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Date: 18 Aug 2008 14:55:01
From: John Salerno
Subject: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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Would you recommend this book for someone like me, who is still learning the
basics? It sounds good since it mixes a bunch of different types of
problems, but it also sounds like it might be too difficult for me since it
doesn't offer much guidance.
Right now I'm finding Logical Chess very fascintating, because it *does*
offer guidance for every single move. Each game almost reads like a story,
and I have to admit I get unreasonably excited as I read through each game.
:)
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 07:27:41
From: Pit Wegener
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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John Salerno schrieb:
> Would you recommend this book for someone like me, who is still learning the
> basics? It sounds good since it mixes a bunch of different types of
> problems, but it also sounds like it might be too difficult for me since it
> doesn't offer much guidance.
>
>
I strongly recommend Ray Cheng's 600 diagrams.
A very good book for club players!
PW
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Date: 18 Aug 2008 15:47:28
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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On Aug 18, 12:55=A0pm, "John Salerno" <[email protected] > wrote:
> Would you recommend this book for someone like me, who is still learning =
the
> basics?
Read my review on Amazon (among other reviews). This is a super-good
book but I think it's not the thing for a real beginner. If you are
say USCF 1200 or higher you can benefit. Study the positions
carefully. Use a coach or computer as a supplement for the inevitable
things you won't understand from the few lines of explanation in the
solution text.
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Date: 20 Aug 2008 08:59:22
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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> Is there some way to figure out a rating like this without actually playing
> in tournaments and things? Is there a general way to know where you might
> rank? I have ChessMaster (PC). Would that be a decent gauge of how I play? I
> haven't started the ranked games yet, though. I still play the training
> mode.
The book "Chess Exam" will give you a sort of idea of ratings and
strengths/weaknesses that are at least helpful in pointing out areas
for improvement, and it's a fun book to work through as well.
But I echo what everyone says: the only way to really know your rating
is to play in a number of tournaments and actually get rated. And,
your rating will be relatively unreliable until you've played a number
of rated games. The number commonly given is 25 but it seems to me
that 50 is more like it.
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 08:24:07
From: SBD
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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On Aug 19, 9:36 am, "John Salerno" <[email protected] > wrote:
> <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
> If you are
> say USCF 1200 or higher you can benefit.
You're smart enough to benefit.
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 08:23:24
From: SBD
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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On Aug 19, 9:36 am, "John Salerno" <[email protected] > wrote:
>
> Is there some way to figure out a rating like this without actually playing
> in tournaments and things? Is there a general way to know where you might
> rank? I have ChessMaster (PC). Would that be a decent gauge of how I play? I
> haven't started the ranked games yet, though. I still play the training
> mode.
I would say you really can't. You can get some rough measure of skill
and ability, but nothing substitutes for being in a tournament, clock
ticking, etc.
And it is too early for you to start being rating-obsessed, the killer
of many a "nearly an IM."
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 12:35:21
From: John Salerno
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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"SBD" <[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I would say you really can't. You can get some rough measure of skill
> and ability, but nothing substitutes for being in a tournament, clock
> ticking, etc.
>
> And it is too early for you to start being rating-obsessed, the killer
> of many a "nearly an IM."
Yeah, I'm not really interested in winning tournaments and stuff. Eventually
it'd be nice to have an idea of how I compare (as a measure of how much I've
learned) but for now I'm content playing for knowledge and fun.
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 10:36:43
From: John Salerno
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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<[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
If you are
say USCF 1200 or higher you can benefit.
Is there some way to figure out a rating like this without actually playing
in tournaments and things? Is there a general way to know where you might
rank? I have ChessMaster (PC). Would that be a decent gauge of how I play? I
haven't started the ranked games yet, though. I still play the training
mode.
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 07:04:48
From: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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On Aug 19, 7:21=A0am, "John Salerno" <[email protected] > wrote:
>
> Read my review on Amazon (among other reviews). =A0This is a super-good
> I read a few (which is what prompted my question), but which is yours?
The MrFred one.
The book seemed to have gotten good reviews from nearly everyone
around, and Amazon is selling it at a very attractive price --- and a
used copy is an even better deal. For about $15 including shipping
you get a lot for your money. It's sure a better investment (for the
general chess player) than a $25 book on an obscure opening line.
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Date: 19 Aug 2008 09:21:37
From: John Salerno
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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<[email protected] > wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
On Aug 18, 12:55 pm, "John Salerno" <[email protected] > wrote:
> Would you recommend this book for someone like me, who is still learning
> the
> basics?
Read my review on Amazon (among other reviews). This is a super-good
book but I think it's not the thing for a real beginner. If you are
say USCF 1200 or higher you can benefit. Study the positions
carefully. Use a coach or computer as a supplement for the inevitable
things you won't understand from the few lines of explanation in the
solution text.
I read a few (which is what prompted my question), but which is yours?
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Date: 18 Aug 2008 16:37:52
From: help bot
Subject: Re: Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy
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[email protected] wrote:
> Read my review on Amazon (among other reviews). This is a super-good
> book but I think it's not the thing for a real beginner. If you are
> say USCF 1200 or higher you can benefit. Study the positions
> carefully. Use a coach or computer as a supplement for the inevitable
> things you won't understand from the few lines of explanation in the
> solution text.
This brings up a good point: while books are
relatively cheap, they often cannot answer
specific questions, such as "why not this
move" or "why is it okay to grab material here,
but /there/ I was told I had to develop my
pieces and not go hunting for pawns".
A coach (or any human player, really) can
answer specific questions that may arise,
while a computer can do something similar
by showing tactical refutations to various
tries, although this can often get murky.
One trap that weak players often fall into is
playing (only) each other, thereby repeating
mistakes which neither of them realize exist.
By playing someone stronger, you can learn
much more quickly-- especially if they take
the time to explain what you did wrong
afterward, as in a post mortem.
The local tourneys I've been playing in
lately do not allow much (if any) time for
this sort of thing, the rounds being tightly
scheduled, back to back. I think this does
a disservice to the weaker players, who not
only lose, but often aren't able to compre-
hend exactly why they lost. In the old days,
many tournaments were played at a much
slower pace, leaving adequate time in
between rounds for the winners to gloat--
I mean to explain how they won, and tutor
their victims free of charge.
I seriously wonder if reading old-fashioned
chess books is not on the way out, soon to
be replaced by interactive videos on DVD,
where material already mastered can be
quickly determined, and new materials fed
to the student at an optimal pace, based
on built-in feedback or testing. In any case,
the perennial problem of the "diagram error"
would be eliminated, once and for all.
-- help bot
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