and is geared toward the beginner. Different strategies and tactics are laid out alphabetically. It's an excellent book to leave laying around the bathroom. Short simple explanations.

stwils,

I have Lessons from a Chess Coach by Weeramantry and love it.  One of the best chess books I have read.  I then picked up Logical Chess Move By Move by Chernev.  Also a great book.  I am now reading the Nunn book.  Similar to Weeramantry and Chernev, but a bit more complicated in the analysis.  But I agree with others that it's a great read, really helping me understand the various middle-game plans of some great GMs.

stwils, I also have Serawan's "Winning Chess" series, on tactics, strategy openings and endgames. Jeremy Silman also helps co-author these books. Anything by Chernev, Nunn, Renfeld,etc. are good. But the book on Capablanca's best chess endings(Chernev) has helped more than any. I believe Capablanca is correct when he said a person should study the end game FIRST.

Thanks for your support for Chess Coach. I just ordered a used copy from Amazon and look forward to its arrival!

And I also ordered the Seirawan book on Strategy. So maybe my game will begin to improve.

Both these books look they are great to read.

stwils

Simple Chess by Michael Stean is a nice little book that Dover publishes. It uses master games to illustrate different points about strategy.

Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman, is an abridged version of a 3 volume series he wrote on chess strategy. Also published by Dover. :)

What do people think of Euwe & Kramer's 2 volume series The Middlegame ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_variant

that should get you started.

Yes-Modern Chess Strategy by Pachman- I have 20 chess books and it's my favorite. It's not too deep, I'm only a class B player, but I learned alot from it.

Speaking of Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy, anyone else find it wierd that it has a mixture of algebraic and descriptive notation? I don't think I've ever seen that before. The unabridged translations of his Complete Chess Strategy books don't suffer from this problem.

I think the best one is Chess Mentor (here on chess.com), definitely

Once you read the book, use Chess Mentor to practice.

It will help you better grasp the ideas, I think.

Euwe's 2 volumes on the middlegame are classics and hard to beat .  I also have 2 books by Romanovsky : Middlegame Planning and Middlegame Tactics , also excellent books . Pachman's books are also excellent and I also like Judgement and Planning in chess by Euwe.... you dont need all of these ofcourse but hey......why not ? 

My $0.02 ... Seirawan's series ... I started with Play Winning Chess where Yasser deals with four basic 'dimensions' of the game (Force, Time, Space, and Pawn Structure).

I just started studying Winning Chess Tactics. In a few months after I've worked through Tactics, I plan on working through Winning Chess Strategies. I eventually plan on finishing the whole series of 6 books (including Openings, Endings, and Brilliancies).

Maybe by then I'll feel like I can take a stab at Jeremy Silmans books like

Silman's Complete Endgame Course

The Amateur's Mind

How to Reassess Your Chess

I did buy Complete Book of Chess Strategy by Silman, but I returned it only because - 1 - it was brief in it's overview of many topics (almost to a fault), and - 2 - I needed the money for gas.

Click on my name above (dmrey), and you can find some other books beginner books to consider. Another good series by Robert M. Snyder was the Chess for Juniors, Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors, and More Unbeatable Chess Lessons for Juniors ... although I believe this whole series has been re-released under "Chess for Everyone".

Another good couple of books to consider (more tactics ... not strategy like you asked) are "How to beat your Dad at chess", and "Chess Tactics for Kids" by Murray Chandler.

Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy By John Watson

Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess

Seirawan's "Winning Chess Strategies." and "Winning Chess Endings."

My System, by Nimzovich

These are very good.

Hi Stwills,

looking at your current rating of below 1000 maybe you should, IMHO, study tactics before strategy. An excellent book that I can highly recommend is Wolf's "Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess". I am 3/4 through it and found it an easy read, great excersises and great foundation for further improvement (my rating is 17-1800).

Good luck!