Indian River County Chess Club

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  Books and DVDs/Software
 
     The following are reviews of chess books, DVDs, software and other instructional materials you may find of interest. All club members are invited to submit reviews for publication and/or to add their comments to existing reviews.


Books

      Our library has a large collection of chess books. They are kept in section 794 on the second  floor of the Main Library in Vero Beach and near the computer area of the Sebastian library. The following 12 books are on many recommended lists for developing chess players.  This section is followed by a review of the book we use as a teaching guide in Sebastian and the main book we use in our Endgame course.

Stage 1 - Beginners
 
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess – Wolff.  Bad title for good first book. We prefer the Polgar book reviewed below that we use as a teaching guide in Sebastian.
 
Chess Tactics for Students (10th anniversary edition) – John Bain. NM Dan Hiesman states "In the new edition, problem 180, it is White to move 2) In problem 255 White's King is on h1, not h2!". 
 
Stage 2 - Advanced beginners and intermediates

Logical Chess: Move By Move: Every Move Explained New Algebraic Edition by Irving Chernev. The classic and highly recommended.
 
Pandolfini's Endgame Course: Basic Endgame Concepts Explained  by Bruce Pandolfini. The area of the game that is easiest to master and hard to figure out by oneself. You rarely need a chess board when reading this book.
 
My System: 21st Century Edition by Aron Nimzowitsch. You get a lot for a little effort.
 
Combination Challenge by Lou Hays, John Hall. You need to master tactics 
 
Stage 3 - Advanced club players
 
How to Reassess Your Chess: The Complete Chess-Mastery Course
by Jeremy Silman. You will learn what to think about after (and during) the opening when you can’t attack the king or figure what to do.
 
Pawn Structure Chess by ANDREW SOLTIS. Everything depends on the terrain (pawn structure). Changing pawn structures are serious points in the game.
 

Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic. Fun and profitable. Building on what you almost figured out.

 

The Inner Game of Chess : How to Calculate and Win – Andrew Soltis The hardest skill to acquire can be yours.

 

My Best Games of Chess, 1908 - 1937 by Alexander Alekhine
Apply your new knowledge and build you thought processes.


DVORETSKY'S ENDGAME MANUAL by Mark Dvoretsky. A very tough book to master but you have to if you intend to become an expert.

 

Our teaching guide book used in Sebastian

 

A World Champion’s Guide to Chess: Step-by-Step Instructions for Winning Chess The Polgar Way, by Susan Polgar and Paul Truong. A clearly presented and logically organized introduction to the game, designed for beginners. The book includes hundreds of highly instructive exercises on basic chess tactics and pattern recognition. We use the ideas from the book extensively in our Sebastian classes. A follow-up book by the same authors, Chess Tactics for Champions, is intended for intermediate players (reviewed by Humberto Cruz).

 
Our teaching guidebook for our endgame course
 
Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master by Jeremy Silman. A new book that is breaks the material up into sections you need to master at your level of expertise. It is designed to give you the maximum learning in the least time. If you are not rated over 2000 this is the book to own (reviewed by Jack Norris)
 

DVDs/Software

 
Fritz 10 has just been released – about $50. It is the best program for playing against the computer or for learning chess. A must for serious players. Replaying your games is the fastest way to learn. Program documentation is weak.

 

Susan Polgar's "Winning Chess the Easy Way" is great for advanced beginners and intermediates. It is our main teaching tool used in Vero Beach. It shows games and positions and uses a development lesson plan to teach the concepts of the game. Understanding concepts is the key to understanding chess and will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the game.