I agree that a master player, rating 1900 could aquire the 2200 through the things you point out and strict disipline. And getting to 2200 definitly requires more than thoose few books you pointed out. Books can help you get a better rating, it cannot give you a better rating. Getting a rating of 2200 from books is impossible. I think it's fine to have a few books on openings that you like, but they're not nearly as good an investment as the core basics above. Winning Chess Openings is pretty good for this. +) Openings discussion based on ideas, not move orders. +) Strategy: Amateur's Mind, Reasses have a lot of material to digest, will probably be useful for a long time
BEST CHESS BOOKS FOR ADVANCED PLAYERS FREE
Interesting and free but not necessarily instructive to use for endgames with few pieces are the Nalimov endgame tablebases which show 100% perfect play. +) Endgames for beginner's book (Pandolfini's endgame course), and one good, recent endgame encyclopedia for reference (what the heck should I have done in this position?). But Bain's Chess Tactics For Students (slightly easier problems) is very good for drilling, too. I was lucky enough to be given as a present in 1979 Chernev and Reinfeld's Winning Chess. +) Heisman's "Everyone's 2nd Chess Book" (not tactics or strategy, but instead what should you be thinking about when playing.what good are tactics and strategy if you keep hanging your queen?) + (Free, actually, NM Dan Heisman's articles on Chess Cafe, awesome for beginner players)
In terms of getting actual bang for the buck (books most beginning players can actually use), though, I think most reasonably serious but beginning players just need a few books: I, too, have filled 1.5 shelves with chess books, about 40 or so, eagerly scanning Amazon for reviews about "how this book is absolutley required for anyone to improve." I bought books that are way over my head, and probably will remain way over my head. It really depends on who you are and where you are in your chess journey. Also there are plenty of puzzle books out there that can be helpful for your tactics.
Also grab something like Fischers 'My 60 Greatest Games' or Grahm and Nunn,s 'Mammoth book of chess' and look at the games of the masters. If you study Silmans book seriously, you should see a definate improvement in your game. I bought everything I could find, and came to the conlcusion after spendoing a ton of dough, that most of the books out there, well basically, they blow. You have to be carfeul with chess books, When I first got serious about 'studying' the game. These books requie a serious amount of time if you are going to get anything out of them, and I being a class d/c player have to admit, Yusopovs book was way over my head. I'd also recommend.Ģ) Kotov's 'Think Like A Grandmaster' (requires a lot of work but worth it.ģ) Gm Fine's 'Basic Endgames' (New edition updated by Pal Benko)Ĥ) Andrew Soltis 'The Inner Game of Chess'ĥ) Kotov/Yusopov 'Training For The Tournament Player' However you should reread it every six months to a year, to make sure the ideas stick in your brain. Silman's Reasses your chess is a must for anyone below class A.