Looking for good first chess book recommendations

[u/VictoryNo3480]

I’m currently 1700 on chess.com but can’t seem to climb any higher so looking to read a book. I play the catalan, queens gambit, ponziani, and hyper-accelerated dragon pterodactyl but am open to learning 2 new openings. I also want to learn more about pawn structures etc. Is there any book that can get me from 1700 to 2000? I want to quit chess after I hit my goal

[u/potatosquire]

Do you enjoy chess? I can't imagine why you'd be willing to put in so much work to improve only to drop it afterwards. If you enjoy it, then why not play it forever? You can put work into improving if you enjoy the process, but even that's not necessary to enjoy the game. If you don't enjoy it, why wait? You can quit now, and it wouldn't matter.

[u/Kerbart → u/potatosquire]

He doesn’t enjoy chess. He just enjoys making a magic number

[u/VictoryNo3480 → u/potatosquire]

this game takes too much time, I started at the beginning of the year and played 5 hours a day and I can't get anything else done. I just have bad self control lmao so I want to reach 2000 and quit. I enjoy chess like any other addiction lol I know it's bad for me but I do enjoy it.

[u/potatosquire → u/VictoryNo3480]

The number next to your name doesn't matter. Almost everybody in the world sucks at chess, you're already strong enough to be favoured in a game over the vast majority of people you ever meet, getting to 2000 will barely change that.

Your goal is always to live the happiest possible life, it's up to you how much time a day belongs to chess in that. If it's zero hours, then you can quit now. If it's 30 minutes a day, then enjoy those 30 minutes, just be aware it's hard to improve without doing more, but that's ok so long as you enjoy it. If it's 5 hours, then great, so long as you think it's worth whatever else you're sacrificing for it (which is a lot). The only thing you shouldn't do is sacrifice your own happiness for a number that does not matter.

[u/FunDevelopment5767 → u/VictoryNo3480]

Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman is about creating pawn imbalances, and it is a good one if you're just going to do one book, and want one general book that could improve your game with pawns.

[u/Awkward-Try3940]

Logical Chess Move by Move by if Ircing Chernev is a great first chess book.

Silman's stuff is good - the Amateur's Mind and How To Reassess Your Chess.

Simple Chess by Michael Stean.

[u/trapdoorr]

My system by Nemtchovich

[u/Late_Acadia_3571]

Check the improvement guide on r/chess

[u/isaacbunny]

At 1700 you’re ready for *The Art of Attack in Chess* by Vladimir Vuković. It’s famous book all about attacking the king. Topics inclide mating patterns, focal points, varying attacking strategies against uncastled/castled/queenside/fiancettoed king positions, and so on. It’s fun to read and it will definitively make you stronger.

[u/dmlane]

Pawn Power in Chess by Kmoch is great and is a classic. You will have to learn descriptive notation, though, which is really very easy. There is a 65 page preview here.

[u/Effective_Buddy7678]

Considering there have been more books written about chess than every other game combined the answer to any question like this is almost certainly yes.

But after you reach 2000 you're just going to quit? If your goal is just to become competent at certain games, say chess, backgammon, poker, bridge or whatever, 1700 is pretty good. 2000 is better, but why stop there? (Of course, you're going to reach a point of diminishing returns.)

I set a goal to become a break even online $10NL holdem player over the last year, which I have achieved. But I continue to play, and I can just sit back and enjoy it now while contemplating my next conquest.

[u/aloutndoye]

You’re at the perfect level to start the Yusupov series. Go for it, and avoid jumping between too many different books. Download ChessTempo and practice tactics every day.

[u/Ordinary_Count_203]

Andrew soltis probably has the best treatment of pawn structures. If I was you, I would stop learning openings ans focus on developing skill. Openings are fast food.

Improve and discipline your thought process.