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Title: The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery by Jeremy Silman ISBN: 1-890085-02-2 Publisher: Siles Press Pub. Date: July, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.49 (45 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Start here after you stop making major blunders.
Comment: I play at a local chess club where we play rated slow games. Generally 40 moves in 90 minutes followed by 30 minutes to complete the game. We play one game a week. Before I picked up this book I was rated 1450 and I had just lost soundly to a player rated 1650. As I read the book over a three week period I drew a 1850, 1780 and beat a 1720. I started breaking down the positions during the matches, playing with purpose and developing a plan around the imbalances. If you are still leaving pieces en prise (see Silman's web site for a definition) you are not ready for this book. Basic tactics first and then check out this book. By the way you need a chess set to work out the details of each of IM Silman's examples or you will get nothing from this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: Excellent Book Excellent Explanations
Comment: Per other readers' recommendations I read this book before reading How to Reassess Your Chess, which is also a great book. In the beginning of this book Mr. Silman, describes how chess players grow in strength as they gain experience. His characterization is correct as far as my development has gone. I am not a really strong player, I play most of my games against ChessMaster 8000 and 9000. When I got Amateur Mind my Chessmaster rating was around 1100 and I wasn't getting any better. Now a couple of months later, it is between 1500 and 1600 and I can randomly beat the 1800+ personalities. I think that is a tremendous advance in a very sort time. I attribute that advance to Mr. Silman's books. Thanks to this book I know what I have to work on so I can continue to grow.
Why do I think this book has helped me so greatly? This book covers several imbalances (situations) that arise in chess, for example, common pawn groupings, open files and diagonals, piece positioning, initiative, development, and more. Mr. Silman explains, using excellent prose, how to recognize these themes over the board, then recommends ways or rules you can use to take advantage of your advantages and your opponents weaknesses. Amateur's Mind uses Mr. Silman's past students to explain chess positions with respect to his imbalances theory. Their explanations reinforce the concepts. Then they play through the positions and explain their thought processes as they play. Their mistakes are so similar to those I make and the ones explained in other books (like digressing or not following a plan). For example; suppose I need to do two things to win, post a night on b6 and lock in an enemy knight. Then I notice an enemy pawn hanging. A common mistake exemplified in The Amateur's Mind, is to win the pawn and delay winning the game.
Now, I use these people's experience to guide me in my games. There is one more good part of this book. Mr. Silman claims that all strong masters make mistakes. Based on that fact he theorizes that it is possible for a good player to win against a stronger player. One of the last examples in his book demonstrates this fact. It was a game between a master and a candidate master. The game and its analysis is very motivational. Once again, I see this example played out in my games. I make a mistake, realize it, I know I'll loose because of it, and the better (human) player makes a mistake or overlooks mine.
Based on the reasons I've given here and many, many more, I credit Mr. Silman's books, especially "The Amateur's Mind" with the sudden and dramatic 500 - 600 point increase in my playing strength. Even though the rating is not valid I believe the point increase is. I think a player can significantly increase his playing strength by reading this book and concentrating on a topic during games. I even think players much stronger than myself will benefit from this book and Mr. Silman's methods.
Rating: 5
Summary: Many people prefer Amateur's Mind because..
Comment: Many people prefer Amateur's Mind because it's more easy than How to Reassess Your Chess. And I should mention that Silman's student are very good in analyze !!!
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Title: How to Reassess Your Chess: The Complete Chess-Mastery Course by Jeremy Silman ISBN: 1890085006 Publisher: Siles Press Pub. Date: April, 1997 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: The Reassess Your Chess Workbook by Jeremy Silman, International Master Silman Jeremy ISBN: 1890085057 Publisher: SCB International Pub. Date: May, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition by Irving Chernev ISBN: 0713484640 Publisher: Batsford Pub. Date: 30 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: Ideas Behind the Chess Openings : Algebraic Edition by Reuben Fine ISBN: 0812917561 Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games Pub. Date: 22 August, 1990 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Art of Attack: Rev. Algebraic Ed. by Vladimir Vukovic ISBN: 1857444000 Publisher: Everyman Chess Pub. Date: 01 January, 1999 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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