The Reassess Your Chess Workbook [Paperback]

Jeremy Silman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2001

International Chess Master Jeremy Silman tests a player's strengths and weaknesses with 131 problems that cover openings, middlegames (both positional and tactical), and endgames. As a player completes a problem, he or she may then turn to consult Silman's lengthy answer to the problem, which is always detailed yet never dry. Through this process of problem solving, analysis and advice, a player is led to discover the major flaws imbedded in his or her play. Through this same process, a player is also led to an understanding of Silman's system of thinking about the game, and how it differs from many other systems of chess thinking.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeremy Silman

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Siles Pr; 1st edition (May 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1890085057
• ISBN-13: 978-1890085056
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #111,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #65 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Chess

More About the Author

Jeremy Silman is an International Master and a world-class teacher, writer, and player who has won the American Open, the National Open, and the U.S. Open. Considered by many to be the game's preeminent instructive writer, he is the author of over thirty-six popular books, including How to Reassess Your Chess (universally accepted as a modern classic), The Amateur's Mind, The Complete Book of Chess Strategy, and The Reassess Your Chess Workbook. Fans of the game instruction, book reviews, theoretical articles, and details of his work in the creation of the chess scene in the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

125 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Part of a good learning experience, July 14, 2006

By 

Max Myers (Huntington Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Reassess Your Chess Workbook (Paperback)

Gosh, my wife got after me for having so many chess books, so it became a point to limit them (or else). I got "How to Reassess your Chess" by Silman, and the workbook. I actually like the Reassess book more. It taught me along with others the most. And, the two Reassess books together really form a perfect set. I have regone over all of these books more than once and the ideas have sunk it - I am winning a lot more! I also recommend books on opening traps - like learning tactics! My other favorite type of books is on traps - I like learning chess tactics and traps in the opening.

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Workbook is Right!, October 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Reassess Your Chess Workbook (Paperback)

Why should you buy the Workbook if you've already read the earlier books? What's different about the Workbook is Silman's total emphasis on asking and answering lots of questions in detail that force the reader to actively participate. Silman presents a position and wants you to evaluate it, interrogate it, throw it against a wall and find out what's in its pockets before giving your plan and move.

You will learn to create and use imbalances to devise plans and find moves in every stage of the game because the entire Workbook asks you to do nothing else. This isn't passive learning. It's more like, "Pop quiz, hot shot! Black has just played ...Nh5 and is going to win the two bishops. What do you do? What do you do?"

You don't need to have read the earlier books since Silman gives a crash course on imbalances. If you've read them and felt you'd understood them (and yet didn't see any improvement as I had), this is another opportunity to get it right. Everyone has their own level of chess incompetence beyond which they will be unlikely to improve, and I may have already reached mine and you yours. But how can you be sure? "We can not know what is inevitable until we try good and hard to stop it."

It's a fun read, too. (By the way, I actually worked through the entire book before I decided to "review" it. Maybe some of the other reviewers should've tried doing that.)

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a magnificent learning tool, December 28, 2001

By 

Stichus (Aruba) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Reassess Your Chess Workbook (Paperback)

This book is in effect a "chess problem" book. The book offers 131 "problems" and their solutions. These problems are actually really more like tests by which means you can test yourself. The solutions part of the book offers actual instruction. Therefore, when you fail to solve the problem or fail to come up with the best move, you'll know where (and why) you went wrong (in the assesment of the position and/or why the plan and corresponding move chosen by you is not the best in the given position). This way you will quickly discover what you're doing wrong. The solutions part of the book is very well written and very clear. It does not contain endless variations, but a lot of words, thus written text. Therefore the solutions to the tests make a lot of sense and even seem obvious. This book is a logical follow up to Mr Silman's excellent "How to reasses your chess", but is perfectly readable separate of the aforementioned book. This book will ask you to think a lot, just like you have to do during an actual game. That is the difference between this book and other instructional chess books where everything is laid out for you. This book assumes some positional understanding on the part of the reader, but in fairness also offers a crash course in the front of the book. The bottom line is that this book is a magnificent learning tool and can't help but improve your game. This book is fun, but also a lot of work. I like it.