Advice on strategy books for low level club player

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dannyhume

I am seeking advice/opinions on the following books to see whether they are recommended to improve my positional assessment, planning, and strategy since I have no clue what to do when I am done calculating, and there is a disconnect between my tactics rating (>1600 on tempo) and my OTB rating (<1100 USCF).  I currently drill tactics and endgames every day and do not have an opening repertoire.

 

Tarrasch: The Game of Chess; 300 Games of Chess (is the combination of these two good for dogmatic repetition of Steinitzian strategy principles, such that I may start using them in my games?)

Znosko-Borovsky: How Not to Play Chess. I heard it has a good section on positional assessment.

Kmoch: Pawn Power in Chess (a different angle on positional play)

Purdy: Search for Chess Perfection; Purdy on the Endgame; Guide to Good Chess… some swear by him; in general,  I am prejudiced against “hodgepodge” collections of articles and prefer insanely systematic, detailed, and nauseatingly repetitive books/software/methods.

Alburt: Chess for the Gifted and Busy; Comprehensive Chess Course vol 3-8…  he says it is the best “foundation” for the aspiring chess player?

Cheng: Practical Chess Exercise … In general, I prefer repetitive interactive problem solving over annotated games over standard instructional works.

Bardwick: Chess Strategy Workbook (interactive problem solving)

Djuric: Chess Opening Essentials vol I-IV (not to memorize, but to familiarize and get a general overview of basic plans of openings and transition to middlegame)

Weteschnik: Chess Tactics from Scratch. Maybe helps with learning a “tactical algorithm” thereby systematically reducing blunders and finding less obvious tactics. 

 

Thanks

VLaurenT

I recommend Tarrasch's book. You can also use it to build a simple opening repertoire.

kindaspongey

Guide to Good Chess by C.J.S. Purdy

https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221903/http://chesscafe.com/text/improv.txt

Practical Chess Exercises by Ray Cheng

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112311/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review595.pdf

Chess Strategy Workbook by Todd Bardwick

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093012/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review791.pdf

Chess Opening Essentials by Djuric, Komarov & Pantaleoni

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627115737/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen99.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627105306/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen124.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627070808/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen137.pdf

Chess Tactics from Scratch by Martin Weteschnik

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708091717/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review851.pdf

kindaspongey

50 Essential Chess Lessons  by Steve Giddins

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf

Simple Chess by Michael Stean

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104258/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review400.pdf

Amateur's Mind by Jeremy Silman

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094419/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/ammind.pdf

Chess Secrets: The Giants of Chess Strategy by Neil McDonald

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092313/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review620.pdf

Chess Strategy for Club Players by Herman Grooten

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101926/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review696.pdf

Chess Training for Post-beginners by Yaroslav Srokovski

https://web.archive.org/web/20140712013538/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review945.pdf

Novagames

get 

CT-Art 6.0

kindaspongey
Novagames
Novagames wrote:

get 

CT-Art 6.0

Also 

https://www.amazon.com/Chess-5334-Problems-Combinations-Games/dp/1579125549

dannyhume

Kindaspongey, thanks for the links and additional recommendations ... I have read amazon reviews on some of those books, but it is nice to see different (and deeper) reviews.  I have actually read a number of books on that list, but perhaps I am not advanced enough to get the most out of them. 

Hicetnunc, thanks for the endorsement of Tarrasch... haven't heard much on his books for the developing player, other than the word "dogmatic". Perhaps repetitive "dogma" is what a low-level player needs first. 

kindaspongey

"Just because a book contains lots of information that you don’t know, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be extremely helpful in making you better at this point in your chess development." - Dan Heisman (2001)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf

"... If you’re looking for an opening book, you should seek out well-known opening theoreticians. If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)

https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever

johnyoudell

Instead of spending time reading books spend time playing.

Do the tactics puzzles on this site.

And play the same openings game after game for a while.

Some positional sense and strategic understanding will come.

dannyhume

Another Tarrasch endorsement! Now I am getting excited about those two Tarrasch books.

I continue to train tactics on a daily basis, and they are helping, but what books explain better how to begin systematically approaching a position once I am at the limits of my calculation abilities? 

Regarding openings ... I and my opponents are frequently out of book before move 5, but rarely are these gross blunders, just what may be considered suboptimal or weak moves at the higher levels.