Chess Education is important

[Phil C]

One thing I may not have made clear in my recommended study is the importance of tactics. This is especially when you get out of the beginners' class and have more understanding of the game. Grandmasters say the many fault of chess teachers is that they don't put a heavier emphasis on tactics. That is why I recommended that you get the book Winning Chess by Fred Reinfeld and Irving Chernev. Since the masters say that tactics is 90% of chess it makes sense to recommend that you spend at least 80% of your time on this subject. When you are a high rated A player then you have mastered tactics. Until then you need to study books on tactics and there are many and I can give you a recommended list if you want. In many of these books there are examples that can be done by diagram study and many you don't need the chessboard. This makes it extra easy to study when you are waiting at airports or bus stations, waiting at the dentists office, waiting at a restaurent, during commercials while watching tv, etc. Study of tactics is very important.

http://bbs.3adownlow.com/vb/showthread.php?76429-Chess-Education&highlight=chess+education

[Phil C]

If you are good at tactics you can win most of your games against those who are rated A or under. But be careful not to get too bogged with too many chess books that you neglect your tactics. Probably the hammer is the most important tool of the carpenter. You add five other tools to it like saws, etc and there you have the importance of tactics in chess. You need to study and practice to get through the openings where one can get in hot water if he/she is careless. Then one must be good in the middle game. Once you can play soundly in the openings you can use your tactical knowledge in the middle game to where when you reach the endgame it is a matter of technique to win with your advantages gained in tactical play. What will be great will be when your fellow opponents good naturely start call you Mr. (or Ms) Tactics. And don't forget besides books there are lots of free chess advice on the internet. I hope I have made it clear why the great chessplayers say tactics study is important and often neglected.

[Phil C]

I have recommended that you lear the algebraic notation which is the one used today but still many old books use the English notation which is used in many older books who have not yet been changed to algebraic and it would be a shame to deny youself access to their information. They are both easy to learn and could both be learned in perhaps one or two hours which would be worth your time.
Some old books are worth reading to help you and are still excellent.
One is Chess Fundamentals by the great world chess champion Jose Raul Capablanca which was published in 1921. It is still applicable to day and as long as chess is played as it is today his book will be applicable a hundred years from now. I recommend this book for someone who is getting close to being a Class C player.
Another great book is Chess Strategy by Edward Lasker written in 1915. Mr. Lasker was a professional engineer by trade and a very good player but he was more involved in teaching chess. Two great chess players, Reuben Fine of the USA, and the great Russian player Paul Keres credited this book as helping them start on the road to chess mastery. I recommend this book for a lower C rated player.

[Ville-D]

Hey Phil do you have the Chess Time app for iPhone or android? If so lets play.