How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances

I'd been playing chess off and on since the Fischer craze in 1972, and didn't have anywhere near an understanding of chess until I read Silman's "How to Reassess Your Chess." This book should be in every chess player's library. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and the concepts will alter the way one thinks about chess play.

Awesome is the first thing that comes to my mind when I read this book. From the first chapter on "opposition" I was learning new things. Here's a few things that I'd like to share/advise about this book:1) Read this early in your chess career. You'll avoid learning bad habits that will be tough to change, and you'll be in a much better position to understand and learn when studying Grandmaster games.2) Take the time required to do the work. This is not a "sit down and read it" book. This is a "Study, work on a excercise, study some more, apply what you learned to analyzing a Grandmaster game, and continue studying" sort of book. If it takes 3 or 4 months (or even a year) to get through it that's fine. 3) When Silman says "Come back in 6 months and re-read this book" you should do it. What you didn't catch the first time through you will the 2nd time.4) Read "The Amature Mind" AFTER you finish this book. Silman's other book "The Amature Mind" assumes that you already understand the points he's taught in "How to reassess your chess"5) After you've read this book get a collection of chess games by some grandmaster and analyze those games using what you've learned from this book. 6) Once you've done that get the Reassess your chess workbook and work through that. By the time you've followed these steps your chess game will have dramatically improved. So get out your notebook, sharpen your pencil, get ready to sit down and do some real studying and work. But when you do you'll be amazed at how much you've improved as a chess player. Moreover, you'll have the skills to continue to improve rather than being handcuffed by bad habits.

This is a great book. Author did a fantastic job in explaining chess, strategy. It's cntains very important materials and easy to read. I have gained 300 points after reading this book myself! This is a MUST HAVE book that you just have to read!

Silman goes through many instructive examples which illustrate particular themes such as: good knight vs. bad bishop, isolated Q-pawn, space advantage, etc. Unlike other chess manuals such as My System by Nimzowitsch, Silman refrains from using lofty language. Instead, via simple and direct words, he conveys to the reader the essence of the position, and how to arrive at a proper evaluation. Definitely worthwhile reading for all chess lovers.