How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances Paperback – October 15, 2010

First a little about me:I'm in the 1400 to 1600 range. I haven't read the original HTRYC, so I can't make any comparisons. I've spent over 100 hours going over this book from cover to cover.Second a little about the book:The book is on positional chess (aka the middle game). It's not about tactics or checkmates. It's about how to recognize key differences in your position versus your opponent's position and how to develop a strategy to make your position dominate your opponents. The book is divided into sections of positional principles (example: recognizing targets and fixing them as permanent a weakness). For each principle, several games are given as an example that highlights the particular topic. Silman's commentary is excellent. Often he analyzes a position by talking only about ideas without even mentioning particular moves. This was the most helpful part of the book for me. He also gives a lot of variations many of which I quickly glossed over. As a reader, you will have to study the book based on your level. At my level, the ideas are the most important, and I shouldn't get sidetracked with variations. At the end of each chapter/positional idea, there are test questions. At first, I thought the problems were really hard, and I couldn't solve many of them. But going over the answers which are explained very well both with ideas and variations was really helpful. Towards the end of the book, I was able to at least partially solve almost every problem even the ones that were rated 2000+. I didn't always find the correct moves, or the correct move orders, but I was able to evaluate the position and understand the ideas behind the position (what should be white's strategy and what should be black's strategy and what moves make sense for both sides). Sometimes I picked the 2nd best move, etc but I was still picking good moves that addressed the positional battle!Style:The writing and style are excellent. Silman uses conversational English and a coaching tone that is pleasant. It's obvious that he's passionate about positional chess and really enjoys teaching it. The book is fun to read. The book itself is large with a nice amount of white space that makes it easy to study.Is it for you? Silman recommends this book for 1400 to 2100 range. I can't speak for the upper range, but the book was definitely challenging and beneficial for me. I'm going to completely re-read it in about six months and go over each lesson much more slowly and carefully (100hrs is sprinting through this book).If aren't already very comfortable with the basics, tactics, and checkmate patterns, pick up a few books on tactics and solve 1000 tactical problems first and then get this book. Like me, you won't get everything the first time through, but you will learn to properly think about chess and develop a strategy.Could it be better?I would have benefited from more analysis in English (instead of an explanation in algebriac notation) and discussion of ideas, and fewer variations, but realize this is coming from my level. Higher level readers will need the variations. Ideas must be tactically sound and if you are analyzing master games, you must demonstrate that the idea is tactically sound. As it stands, this book is a masterpiece which I will re-read many times.

I have owned some great things in my life: a plasma screen TV, a BMW, automatic watches. These are the kinds of items that satisfy every time I use them because their craftsmanship and quality is so good. Without hyperbole, this book is just like that.The first thing you'll notice about this book is that attention has been paid to every detail. The book is big and heavy. The paper is good quality (I have read many chess books that seem like they are printed on newsprint). And space abounds to write in the margins if you're so inclined."So what?" you say, "I want to learn to be good at chess." My friends, apply this book's principles and your play will greatly improve. Mine did.I'd heard about Silman for years, but I always mentally shrugged and thought, "I'm happy Nimzowitsch's instruction, thank you very much." What a mistake! Silman gets it. This book helped me improve by leaps and bounds. Silman's ideas break down the game in a systematic way that makes it easier for you to formulate a plan and assess where the deficiencies in your game lie. I'm not just talking about the overall deficiencies in your game, though the book does richly address those areas, but also the deficiencies in any particular position in your games. REASSESS teaches you to look at what the board is telling you and to react accordingly to fundamental chess principles (i.e., imbalances).The instruction is terrific. And Silman's writing style is easy and entertaining, which will help you to enjoy and comprehend the information presented.Further, the book is written so that you will learn and remember the important points. REASSESS, unlike many chess books, doesn't merely present useful information, but it truly aims to help you absorb and retain what you read. For example, dear old Nimzowitsch presents great information. That information is given in the context of games and examples. So, if he talks about the importance of rooks on open files, for example, he shows what he means through an illustrative game, then moves on to the next topic. This is good, but I often find myself asking "what was the important point of those five pages of information?" Every chess book provides a lot context for the main point it's trying to make--the point that you must understand, remember and apply if it's to be of any use to you. If I study diligently, I underline the important points for later review. But as Ferris Bueller says of life, if you don't stop and look around [for the point of the lesson], you could miss it. Silman makes sure you won't miss it.REASSESS YOUR CHESS has clearly marked bullet points that give the themes and important points, which ensures that they don't get lost in the text. These bullet points are scattered throughout the chapters, but are also helpfully listed in summation at each chapter's end. This is tremendously useful, if you, like me, need to repeat information numerous times before it sinks in. This also saves me from sussing through and highlighting what I think is vitally important for later review. The author has done this work for me.As the final and crucial instruction point, Silman gives various exercises to try on your own to test what you have learned and identify what you need to work on. In the ANSWERS TO THE TEST section, Silman carefully annotates which move is correct and why. This is invaluable as it really makes sure that you have learned what has been taught. So often after reading chess material I think "got it," but in the game, I don't remember. These exercises safeguard against this kind of overconfident reading. This book's motto is "show me what you have learned, don't tell me."In conclusion, REASSESS (1) is asthetically pleasing, (2) is made of high quality materials, (3) is formatted with annotation in mind, (4) gives top notch instruction, (5) highlights and summarizes the salient points for you, and (6) gives exercises to train you to apply what you've learned. Wow! Silman has carefully and thoughtfully considered what will help you to best improve at chess. I cannot recommend it enough!