The Reassess Your Chess Workbook

1) I am a correspondence chess GM, and a USCF master. I have a library of 2500+ high quality chess books. 2)My son has become the US National Champion in K1 level last year (in 2011).This book is for him. (He is 7.5 years old with a rating around 1600 USCF(February 2012) 3)In my opinion, this book is a gem for intermediate level players who understand tactics, but who do not understand "chess" yet. This books is about plans, strategy, and chess understanding. 4) Along with tactics training, this kind of book would improve the chess understanding of an 1000-2000 rated player (My rating is more than 2300 and I am reading this book right now, very interesting, basic, but good!) 5) An excellent book overall. This writer is probably the best modern American chess writer for beginner/intermediate level chess players. best regards, Tansel Turgut

Learning the 'rules' is one thing but applying them properly in the complexity of a game situation is quite another. This book bridges that gap better than any other I have seen. I am relearning a lot of concepts with this book that I have learned over the years in new ways that are applicable over the board in real life games when the clock is ticking. Having been a teacher off and on my whole life I appreciate that information has to be drilled to be useful. This book makes those drills fun so that you will stick with it...

I do not believe one can get a true appreciation for Silman's 'Reassess Your Chess' without also working through this Workbook. The games examined provide many opportunities to exercise the knowledge of imbalances acquired in the previous book. As a stand-alone instruction manual, it dispenses copious useful insights into the game of chess, including a VERY enlightening tutorial on endgames involving Bishops of opposite colors. Although also quite time-consuming, it is a good improvement over the long-winded ways of 'Reassess Your Chess' with most of the middlegames studied much more to the point (see my review on 'Reassess Your Chess'). Alas, it is not without flaws. Besides minor issues like typos and misspellings, there are a couple of incorrect analyses; most notable is the one in Problem 131 (the very last in the book). Silman insists in the question that White had missed a great opportunity, namely a Bh7+, or "Petrosian check," which would ensure a quick win for White. However, after investigating the position with Chessmaster 10, I do believe Silman is incorrect. In fact, the follow-up position actually gives Black a winning game. These misdiagnoses are annoying, but also can be very confusing to a lower-rated player. Even with its faults, the many in-depth tactical and position dissections should not only heighten a chess player's senses to the issues he needs to look for and be aware of in every phase of the game, but, if nothing else, add to his intuition, a very important weapon in the player's arsenal.

This book is awesome. I'm only 1/3 of the way through it. I have a bunch of chess books. The value of this one book exceeds them all. There is so much information packed into these pages. Each puzzle is like taking chess classes with a grandmaster for a month. The best piece of advice in the book that I've read so far is to do self annotations. It forces you to improve your game no matter what. I've gotten so much better just by doing this. Don't waste your time, get this book and throw all your other books in the trash.

After almost twenty years languishing in the low 2000s (USCF), I finally began to understand positional play, the fight for the center and key squares, from this book. Silman's ideas are not new, but his simple explanations, practical examples, and constant repetition managed to get into my head what the two hundred other chess books on my shelf could not. After working through the examples in this book - yes, all of them, one by one, on a board, just a few each day - I find my understanding of chess at another level altogether. Now I feel ready to tackle my other favorite authors (Watson, Nunn, Dvoretsky), and to absorb the more subtle lessons they offer. If you buy TRYCW and let it sit on your shelf (as I did for two years), it won't help your chess at all. But if you put in the work, your efforts will be well repaid!

Be advised that this book was originally written as a companion to Silman's "How To Reassess Your Chess, 3rd Edition." That said, it is nonetheless a stand-alone WORKbook that doesn't require the reader to possess HTRYC3 to benefit from its contents. Also know that Silman now offers a completely rewritten (and marginally revised) "How To Reassess Your Chess, 4th Edition," which I have also reviewed. It should be noted that acquiring chess acumen at a level beyond mere rules and basic tactics is akin to learning a new language. To learn effectively, a good translator is imperative, someone who can convey the "sentence structure" of chess thought, the pluperfect tense of chess nuance. And chess mastery doth not necessarily translate into great teaching skill. Bruce Pandolfini is a great translator, especially for the novice player who seeks to understand this strange language. Jeremy Silman is a profound translator for those who wish to climb above the mezzanine level in the panoramic theater of chess skill.

If you study the book properly, you will become much more confident in opening play. It helped me in the middle game and endgame a little bit too, but I think the openings section was most helpful. The self annotation section was great too.

This book is very good. The cover of the book defines what this book is. You work at chess problems. Now Mr. Silman needs to write a sequel to this. The Reassess Your Chess WORKBOOK TWO.

As describe, fast shipment.

I chose this book to improve my game. I found that Silman adds a good understanding into the mechanism of strategy. This is a very practical book. For instance, I am studying the imbalance between knights and bishops. Silman explains that you have to make these pieces work for you, by creating outposts for your knights, or open the game for your bishops. his games show very clearly how to do this. The method is a detailed one which will indeed help you with planning of your game.Silman asks you to work through this slowly, then put the book down and acquire some tactics skills too. I have not finished the book outright, but It has enlightened me to play the game with my mind, and not just relying on an opening and find myself stuck after ten moves because the champion who explains its pet opening cannot play for you! This book supplement your skills to enter into the long term strategy of the game. This is eminently readable, but you have to work at it, with a physical board by your side and play, even replay the example games that are shown. yes, people have criticised Silman. But if you take this method to heart (and to mind!) you are bound to have a fresh look at your games and you will improve, though chess is not a simple upward curve to success. One has to learn by one's mistakes in the game. Hopefully, this book will prevent you from making obvious blunders. This is a valid method given by someone who did not mind presenting this as a human being who is not above failings!

結構良い本です。オープニングとエンドゲームは。 ミドルゲームはただのタクティクスですから割愛して二つに集中するのがベストかと思えます。 案外難しいので初めの考えが悪手だったりしてメンタルに来ますが、出来てくると凄く嬉しくなれますｂ そして利点は盤を使わなくていいのが特徴です。難点は大きさでしょう。 なので結局家で読むことになるでしょうね。 これ全部やったら中級者以上？のレベルになれるかと思います。

The quality is excellent

All who take chess seriously, from the club player to IM, should read and study this book. Silman is a very fine teacher.