How to read/annotate/learn from a chess book?

I'm ordering a copy of "The Soviet Chess Primer," which teaches chess from the bottom up. It has thumbs up from Dvoretsky, Karpov, and even Kasparov himself. 

While Dvoretsky has said reading this book has elevated his playing ability in fifth grade, I suspect that he would have interacted with the text more actively than I would. 

What are some tips/methods you would have for getting the most out of a chess book so you can improve your play?? 

Use a real board and pieces.

You want to simulate OTB tournament conditions as much as possible.

Use pen and paper to take notes.

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/2015/06/04/the-soviet-chess-primer/

"... The title might suggest it is for beginners, but that is not the case. [The Soviet Chess Primer] does start off with some basic positions, but quickly moves on to much more advanced material including chapters on positional play and techniques of calculation." - IM John Donaldson

https://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Soviet_Chess_Primer-extract.pdf

OP -

With all due respect...

Based on your current rating, "The Soviet Chess Primer" by Ilya Maizelis will soon reveal itself to be over your head.  While it is certainly a good book, and worthy of the appreciation of K, K & D (as you noted in your initial post), the publishers unfortunately chose to put the word "Primer" in the title.  But a primer (in the normally understood sense of the word) it is not - unless perhaps the reader has "Master" in his/her title.  In spite of the fact that the book begins by treating basic chess concepts, it quickly becomes quite challenging, at a level which is more appropriate for experienced players at intermediate level and above.

Choosing this book at this point in your chess development is analogous to one wishing to embark upon the study of mathematics by beginning with a book on calculus without having first mastered arithmetic and algebra.  Better to master walking, before attempting to run...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

First I want to congratulate RussBell for the great article he mention above, posted in his blog. All the books from great authors are careful considered and presented in the order a beginner should read it. Thank you!

About how to study from a chess book, most of them have chapters to introduce to the theme/subject and exercises in the end (or after a few chapters). My suggestion is: don't read it, work everything, every position (not only the exercises)and check only after you write down your solutions. Not only that you'll learn maximum from the books but also you'll check your progress. Don;t forget to play games, especially after learn an opening

@Krumov001 -

Thank you for your kind comment.  That was very nice of you, and I do appreciate it.  My intent in creating the blog article was to suggest books that are instructive and suitable for the improving chess amateur. 

I find that many of the so-called "Best Chess Books" lists contain titles which are suitable more for advanced players than for those improving chess amateurs who would be better served by books which are more focused on basics, fundamentals and principles, and are presented in a manner which they can assimilate, i.e., where minimal prerequisite knowledge is assumed.  My book lists are a product of years of research and thought in an effort to ensure the suitability of appropriate books for inclusion in the lists.

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

Yes, I know how hard work is behind such a recommendation list, that's why I feel it the need to thank you. I have a life behind as a children chess trainer. I did not work as hard as you to find the suitable books, but mostly rely on friends and colleagues, some of them Russian to suggest it (we had Russian Programa translated in Romanian to work it with the children). Still, at some point I was forced to write an easy level combination book for children and tons of lessons using many of the books that you mention it.

@Krumov001 -

It's a very good thing you are doing - teaching children to play chess.  I congratulate you on that.

You may want to check out the following article.  You might find something useful there to assist you with teaching chess to children (or any beginner)...

Beginners Chess Courses, Lessons, Instructional Resources...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/beginners-chess-course-instructional-resources

If You Don't want have a chess board You can still make one. You Just need a marker, that's very easy. First You have to face a mirror, then pull up your shirt, and proceed to draw the chess board and the pieces on your belly. Next step is too lie down on your bed and play!

A Chinese would do it in the palm

Why though?

Follow Russ Bell's advice.  And know that going through a chess book takes longer than you think.

A chess book should take months, if not years to go through properly.

That depends on the book.  I have had a book take 2 weeks and I have had a book take 8 months.

No doubt.  My response was based on something i saw a GM say.

I said in another post that RussBell's advice is very good.  I'm glad someone did research and put forth a great reading list for a beginning chess player.  The first book on the list is very good I think.  I purchased it myself and see that those positions he gives serve to guide the student to correct chess thinking.  

But that book isn't enough.  You have to apply those new concepts that you are learning in those books to actual chess games, and when you are done, you have to analyze those games first on your own, then get help with either someone stronger than you (preferred) or a computer.  Those books can only give you snapshots.  Guideposts, to better chess thinking.  It's up to you to learn all the rest, hopefully, with the help of a coach, if not, at least with stockfish's help.  Remember it's better to learn human idea's then to learn from Stockfish because Stockfish plays very differently than you ever can.  After each book you read as a chess player you gain more "guideposts."  Eventually, you will have enough of them to play fairly well.  

The best way to get better is to just play someone 200-300 points higher rating than you.  You can add reading RussBell's first book while you are doing this, to get better faster, and I don't see problems with just reading all of his books on his list, for a beginner.  Those books might even improve my chess!

There is a setting that pairs you with people 50 points below you to 200 points higher than you in a random game.  All improving players should put their settings to that.  you'll get people that will abort your game because of your low rating, but just report them and move on.

You could also try joining a club here on chess.com to try and meet new people to play.  There is nothing more valuable than someone willing to play you on a regular basis.  Not only to just get good at playing someone with his style, but, you guys could agree to play certain openings, and drill them to perfection with each other.

The moral of the story is... play against humans.  You can play against computers for training purposes, but you should never stop playing other humans.  That is my not so high rated opinion.  Based on what I learned from masters.  You will occasionally get trolls that tell you to play against computers only, using kindergarten arguments, but part of using the internet is to recognize those people for what they are, and putting them on your block list.  

There are no Dogma's in chess.  Sometimes a knight on the rim is not so dim.  Learn the rules first, then learn how to break them.  Knowing when to break those rules will be a sign that you are improving.  

If you play someone enough you can learn to predict what he will do in a position.  You learn his strengths and shortcomings, and you will both become better chess players by playing each other, especially if one person is higher rated than the other.  I learned a lot of valuable lessons by just playing against two people at different points in my life a lot of times each.  Maybe hundreds of games (Maybe thousands).  Over the course of playing those two individuals, I learned more about a specific dogma in chess, and learned exactly when to break that dogma, and when not to, for most of the time.  Chess is about ideas because we are humans.  If you have the right ideas, you improve.  If you have the "wrong" ideas, you need to pick up some "guideposts."  The problem is when you are learning chess you are told various "dogmas" and you follow them to the T, however, later on, little do you know, you will have to learn how to break those Dogma's.  Learn the dogma's, but remember, there are no Dogma's in chess.  Dogma's, are only the training wheels.  It's like singing.  First, you learn the rules, then you learn how to break them.  You learn how to break them only after you learned the rules and had adequate experience in using them.  

Sticking to your plan is important as well.  A WGM told me that most beginners will play well, then they will start making moves outside of the theme of the pieces.  They lose sight of their original plan or fail to recognize that it's time to switch plans because the opponent found the correct counterplay.  

Chess.com tells beginners to take up meditation because 1 it improves concentration and 2 it's a good exercise overall for all aspects of your life in general.  Chess is not just about learning principles, it's about being good at concentrating for hours on end, and to do that, like everything, you need practice.  Not many people will tell you what I just told you.  It's a secret that most people leave out.  

Your weapons are your mind body and brain.  Do what you can to improve them, and you will see gains in all aspects of life, even chess.

Another tip, try and stay away from fianchetto based systems.  I've seen beginners too many times try and play double fianchetto type systems without even understanding how they work and they are good among beginners but when they play people that are at a decent level they fall like a ton of bricks.  It goes to show that a better player will usually win against a weaker player, however, I feel that fianchetto based systems only work on beginners.  If you want an opening that will be playable later on try something more classical.  Don't get me wrong some people know how to play fianchetto based systems and do well against people like me who think they know how to handle them, but they are all based on typical motifs that can be learned, and exploited.  If you've played enough people that double fianchetto, you've learned the motifs.  I'm not perfect at beating people that play that way, but I can usually win most of the time.  Because of my experience in "not really understanding openings for the most part of my life" I learned to "wing" various openings and usually can tell what to do when someone tries to play something weird or different.  The downside of this is that sometimes when playing I fail to see a tactic for my opponent to win a pawn in the opening and then I have to play the game a pawn down.  This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, sometimes, I still end up winning, but only because I am playing blitz, where not thinking gets rewarded by the luck of the draw.

One more tip, don't make the same mistake I did early in my chess life and play only blitz.  You have to play a mixture of long and short games.  Most people on chess.com do not have the time to play a 5-hour game, however, 15|10 is better than 3 minutes, or even 10 minutes, starting out.  You have to do what you can.  Like people said to try and duplicate tournament conditions as much as you can.   I have still yet to solve a major problem in my chess.  We each have our strengths and weaknesses.

There really isn't anything special about going over a chess book.  But what people have been telling you here is correct.  When you can use a real chess board to solve the problems given to you in the chess book.   Some say to use two chess boards.  One for the starting position, and the other for different side variations.  That's a way to do it.  Hope this helps.

https://www.chess.com/club/calling-all-food-and-pug-lovers/join

Correction: a Chinese would do it on a rice grain (the chess board and the pieces)