I realize this might stretch the definition of "literature" a bit, but:
I want to brush up my chess game. I know how the pieces move, but beyond that my expertise is sparse. Could anyone recommend a book for someone at my level?
>>7457065
At your level, you should focus on tactics and simply playing.
Tactics alone can get you to 1500 FIDE level.
I can't recall any good beginner strategy books but a google search would no doubt help you.
Silman's The Amateur's Mind and Irving Chernev's Logical Chess are the two I see recommended for beginner's most often
Silman's analyses amateur games and the mistakes in thinking that come with them
Chernev analyses renowned pro games point by point explaining why certain moves were made at certain times, and how they're based around an overall strategy
play me on lichess
http://lichess.org/MlKQfCms
>>7457089
I can't. I am in Peace Corps and live in a hut. I only get internets for a little bit once every few months.
>>7457094
In that case I recommend Winning Chess by Fred Reinfeld and Irving Chernev
>>7457065
The fourth edition of "How to Reassess Your Chess" is phenomenal for intermediate players.
Once you get more comfortable with the game, you should consider picking up a copy.
Use the apps "Visual Openings" and "Chess Tactics" if you have android.
>>7457143
Unfortunately not. I've had trouble with my solar charger so I've just been using an old Nokia that has a phenomenally long battery life.
>>7457135
Where are you?
>>7457150
The Gambia. Some places here have great Internet-- really, I could get Internet if I were bent on it, but it's too damn much trouble right now. I have enough on my plate right now without trying to get proper solar equipment out to my site without it getting stolen or broken.
>>7457065
study the games of the kasparov karpov fischer learn some opening theory and tactics done
chess seems like a skill based game when you start, turns out its 90% memory based. Top players basically memorize books and books worth of sequences for opening and middle game.
The only place where spontaneous skill comes in is end game, but by then a memory wiz will have you beat anyway
>chess
dead game
get into e-sports, if you want a strategy game play starcraft 2.
"the defense" (Nabokov): basically every time chess is of interest this book also pleases. It is literature and not tactics but might help you etc.
good luck living in your hut
>>7457173
Thanks! Actually, I just finished "The Defense." It was interesting to read some early Nabokov.
>>7457164
Good point.
So what are some good skill based games?
Hold 'Em?
The only way to get better is to play, a lot. Read some theory, but theory:practice ratio should be 1:10. Go practice, faggot.
>>7457310
hold em is kind of dead like that too - at this point high level internet play is profitable once a month for 15 min when some rich retard joins, only tournament play remains
are there any poker players here? i stopped following poker a few years ago: are there any new books that are more 'modern' than 'let there be range'?
as for chess i can only recommend john's yt channel(john barthomolew or smth) but i guess thats of no use
>>7457167
Starcraft is dead af lol
>>7457081
>>7457065
honestly the Amateurs Mind would be a bad choice. much more standard for Silman would be Reassess Your Chess or the Complete Book of Chess Strategy. Amateurs Mind is written more for a teacher, as a student shouldn't care so much about what mistakes other students are making, just his own. Reassess Your Chess does just this.
>>7457164
good lord I've never seen so much misinformation in one place. where do you get off bud?
chess.com you fools
And hey OP there are free entry level tactics and lessons
>>7457335
poker strategy has stalled
>>7457618
This to be quite frank with you.
Computers still can't beat the top players at go. There is some joseki memorisation but it won't get you far. Moves in go are almost mysterious. They are often formed from intuition rather than memorisation or lengthy calculation. Go really is a beautiful game.
>>7459241
Any recommendations on good books for learning Go?
I know the rules, but I'm still a beginner (double digit kyu) and don't really know how I can improve other than just playing. Should I start with the opening, joseki, tsumego or something completely different?
At the moment I have a problem where I don't know if I should respond directly or just play somewhere else and usually end up with some weird shape or playing way more stones than I should.
I'd ask /tg/, but the last few times I checked they didn't really seem to play actual traditional board games.
>>7459346
Yeah, I've tried talking about Go on /tg/ and it is a waste of time.
I'm still DDK myself (12k). The only book I own is 'The Second Book of Go'. It has short but useful sections of most aspects of strategy and tactics. I'd recommend it. I'm still going back to it often.
Other than that I hear lots of support for the 'Graded Go Problems for Beginners' series.
You can mostly ignore joseki for now. If you do want to look into some remember the proverb "Learning Joseki Loses Two Stones Strength - Studying Joseki gains four stones strength". I try to look up joseki I don't know after a game so I can compare them with my result and really try to get a grip on why the joseki moves are the way they are.
Doing tsumego is always good. I use the elementary collection on here http://tsumego.tasuki.org/
You might want to try reviewing your games with a stronger player or if possible having a teaching game with them. These have been the biggest jumps in skill for me. They will let you know what you are doing wrong and where to focus your efforts. Remember to always review your games afterwards, especially if it was painfully crushing and you don't even want to look at it. Really the best advice is to play and review. I know people who study all the time because it feels like a 'safe' way to improve, but are scared to go to the board. Playing lots is important because if you don't then all that theory gets btfo by a lack of basic intuition you should have gotten from making mistakes and losing. That being said it sounds like some basic opening theory might help you. I can't really remember how I learnt most of mine. I think there is a book 'In the beginning' that gets recommended often.
>>7457310
You will never be good enough at chess for the problems I have with high level play to arise to become and issue. For plebs like us who don't want to study 60 plus hours a week under a professional trainer in part of an elite school chess will be every bit as 'alive' as a game like go. Also in the west you just won't find much support for games like chess and shogi, where clubs are easy to find and there is plenty of online and book resources in English.
