h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Ultimate Chess Learning List - A697755
Author: Stavro Meuller Beta - U189965

any place for this?

One concern about this might be about the list being up-to-date. However, some of these might be classic books, I don't know. Are the books available on both sides of the Atlantic?


You might consider putting them into a graduated list. I suspect someone thinking of taking up chess is not likely to buy them all! I recently bought a couple of books for my six year old.

As edited entries are supposed to be in the third person, you'll need to take out the first person references.

You will also need to either explain GM or write it out in full. Not everyone will know it means 'grandmaster'.

of course the best way to learn chess is to play it.

there is a nice, free, online chess (and other games) community over at http://www.itsyourturn.com/ which might be worth linking to.

What is the difference between all those books? Why did you choose this one over another?

And what about putting the list into a table, so the O's and M's would have a spot and the prices would have a spot, etc etc? (Would that be a job for a sub?)

It's a good idea; chess is fun, but only if you don't constantly lose!

~Shee

I would love to see it in a table, but I'm not totally computer literate; I'm proud to have mad a posting at all.

I chose the books, like I said, to provide a good introduction of the use of basic principles, learning how to finish a game successfully, learning enough opening material to get into a passable middlegame, and how to be aware of tactical motifs; then delving into advanced positional principles and concepts and their applications; and finally developing a robust opening and endgame repritoire.

Hello Stavro!

The entry has improved. I'm assuming that you're not using GuideML for the entry, so it will be difficult for you to put the books into a table.

What you can do, however, is to add the link to the entry. You do this by copying the link. To do this, place the cursor over the end of the link, left click and pull the mouse until you have covered the link. Then type control and 'C' together. Come back to edit your entry, place the cursor where you want to paste the link and click Control and 'V' together.

There are a couple of typos you should fix as well.

Good luck.

This list doesn't cover some of the basic books that are designed to get kids into the game initally. Also doesn't mention any of the ways to locate a good local club that is by far the best way to learn. And as for the every changing theory of the game there is no ref to the journals that update the trends and current thoughts on openings.

On top of all this it is a opinionated list and I have only 1 of the books mentioned in by library of over 40 chess books, and I haven't done too bad in learning the game.

Hi UDD!

How would you suggest that this entry can be improved?

I know a couple of the books on the list (the Nimzovich and Reti ones); Nunn I know had a lot to say at one time.

Well instead of listing someone's library of books a break down of the various forms of infomation that are out there, such as teaching manuals, opening theory, books of great games etc.

Although some of the great masters teaching books such as Akaline's are still good as they concentrate on strategy rather than opening.

Gosh, Alekhine! That takes me back!

Gosh, Alekhine! That takes me back!

BTW, was it Nimzovich who broke his leg once playing chess, when he absentmindedly stood up, having wrapped his leg round a table leg?

Actually, Stavro, I think UDD has a good point here, suggesting that the entry is remodelled to take into account of the different ways of beginning and improving your chess game. What you you think?

yes I believe it was was Nimzo, just think he was glad he never played a marauding indian.

Actually one of the ways I first learnt about Chess was a TV porgramme here in the UK hosted by GM Bill Hartson called 'Play Chess' it a shame these programmes no longer exist in the UK when we actually encouraged kids to do something else other than sit in front of a screen of some kind.

Hey Stavro--as has been mentioned before, if you fixed the typos, the entry would be helped. I'm not really qualified to comment on anything else, because I've never learned chess from books, and really am not all that great a player anyways.... Also, I've left you a message at your Personal Space that you might want to check out.

WOW!

Thank you all so much for your input. I just whipped off this list initially because I didn't realize what controversy and iinterest there would be.

I will:
-revamp the entry to the best of my limited technical capapilities, using GuideML
-fix all the typos
-give tips on how to pick up the game at all, and list some excelleent beginning-beginner books
-explain the different areas of chess theory and the categorization of books
-add several other books in every area (though I will still suggest these ten books as the best representatives from each category in the end)
-explain how to start getting involved in playing to put what your reading to practice (the single best learning tool) via local clubs, correspondence clubs, etc.

I haven't kept up on this conversation, haven't even visited h2g2 for five days or so, but I'll try to get to work on this. Look for it in the next week-and-a-half or so.

Hey UDD (or anyone else, too), what books have you found especially good in your library adn would recommend?

(Please excuse my multitudes of posts... I was fighting with the computer again. *sigh*)