The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery

I was a little apprehensive to start this book, simply based on the title. I've read a few other chess books and consider myself above "beginner" (not sure of my exact rating, maybe 1200-1300). But now that I've started it I've found it to be an incredible read. The book is broken into chapters which are based on various chess concepts (Bishop vs. Knight imbalance for example). Silman presents a situation (sometimes from a real game, sometimes just made up) and then allows multiple of his students (of various ratings 900-2000) to play as one side while he plays the other. The students reveal their assessment of the initial situation and their reason for each move thereafter. All the while Silman (speaking to the reader but not to the student playing) judges their reasoning and points out where they missed something important or misconception that misguided them. He lets them play out the situation until they reach their point of ruin or success. Silman's assessments are succinct and well thought out. I've read a few books recently that were too dumbed down and slow, but "Amateur's Mind" for whatever reason never bored me or seemed dull or simplistically written. I have found this style to extremely useful for grasping some of these concepts and I find this book already positively affecting my chess game (and I'm only on page 100). FYI: I found a chess board to be necessary for following along in this book. There will be a diagram for the starting position but there will then be 10-15 moves that follow, sometimes without any other additional diagrams. I recently bought a mini magnetic chess set that I really recommend: http://amzn.com/B0019F3DN6.

I have been a casual player for 25 years, always carrying a constant yearning to improve. Every year or two I would buy a chess book and begin to read, but eventually put it up on the shelf essentially unread... until now. This text is excellent, by any standard. Great writing... witty, thoughtful, organized, smart. Great graphics/book quality. Crystal clear and concise presentation of chess content. Silman has a gift in writing! Truly a joy to read and feel yourself improving at chess. I greatly anticipate reading "How to Reassess your Chess (4th)" next. There's something about Silman that enables me to "stay" with him that I have not experienced with any other chess author. I had seen this book at the stores for years, but was put off a bit by the title, figuring it was out-of-my-league. NOT true...I was able to follow and retain all the material and concepts fairly easily. I regret not buying this book years ago! Get yourself some chess software (recommend Arena 3.0 (free) or Fritz 13), work through this book, and watch your game and online rankings improve. Mr. Silman, I truly hope you are making a bundle on these books! You must have poured years of tireless effort into writing them. It shows! Thanks! BTW, you are certainly NOT condescending, arrogant, etc.

After just a few hours with this book, I have totally fallen in love with this book! Whats so cool about this book, is that unlike the typical annotation- Wise "positional" chess doesn't just fall out of the book, it is compared and contrasted to my normal reactive, aimless game. In this book, you don't just "read chess", you "play it"! the concept is unbelieveably good. Now some caveats... First I have had the book for a total of 3-4 study hours. I did however skim through the entire books (well, except for the exercises in the back). Many of the other reviewers do make a minor good point about how sometimes the winning plans aren't laid out well enough, and the book seems a little less organized. Also VERY distinct is that this advice on chess is Quite specific to planning for middlegame imbalances. Tactical shots are of a very small consequence in the Silman technique. This lack on focus on tactics might explain a rather interesting observation. I noticed that throughout the book, ELO score was a very bad indicator of how praised or not the "amateur" was. Indeed the highest praised amatuer in the book had a (rel) weak score of 1400- and another amateur that seemed to really start to understand silman's technique was at a lowly 1000. No doubt they are they, because of tactical weakness (or mental toughness- as silman talks about in the expanded 2nd version). now about the famed, caustic criticism of some of these amatuers. having skimmed the entire book, I simply don't see where silman harshly razed There game. I mean is Silman NOT allowed to fully lay out the real flaws of low rated, reactive and listless play??? On the Contrary, THATs the very BEST part of this book, and one of the very best ideas I ever saw laid out in a chess books!! Other people have called him egotistical or claim that showing games of him against low rated students lacks class. *&*&(&*(&*!! I don't get people! Silman showed himself losing to a 1400. that seems humble to me. also games of masters playing old and obscure openings and incredibly positional, defensive chess simply doesn't describe where we are.. Let silman play his own game and give insight as a better way to play chess (and maybe even learn how to beat the 99% of other aimless, tactics-only chess players.) --------------------- In short, I think this is food for a starving chess players, and answers for a chess player that doesn't seem to get a lot of answers out of the books that claim to explain positional chess. I also think these are insights that will lift my game into new directions- and out of cheap shots and traps. I think the idea is 20 out of 5, but the organization/and implementation will make me work a little bit...

I wanted to write my first product review on Amazon for this book because I think I may have a slightly different perspective on its value than a lot of the reviewers on here. I don't have a USCF rating, but I do play against HIARCS regularly and it seems to classify me somewhere in the neighborhood of 1150. I think this is an important point to note, because this puts me firmly below the rating level most people suggest you attain before starting on Silman's books (Coach Dan Heisman, for instance, recommends waiting until you reach 1400 before tackling The Amateur's Mind, and 1600 before the "big guns" of How to Reassess Your Chess). The reason for this suggestion is generally given to be a need for low-level players to focus on tactics until they are blue in the face, because all of the positional theory in the world won't help you if you miss a nasty knight fork and lose huge amounts of material. As someone who has blundered away more than a few games, I certainly understand their point. With that said, I really believe that a player at my level will benefit tremendously from studying this book. I've noticed a marked increase in my board vision and goal-setting since starting to work through The Amateur's Mind, these are concepts that seem to be thought of as "intangibles" in the realm of casual chess play. Perhaps I still make mistakes frequently, but the mistakes I make are now (generally) oversight errors rather than hopeless tactical fishing... this is the sort of thing that will correct itself with experience and focus. In other words, now when I blunder away a game it is within the context of having a plan that is less effective than that of my opponent! Although I haven't seen the huge increase in rating points that many people claim to realize after digesting this book, I do think that it is only a matter of time and practice before this happens for me, too. I now see the reasons for many opponent moves that once seemed mysterious, and find myself better able to understand why I lost when it happens. I also have a handful of over-the-board nemeses who beat me frequently by the use of their superior tactical skill, but as I watch them play now I am beginning to identify their own strategic failings. While steadily improving my tactical abilities would doubtlessly lead me toward standing toe-to-toe with my usual opponents, an equal amount of tactical improvement combined with stronger positional awareness must result in my being able to not just compete, but win. Perhaps this is not the most commonly prescribed method for improving one's play, but I think that there is a clear delineation between chess players who win by tactics and bravado (not that these are mutually exclusive) and chess players who, nonplussed by their swashbuckling foe, leave him badly beaten and somewhat confused as to where it was he went wrong. I work on tactics problems daily and I don't want to be misunderstood: at a low level of skill, tactics are clearly the area of playing chess that deserves the most time and effort. However, as someone who doesn't take lessons and largely learns by self-directed study, I think The Amateur's Mind challenges the developing player to become aware of the concept of strategy; before reading the reviews of this and Reassess, I was hardly aware of the distinction between the two! After purchasing TAM and working through a couple of chapters, I can say I finally realize what I had long believed but not understood: chess is not a game of single position / solve for x puzzles played in sequence until someone loses, a game of chess develops organically around two people seeking to impose their will on each other. That's a big shift in mindset, and I would be willing to bet it's an extremely valuable one!

On page 50, the book reads, "Notice that when reality hit him he began to blame the position. His problem is that he wants instant gratification. Trying to make use of one's advantages in a slow, controlled manner is an alien concept to him. He only speaks of kingside attacks and mates. At this point I stopped the game in disgust." Wow! If this means that Silman expressed disgust in a way visible to the student, this becomes a learning tool for teachers on any subject: bad news, a gesture which does not help make progress. Also, Silman's psychological analysis is lame. First, we do not even know the age of this student, who was probably a "little kid." But, should we refuse to read this book? No. There are plenty of college professors who have similar emotional issues and would result in them also expressing disgust. Or, how about your boss? There also exist bosses who might illegitimately express disgust at your work even though you may feel that you did your best given the complexities of your job. The only difference is that a college professor would never put it down on paper; a college professor is a little more world savy. So, Silman's unfiltered writing tells us something about our world. As a parent, you need to know about this world, and choose teachers who will not embroil your children in unnecessary emotional turmoil. But, what about learning chess? How is the book on that topic? I have never had a chess coach. Keep in mind that some authors think that having a chess coach is an important ingredient. In fact, reading through a book on Amazon recently, one author added, "you have a tennis coach, don't you? Why not a chess coach?" At my level, I figure I don't need a chess coach right now. I currently have a United States Chess Federation rating of 1400. But, to the answer: for me, yes, because attempting to understand the salient points of a chess position is difficult. So, the more examples I see, the more examples I am walked through, the better. So, on page 68 it reads, "However, if White had noted Black's sole weakness on d6, he might have hit upon a plan that called for an immediate attack on this target by Rd1, b3, and Ba3. More fuel can be added to this fire by Ng5 and, after the trade of light-squared Bishops, Nge4." Now, some reviewers might disagree with this analysis, or be concerned that a young child might in some way be mislead. I cannot comment on this because I am an adult. For me, as an adult, I appreciate the ideas being presented. I already understand that an idea by itself is not enough (obviously the idea fits into other ideas, other contexts, and other aspects of the position, such as tactics). But, I definitely like to see what ideas are being tossed out there which I then can consider and judge. This is not to say that no other books discuss such topics, for they do (taking into account that different authors give different views and emphasis into the problem domain). Sometimes reading two different books on a similar topic can be helpful when the two authors, taken together as a whole, cover the information more completely. In short, I write this review for adults. There are some very negative reviews on this book which might give an adult pause. I guess this book is popular based upon the fact that it has so many glowing reviews (and also that there only exist about 10 used copies of this book for sale on amazon below the retail price of a new book). In short, an adult need not be afraid of buying this book. That is the primary point of my review. Also, as an adult attending weekly chess club games (the first time control is 40 moves in 110 minutes, for example, and the game can last up to about five hours), I find it fascinating how the students in this book are faced with the difficulties of parsing a chess position. After all, it is difficult! It is a skill that one might learn with practice over time! So, in a sense, disregarding Silman's sometimes negative interpretation of the motivations of his students, we as the reader, share our experiences of the complexity of chess with the students presented in the book. This creates a form of emotional and experiencial bonding with people going through the similar solving of problems. I suspect that it is this aspect of the book, which makes this book so popular. However, this is not to say that it does not contain other information and ways of presenting information which are also appreciated.

I wish I could have read this book 40 years ago when I was crossing from beginner to intermediate in skill level. This book taught me outright about positional play that I should have known from the beginning. It filled in a lot of holes in my thinking about how to recognize positional imbalances in order to tailor my play to favor any advantage that I may have. It clearly explains other advantages in chess besides the material, i.e. the center, space and tempo. It gave me goals that can be achieved by pawn play. Two of the most important lessons I've learned about are the difference between knights and bishops and how to defend against knights. From his years as a chess teacher, Silman has taken the most common mistakes of beginners, and using his student's games as examples, illustrates how NOT to think in chess. The book is full of 'rules of thumb' that we have seen elsewhere such as "rooks belong behind passed pawns". He states these not for formula play, but illustrates why these rules are important and sound in many situations. My play improved immediately upon reading this book. The only dubious negative comment I have is that the author repeats himself several times throughout, but then, is repetition bad for learning?

Amateur's Mind really does what the title says. It gets into the mind of chess players anywhere from class E all the way to Expert. He's great at not only dissecting the thinking process behind moves but also psychological issues players have. He has great pointers at the end of every chapter and even after the test questions in the back. I had got this book last summer and read all the way through it (doing about a chapter a day) and right now I am going back to the test questions and review the book. His answers and explanations are still informative and quite instructive even a year later when I think I know it all. Last summer I was around 1180 OTB (USCF) now I am around 1500, in part was due to this book and a lot of tactics. Couple of tips at the end of one test solution as a sample- NO position will play itself The creation of a unified plan should always take precedent over a random gain of material A confident, defiant opponent makes the bravest player entertain a nagging doubt about his skills and yours. pg 335 If you got time get this book, get a board and study; along with some tactics on the side.

I purchased this book about 3 weeks after skimming through a copy that a friend bought who I play chess with once or twice a week. During the three weeks or so that he had his copy, his game changed quite a bit. He usually beat me about 60 to 70 percent of the time, but now he seemed unbeatable. I lost more than 11 games in a row before I finally won again. All chess players know there are lots of circumstances that can determine the outcome of a game, but consistency usually indicates a better understanding of the game; strategies, tactics, positional play and more. My opponent certainly seemed to have a better understanding than before he began studying with this book. One thing that he mentioned several times is that he felt it was necessary to play through the games while reading the comments from the players and the teacher. I have to agree. It takes longer to learn, but the lessons become more deeply rooted and there is a better appreciation for the game of chess and its complexities. It is a long road to travel, but if you want to enjoy your chess more and win more often, then you should take your time walking down this road. I believe you will begin to play with more of a feeling of control when you do, and a greater love for the art of chess.

Esta obra, é para aqueles que desejam melhorar suas interpretações nas partidas de xadrez. Seja jogando, estudando, reproduzindo partidas, ou aprendendo novos ensinamentos. Nos coloca como uma terceira pessoa, usando varios alunos(as), parceiros(as), nos exemplos com uma variedade de conhecimentos, que nos leva a pensar sobre os lances realizados, suas imprecisões e seus acertos. Desde o primeiro capitulo com "imbalances", já traz a necessidade de desnvolver ideias a partir das diferentes estruturas, em material, ou em criação de planos. Estou lendo com calma, pois merece dedicar algum tempo, em cada capitulo lido. Chegou no prazo prometido, e comprei este livro com base nos argumentos postados por outros leitores. Muito bom para praticantes desta arte.

Good packing

Soy un jugador que tengo entre unos 1400 y 1600 de rating en chess.com. Compré este libro por las reseñas y porque he visto que Silman es excelente para transmitir el conocimiento ajedrecístico. Este libro ha rebasado todas mis expectativas. Es justamente lo que yo buscaba, un libro que realmente me ayude a comenzar a ver aquellas cosas que no alcanzo a ver en mis partidas. Quizás cosas tan comunes en jugadores fuertes, pero que yo no podía ver o no era consciente de ello en mis partidas. Silman tiene una forma de transmitir única, didáctica, porque pone posiciones a sus alumnos (de distintos niveles de rating) y los pone a analizar en voz alta, y de esa manera Silman puede darse cuenta en dónde está el error en su forma de pensamiento o de analizar una posición. Eso es lo que me parece que ayuda a abrir el cerebro a jugadores como yo, que tienen rato jugando, pero que no he alcanzado a crecer por falta de ver en el juego cosas que son importantísimas ver. Yo lo recomiendo para jugadores que ya tienen unos 1200 a 1600 de rating (aclaro que me baso en el rating de chess.com).

Masterpiece 👍

If you think you're bad at chess, let me tell you a secret: everyone is bad at chess. If you're good at chess, tell you a secret: everyone is bad at chess. Get yourself a copy of this book. The most exciting journey of your life if nothing else. And I've been places. Every couple years I re-read it anew, and every couple years it's like I've never read it before. That's the kind of book we're talking about.