I have over 45 chess books but I don't understand a single one of them

I'm just wondering if players like us ~1500-1600 rated players have any hope of finding instructional material suitable for ourlevel or does every chess book have to be written only for 2000 FIDE+

I guess what I'm trying to as k is whether I should try and put in massive amounts of effort to try and grasp the material or just look for lower level books

mickynj,

I have many -- Ivan Sokolov's Middlegame booksk which came out recently, Max Euwe and H. Kramer's middlegame books. Mihail Marin's learn from the legends. Gufeld's chess strategy. Many more on Kindle. List goes on. Several opening books.

All are beyond my level. What's your strategy? Do you try and read these kinds of books yourself?

I am really just guessing, but perhaps it would make sense to consider some of these books:

The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/

Silman's Complete Endgame Course

http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/theres-an-end-to-it-all

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708103149/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review594.pdf

Seirawan stuff:

http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner

http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf

https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf

50 Essential Chess Lessons by Steve Giddins
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708100833/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review534.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/50_Essential_Chess_Lessons.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

Understanding Chess Middlegames by GM John Nunn

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627012322/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen154.pdf

http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Understanding_Chess_Middlegames.pdf

Attacking Chess for Club Players by Herman Grooten
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9032.pdf
Chess for Hawks
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9041.pdf
The Chess Attacker’s Handbook
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/The_Chess_Attacker's_Handbook.pdf

Chess Strategy: Move by Move by Adam Hunt
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093249/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review890.pdf
How to Reassess Your Chess (4th ed.) by Jeremy Silman
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095832/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review769.pdf

The Power of Pawns by GM Jörg Hickl (2016)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/the-power-of-pawns/
https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/9034.pdf

Whenever practical, use available online samples to get an idea about whether or not a book is right for you.

https://youtu.be/UIyGzFkyEcc try out my videos

@kindaspongey , this is the funniest comment I have seen today. OP is frustrated with too much books and you are trying to sell your books with your typical links.

Read chess books that are appropriate for your knowledge and skill level....

Most chess books recommended by titled players are written for titled players - those who have mastered the fundamentals and have achieved an advanced knowledge and skill level.  These books are typically inappropriate for lower level amateur players who are still trying to learn and master the basic fundamentals.....thus....

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

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

I tried (perhaps unsuccessfully) to identify books that might not seem as inappropriate as "Ivan Sokolov's Middlegame booksk which came out recently, Max Euwe and H. Kramer's middlegame books. Mihail Marin's learn from the legends. Gufeld's chess strategy". I am not trying to sell anything.

Some of my favorite books in my chess library are:

Breyer's System by Nimzovich

Complicated Chess by Stean

Rook Power In Chess by Kmoch

Think Like An International Master (because we all know you're not going to become a grandmaster) by Kotov

Chess for Seagulls by Lakdawala

How to beat your goldfish at chess by Chandler

Out of date Chess Openings by Griffith and Korn

Noted. Perhaps I should be looking into some of these books.

I am unable to suggest specific opening books without knowing more about your interests, but here are some thoughts that sound sensible to me:

"... Once you identify an opening you really like and wish to learn in more depth, then should you pick up a book on a particular opening or variation. Start with ones that explain the opening variations and are not just meant for advanced players. ..." - Dan Heisman (2001)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140626180930/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman06.pdf

"... For new players, I cannot recommend books that use [an encyclopedic] type of presentation [of opening theory], because the explanatory prose that elaborates typical plans and ideas is usually absent, thus leaving the student without any clear idea why certain moves are played or even preferred over other apparently equivalent moves. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)
"... For inexperienced players, I think the model that bases opening discussions on more or less complete games that are fully annotated, though with a main focus on the opening and early middlegame, is the ideal. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)

"... I feel that the main reasons to buy an opening book are to give a good overview of the opening, and to explain general plans and ideas. ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)
"... If the book contains illustrative games, it is worth playing these over first ..." - GM John Nunn (2006)

"... Overall, I would advise most players to stick to a fairly limited range of openings, and not to worry about learning too much by heart. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)
"... the average player only needs to know a limited amount about the openings he plays. Providing he understands the main aims of the opening, a few typical plans and a handful of basic variations, that is enough. ..." - FM Steve Giddins (2008)

"... Everyman Chess has started a new series aimed at those who want to understand the basics of an opening, i.e., the not-yet-so-strong players. ... I imagine [there] will be a long series based on the premise of bringing the basic ideas of an opening to the reader through plenty of introductory text, game annotations, hints, plans and much more. ..." - FM Carsten Hansen (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627055734/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen38.pdf
"The way I suggest you study this book is to play through the main games once, relatively quickly, and then start playing the variation in actual games. Playing an opening in real games is of vital importance - without this kind of live practice it is impossible to get a 'feel' for the kind of game it leads to. There is time enough later for involvement with the details, after playing your games it is good to look up the line." - GM Nigel Davies (2005)

"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

The change happens only at the 45th book.  That's when you get the 10k hours required to be an expert on what you're reading wrong.

I know a guy that has a whole wall of books and doesn't get any better because he is overwhelmed by the information.  The result is that the books just gather dust and he stagnates.

When I was starting out, I had two books: Chess Strategy and Tactics and The Complete Chess Course.  I wore those books out I read them so many times.  Later, I got My 60 Memorable Games--and wore out about 7 copies of that book.  The two I go to most now are The Giants of Power Play and The Giants of Strategy, both by Neil McDonald.  I read them both before a tourney and I find I don't worry about the openings and just play for getting play.  Oh, and Chess Tactics For Advanced Players by Yuri Averbach is another great one to read.  There's a lot of that book that doesn't require a chess board, and it helps with openings, middle games, and endings.

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708234237/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review548.pdf

Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1949)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf

Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf

Chess Tactics for Students by John A. Bain

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708095447/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review318.pdf

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fe49893fc0b0c9ddde67/1486224972320/completechesscoursexcerpt.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708234047/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review684.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708112104/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review711.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708110628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review675.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101931/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/sgc.txt

So which should I buy next:

Either

Most Instructive games ever played

or

50 Essential Chess lessons