Kyle, have you read Zurich 1953 yet?

Not yet! That might be a nice zwischenzug

I can't recommend it highly enough. I'm only halfway through, but it really does deserve all of the hype it gets. Plus, I think it would help you for several other reasons as well. Studying openings and acquiring knowledge is great, but chess is the ultimate activity for knowledge application. Playing through full games and seeing the seamless mix of openings to middlegames to endings will go a long way towards helping you integrate everything you're learning. Plus, the majority of the games are QGDs, KIDs, and Nimzos, which judging by your e4 questions aren't openings you see a lot, so it's bound to help your d4 knowledge as well.

Putting learning aside, Bronstein is just a phenomenal writer and the book couldn't be more entertaining. It's fantastic.

The Mastering Chess Openings series goes through entire games. I wouldn't use it if it didn't

I was planning on my next book being a game anthology for those exact reasons! I've done an opening book, a middlegame book, a thought process book, an attacking book. A nice, all-around game anthology felt like it'd be a lot of fun.

So Zurich is on it's way. I might do it concurrently with MasCO2, just because MasCO2 is something I know I'm going to have to get through eventually and I'd like to get it somewhat overwith.

Another upside to working through Zurich and MasCO2 at the same time is that as TexAg06 mentioned, most of the games in Zurich are d4 openings, so by going back and forth you'll have two different author's perspectives on a similar set of openings, which I could see generating some unique insights compared to doing just one or the other at once.

I'm currently working on the Dan Heisman "The Road to Chess Improvement - The Best of Novice Nook" - I could just read the column archives, but this is better because it's organized and summarized and rewritten -

I read something in there that really knocked me down - he pointed out you can add positives or remove negatives, and we do so much trying to add positives but rarely address the negatives - I'm now trying to focus on time management, piece safety, and piece activity in that order for the time being

RB

Kyle, might I suggest as an alternative to Zurich, Fischer's 60 Memorable games? It's a classic as well but because Bobby is an e4 player it better reinforces the book you just read. Also, you posted that you have been going over a lot of Fischer games so you'll probably already be familiar with many in the book and be well prepared to dive into his notes.

Maybe Zurich, since it has mostly d4 games according to Bob and Tex, could follow Watson part II.

That's on my radar too! Fischer's 60 Memorable Games and Kasparov's My Great Predecessors.

I sometimes wonder how anyone has time to actually play chess while they are trying to get better at it.

Kyle, I also forgot how much Ruy Lopez is in Zurich 1953. It's like this book was made for you

As far as My Great Predecessors from Kasparov, beware, it's REALLY deep and variation-rich. Lots of really in-depth analysis. I tried to tackle it, got scared, and went back to Zurich haha.

Everyone is different in their chess competency so it's hard to generalize.

After 20+ years of tournament chess, my OTB has fallen all the way to 2050 - a good 150 pt drop (!)...largely because in the past 10 or more years I've played only 1 or 2 (small) tourneys a year. I've fallen far away from being 'tournament tough'.

Having just gotten interested in chess again, and knowing my 'weakness' is calculation (many would not think so, but they are wrong...that's why I habitually drop 1/2 to 1 1/2 pts in the typical 5 round tournament these days - it's definitely NOT due to any lack of knowledge of the game) so I've gone back to the basics:

1. Combinations in Chess - Bondarevsky: Never worked thru it completely.
2. Excellence at Chess Calculation - Aagaard: Not a beginners book...but how many books really strive to teach you how to THINK and CALCULATE during a game? Precious few...and yet that is what you have to do on every single move.
3. Assorted books on tactics: with the idea of spotting tactical ideas and rationally calculating the sequences.

Think about it: computer programs can play awesome chess...3000 elo tactically....but they are maybe 1700 or less positionally. Tactics (and proper calculation) are for anyone interested in improving their game.

That and simply working on my thinking is what I need...it's 'work' for sure, unlike reading something and hoping to get something from it. That I've done for years and it what most people do. The secret to chess success is WORK at the important things. I've 'coasted' on my inate abilities for a decade now, time to WORK on the important stuff or do other things.

For pure chess enjoyment: The King by JH Donner. Awesome.

Reading My System now and am liking it so far...definitely learning a few things.

I have the 21st century edition so it has the newer way to notate moves. I will say that the language is VERY strange. The intro said that the translator wished to keep some German flavor in the language but a lot of it doesn't make sense...

Reading through this thread I purchased both of the M. Chandler books that were mentioned and created a database of the positions that are found in "How to beat your Dad". It ended up being 185 positions and I work through it on a regular basis to get my tactics down.

Just purchased RYC 4th edition and I think this book will be helpful for teaching me how to examine a position and come up with a plan.

1200ish rating so hopefully that goes up soon.

Not exactly a recommendation, but I have high hopes for Nunn's Understanding Chess Middlegames, as well as for Kasparov on Kasparov part I.

A book I loved when I was a kid was Chess for Tigers by Simon Webb and I still occasionally flick through it now, it's great for junior players so would be perfect if any of you are teaching your kids how to play, but it's by no means a book for beginners, it's presented in a really fun way and holds a lot of great memories for me.

I went from 1000-1800 ELO (1100-1900 USCF*) between the ages of 10-14 and I could keep coming back to this book and gain further understanding.

My Best Games of Chess by Laszlo Szabo is a real treasure trove from a very underrated player, his nerves weren't always the best in the final rounds of tournaments but he was a wonderfully attacking combatant who held his own in a very competitive era.

Bent Larsen's autobiographical collection of games is really good also but I forget its name, probably My Best Games or something similar, an excellent player and proves to be an engaging commentator also.

*i'm from the UK and back then you always added 100 to get your US rating, i haven't played a competitive game in well over 10 years so i don't know if that's still the norm

And flicking back through the thread I can't believe no-one has mentioned The Complete Chess Addict by Mike Fox and Richard James.

It's like a combination of a coffee table book of anecdotes and the Guinness Book of Records, really good fun and full of interesting facts and stories.

Pretty sure Chess for Tigers has been mentioned in some other thread here as well, seems like it's a fairly loved book. Got Kasparov on Kasparov part I now, seems awesome 200 pages in.

now i think about it that might have been me who mentioned it the last time i stumbled into this forum

Any opinions on Fundamental Chess Endings by Muller and Lamprecht?

Silman book on order...

I have over a dozen endgame books. FCE is arguably the best single volume reference out there. I heard John Watson say the same thing. Silmans book which I admit to spending only about an hour on, looks fine for what it is and explains some things really well (almost like he's talking to a youngster though...some people that helps) but it is not comprehensive.

FCE is one of the best chess books of any type imo.

I don't have that many on the endgame but I agree that FCE is probably all you need and its all in one book.

Encyclopedia of chess combinations from Informator: This will greatly increase your rating

Best benoni book Son of sorrow

What in the heck is a hotlink? I posted pics of the books to make it easier to find them. Enclyopedia of chess combinations middlegames has a few titles come up.

I have John Nunn's learn chess tactics ordered. (should arrive tomorrow ups )

The writing style seems like it should be easy to understand.

Nice choices. The Amateur's Mind is my favorite chess book on the basis that I learned the most from it.