learning chess

[Ally]

If your the red, then jump the black. Vice versa. obv.

[JackWilson]

[ QUOTE ]


To start out I'd reccomend the Winning Chess Series: Winning Chess Play, Winning Chess Tactics, Winning Chess Strategy, Winning Chess Brilliancies, and Winning Chess Endings.
http://www.amazon.com/Play-Winning-Chess...0623&sr=8-2

Yasser Seirawan did a great job with these books and they will take you to near or at intermediate level.


[/ QUOTE ]

I want to second this. Once you've learnt the rules and gotten some games down under your belt, it's imperative that you practise two things without stop: tactical vision and employing strategy. I don't think there's a better chess strategy primer than Yasser's book. It's not incredibly deep, but it teaches how to think.

[TheBigPicture]

This is a little nook and cranny tip. What a lot of people do not realize about chess is that although the Bishop is pointwise in a rated game worth the same amount as a knight, Knights are slightly more powerful because of their movement and fork capabilities. While this may seem like it makes the Bishop a less valuable piece, when correctly placed with a pawn backing it up, only a pawn and the enemy's bishop on the same color square can disrupt this combination. Otherwise your opponent will be forced to make a bad not worth his while trade for your bishop in order to clear out the bishop and pawn. If you can get a pawn deep near his king and queen squares, or even on the 5th or 6th square, and get the bishop and pawn situation setup, with no pawns in the files that are able to disrupt this combination it can be very powerful because of all the squares it attacks / protects against. Although this sounds like a minor tip, you would be surprised how frequently the situation occurs where you will be able to get this set up.

[paumd]

While everything said so far is good, I think the best way to get good is to find your local chess club and go. Having a strong player critique your games and tell you where you went wrong helped me the most. I agree that Chessmaster is great software for learning. I especially found the Josh Waitzkin analysis of his game to be awesome. Lastly, record your games and show them to a stronger player and run them through Chessmaster for evaluation.

[Phaedrus]

I was in the same position 3 years ago and I tried everything...

Best Books:
Logical Chess Move by Move by Chernev
Idiot's Guide to Chess by Wolfe (not the Dummies book!)
Amateur's Mind by Silman

Best Online Articles:
Novice Nook by Heisman (can be found at chesscafe.com, look in the archives for the early articles which are best)

Best Software:
CT-ART 3.0, tactical problems

Best Chess server:
playchess.com (buy one of the Fritz equivalent chess engines and it will come with a free year at playchess)

Chess news:
chessbase.com

Good Luck!

[Quicksilvre]

[ QUOTE ]
Idiot's Guide to Chess by Wolfe (not the Dummies book!)

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT, this book is excellent. Then read Yasser's books (especially Play Winning Chess and Winning Chess Tactics).

The Chess Tactics Server is another place you'll want to check out.

[g-bebe]

all these servers people are recommending are total crap

join up to the ICC, pay for an account (yes, it costs money), and play there. has the best support, most users and available games, tournaments, etc. etc. it is by far your best option in addition to reading books, gauranteed.

[Snafu'd]

[ QUOTE ]
If your the red, then jump the black. Vice versa. obv.

[/ QUOTE ]
I lol'd

[esad]

Actually I'd try http://www.chessworld.net. It cost like $24 a year, but it's a server where you play games with 2,5,7 or more days per move. For learning it's great because you can take the time and really look at your position since you usually have a few days to make a move.

If you want an invite send me a PM.

[JereLock]

So that's like... 3 months per game? tldr