It's kind of odd, books grandly titled "Think Like A Grandmaster" or "Beginner to Grandmaster in 10 Easy Lessons" (okay I made that one up) really don't explain how to play chess, yet the innoculously titled "How To Reassess Your Chess" does. I must have read close to 50 chess books and this one was definitely the most helpful. Before studying this book my chess technique was like most neophytes; wrack your brains to come up with clever ways of checkmating the king, or maybe trying to trap the Queen. (ah, what charmingly naive days!) How To Reassess Your Chess however is the single best guide to strategic thought I've read, and that's including My System by Aron Nimzovitch. Most newcomers to chess play subjectively, with no real grasp of planning. After reading and absorbing this book, you will discover how to play logically and objectively. And that's the whole point; chess although having plenty of scope for individual playing style, is really a game of logic in the end. And surprisingly, this book isn't hard to grasp at all. If you're scared of arcane terminonolgy, or fear that chess understanding is like understanding intergate calculus, don't be. It's all very easy to understand and written in a relaxed, almost friendly style. It's really beyond the scope a review to explain what's in the book but suffice to say that you must try to make an imbalance in the game, something to work in your favour. There's much more to chess than simply attacking the king. This book explains it.



I don't think that this is the *only* chess book you'll need though, it's essentially a guide to strategic thought, nothing more. It doesn't cover tactics, or endgame play. But if you've ever found yourself floundering in the middlegame because you couldn't find a plan, How To Reassess Your Chess will be of great help. I have not read Silmans later books, so I can't say if they're better, but I certainly found this book very helpful and give it 5 stars. Now that doesn't mean that you will automatically become a master after reading this book, but if you absorb it you will certainly have a better undertanding of chess.



*edit* as for some reviewers complaints like "Oooh but he doesn't explain attacking and defending 40+ moves into the position!", well you can only fit so much into 400 pages or so. The book is about *planning* in chess. There is a comprehensive list of further reading at the end of the book, including tactics. And furthermore it's positional understanding, not the ability to calculate that seperates strong from weak players.