Post deleted by Mat Sklansky

[JohnG]

I would say up to roughly the 1800 level, only about 4 or 5 books are necessary so long as they are well chosen, (along with some tactics software and a good chess programme). Any more is probably a waste of time in terms of helping to improve.

All the books on openings are definitely a waste of time until someone is pretty advanced. Tactics and endgame are probably what's important for most to learn, along with a good general book like 'logical chess move by move'.

[Wolffink]

When I'm into something as a hobby, I enjoy reading books about it. You can't *do* it all the time--and the next best thing--and sometimes the *best* thing for me (if I was on semi tilt or just not 100%) is to read a fun or informative book on a subject or hobby I enjoy.

That's why I read the 2+2 magazine and cardplayer.com every month. I enjoy it. It's rare that an article will actually plug a leak in my game. But it's fun to me to read about poker. It's fun to me to read posts here. Like Ray Zee says, it's helpful to *think* about poker. There you go.

For chess books, I loved Timman's "Art of Analysis"; Fischer's "Sixty Memorable Games"; Bronstein's book on the Zurich 1953 tournament; Tal's "Life & Games of Mikhail Tal; and Keene's "Nimzovich, a Reappraisal". Some wonderful games in these books--almost magical!

Now are these *required* to make master level? No. Like someone said, a decent opening tome, a tactical encyclopedia, and a good endgame book will probably take you there. Combine that with a strong chess software program--and you're cooking with gas.

Now there are a ton of poker books. Most seem to repeat each other. Some don't. The books here at 2+2 usually are a step above the "Master XXXX Poker" books that explain the rankings of the hand and <yawn> preflop card selection. Many times I've read them in the bookstore's coffeeshop and didn't bother to buy them. The 2+2 books I re-read. You could, I believe, count all the *advanced* poker books non 2+2 on two hands. So although there's a ton of poker books out there, once you get past the beginner and ancedotal books, there's actually not a gamut of poker books out there once you're past knowing how to play the game really.

[Skipbidder]

There are more than 10 useful books dealing with the King's Gambit alone, and this (at least when I quit playing) wasn't even a popular opening.

Is it a con? Call it what you want, it's simply CASHING IN on the current fad that is being promoted to the masses. "If they are dumb enough to buy it, we're gonna sell it." It's all about bucks. Money is the only thing that matters. As long as the masses will continue to buy book after book after book, theyre going to keep coming out. By the way it cost roughly $4 to make a book that sells for $20 or $30.

[Skipbidder]

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By the way it cost roughly $4 to make a book that sells for $20 or $30.

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That's a really foolish thing to say.

[Crispy86]

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Hey, what are you doing here? Get back to the CCC!

<font color="blue">CCC = Computer Chess Club - a message board for chess programmers I created for a former employer and still administer.</font>

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Shh.... Don't tell them you found me here. :-P

Albert

[punter11235]

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However, you only actually need perhaps 10 of the very best books

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This is nonsense.

My opinion is that in general you can learn a lot of more about chess from books than you can about poker. Poker books , even the best ones havent impressed me much. Some chess books are simply brilliant (unfortunately for enligh readers some of the classics were never translated to enligh and you really need to learn some russian if you are serious about your chess). Maybe its because poker is more difficult to write about, maybe its because I am much better chess player than poker player...

Best wishes