The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery Author: Visit Amazon's Jeremy Silman Page | Language: English | ISBN:
1890085022 | Format: EPUB
The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery Description
- Paperback: 443 pages
- Publisher: Siles Pr; 2 Sub edition (July 1999)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1890085022
- ISBN-13: 978-1890085025
- Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I had read wonderful reviews about Silman's other book, "How to Reassess Your Chess" ("HTRYC"), so I purchased it. Within a week after that I was told that I should read "Inside the Amateur's Mind" ("ITAM") first. So I put HTRYC down and picked up ITAM. I was skeptical at first. After all, who cares what goes through a patzer's head in a game -- I want to learn from masters and grandmasters. However, it was scary to see how similarly I incorrectly analyzed a given position or manner of executing a plan with the amateurs. These mistakes are vividly pointed out and practical advice for analysis and planning is presented.
Silman's method is based on understanding the imbalances inherent in every position. He gives 7 elements to analyze: (1) material; (2) minor pieces; (3) pawn structure; (4) files and weak squares; (5) space; (6) development; and (7) initiative. I have started forcing myself to break down the elements of a position and develop a plan dictated by those elements. Silman demonstrates how even seemingly minor differences like the battle between a bishop and a knight can consume the entirety of a middlegame plan.
I have already seen the benfits of this thinking method. For instance, I recently annotated one of the test positions at the end of ITAM (an excellent feature of the book BTW) and compared it with Silman's notes and found that I was 70-80% accurate in making my assessments -- a big improvement for me. He also emphasizes an attacking mentality (seize the initiative! Make you opponent react to your threats!) which has helped my game already.
It is also very instructive to see the way Silman defeats amateurs who are given superior or winning positions.
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