Rapid Chess Improvement (Everyman Chess) by Michael de la Maza
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Book Reviews of Rapid Chess Improvement (Everyman Chess)
Book Review: I base my life on the teachings of Michael de la Maza
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading Michael de la Maza's articles on Chesscafe.com I was very inspired. I did not fully adopt his "seven circles" plan, but I did pretty much devote all of my chess studies to tactics, tactics, tactics. I purchased the software he recommends, and put down my copies of Jeremy Silman books. The results have been quite positive. My rating jumped up almost 200 points from the May til June USCF ratings (I went from 1301 to 1472), and my games have been much more decisive.I think that Michael's story and ideas are very inspirational. There is a reason that his method is discussed so much on the online bullentin boards related to chess. I think that everyone is interested in getting their rating higher, and this is a great method. My friend's and I have even adopted a phrase called "being de la Maza'ed". This means when your opponent or you sprung a tactical trap to win the game. It is amazing how many of my games get described as "I de la Maza'ed the guy in the opening", or "I got de la Maza'ed by a 1600".
The only real drawback of the book is that much is cut and pasted from his previously published articles. But I still give it 5 stars because it is great material, and I enjoyed reading it again, and having it in book form. OK gotta get back to studying tactics :-)
Book Review: What to look for when planning a move
Summary: 5 Stars
Rapid Chess Improvement: A Study Plan For Adult Players by chess writer and expert Michael de la Maza is a very solid and straightforward guide for anyone who wants to learn tips, tricks, and techniques to swiftly improve the competitiveness of their chess game. Individual chapters address how to organize one's thoughts, what to look for when planning a move, practical tactics, and more in this truly excellent, "user friendly" guide which is enhanced with several black-and-white diagrams to clearly illustrate sample games. Rapid Chess Improvement is a highly recommended addition to any serious chess player's reference collection and reading list.Book Review: The advice is very good but repetitious.
Summary: 4 Stars
I think that maybe a feud is starting between Jeremy Silman (JS) and Michael de la Maza (MM). MM is critical of traditional study methods (including JS's) and JS has written a scathing review of this book. It is hard to argue with success. If MM can move from D to A in a year and then onto Expert in another year, then he clearly is onto something. On the other hand, JS is so much higher on the rating scale that he says that most masters don't have a clue.
I very much like MM's observations about the failures of traditional study methods. In recent years I have taken a very knowledge intensive approach to studying chess, but I have made no improvement to my rating. He argues that I have been studying the wrong things, and I think that he might be right. His book seems eye opening, or it is at least "food for thought."
MM notices that class ranked players make gross tactical oversights, not just in blitz games but in tournament games as well. My observation at tournaments pretty much agrees with this. He believes that studying tactics will allow players to eliminate these errors and rise to at least the class A level. This is borne out by my own chess experience where I made it to class A mostly on tactics.
I very much like the 42 tactical problems, although for a book of this price I would expect maybe 300 problems and less verbiage. Parts of the book are repetitious.
MM's study plan is a bit rigid and not practical for most people:
1. According to his own numbers he spent about 3.5 hours per day on chess. Most of us don't have that kind of time, so I think that a more practical study would 10 to 60 minutes of daily tactical study depending upon how much time we can devote to the game. I have found that ten minutes of tactics per day keeps my game sharp, but I would like to double or triple this and see if it helps my rating. (As a side note, a friend of mine who studied tactics 1.5 hours a day has made huge improvements.)
2. His suggests doing a thousand chess problems in order, seven times over. I think that it might be better for some players to repeat the easier problems before moving onto harder problems that would be too difficult for them to solve.
3. He suggests the exact times that people should spend on each problem, exactly how many to do each day, how exactly to think and how many seconds to spend on each phase of their thinking in tournament games. All this seems too fixed, and I would rather not have to fit my study or thinking into an exact mold.
Although MM continues to stress studying tactics to make it to the Expert level, reading between the lines shows that he spent time studying his tournament games with Fritz, (which is a practice that I strongly recommend.) Common sense and practical experience would indicate that players need more than just knowledge of tactics to improve past the rating of 1800.
As far as the JS versus MM feud is concerned: To make it to Class B, Class A, Expert, whatever, requires a combination knowledge and skill. That knowledge and skill at least doubles with each increase in rating class. Jeremy Silman's books are full of many great ideas worth studying. Michael de la Maza is correct, however, when he states that studying tactics will produce more rapid improvement among class players. This is no secret, however, as many chess coaches have stressed the same thing. Although this book is good for motivation and some advice, you might instead just want to buy a book like "Sharpen Your Tactics" and study it as much as you can. Or better yet, buy both. A little motivation can't hurt.
Book Review: Excellent, thoughtful, book. Very unique approach to study
Summary: 4 Stars
This book was very interesting to read. I have been playing, coaching, studying, and talking chess for around 12 years. I ultimately reached a rating plateau of around 1850 USCF. The author of this book was able to go from around 1300 USCF to around 2000 USCF in just a few short years. This is almost unheard of as an adult.What I found particularly interesting (and true) in my own experiences, is that many people (including myself) focus on the wrong things to study. When we ask for help from master players or coaches, their advice is based upon partial, slanted, or backward thinking. Most masters don't remember what it was like to be rated 1300, 1400, or 1700. It was just too long ago.
What I have learned in my quest is that tactics are the most important thing to study. Next would follow some fairly basic endgame knowledge such as rook & King & pawn vs. Rook & king, etc. A motivated, reasonably intelligent person could easily achieve a rating level of around 1650 - 1850 with a good solid backing on these skills.
Most amateur players spend countless hours learning openings by memory, and wading their way through books on chess strategy.(I know because I have done the same thing!)
What does all of this have to do with this book? Everything! These are some of the key points made by the author. The core of the book is based around a very aggressive, specific study method that develops chess vision, tactical ability, and improves pattern recognition.
After studying countless other books, and using the methods that so many others attempt to make work - I am convinced that Michaels "Seven Circles" method is working smarter, not harder!
Even if you do not agree with all of this conclusions, you will find this book to very interesting and fast to read.
One of the other reviewers was very critical of the amount of time one would need to devote to complete the "seven circles" program. If he actually read the entire book, he would notice that the author recommends a modified program for folks like us with wives, children, jobs, etc. We cannot spend limitless time studying chess (oh, I wish!). The modified program (which I am currently pursuing) is based upon a smaller number of tactical problems over fewer weeks.
I have been on this modified program for a couple of weeks and I have already seen my rating (internet) go up around 100 points.
They always say that the proof is in the pudding. All I know is that the author who started out as a 1300 rated adult player, won the World Open U2000 section (and $10,000) just a few short years later using his training method. He ultimately achieved a rating of over 2000 USCF.
That's pretty inpressive for anyone. It's extrememly impressive for an adult player!
Book Review: Refreshing
Summary: 4 Stars
I am only a class C player but I have read lots of chess books. I am and have been dedicated to chess improvement. So what went wrong? I have not fully understood the degree to which oversights, blunders, and tactics decide the outcome of a game untill I read Rapid Chess Improvement. That is the central message of this book: that avoiding blunders and seeing the tactics available to both black and white are the two most deciding factors to one's chess results. Period. It is true that the book is kinda skimpy and the reader's letters at the end may not be appropriate and that it is overpriced. But the book is so refreshingly different and honest. Aside from the other no nonsense: Master at Any Age (great) book by Rolff Wetzell, almost all other books seem to be no good for me. I think both of these books (and Chess for Tigers and a couple of others) are much deserving of praise for being so different and honest. I have the J. Silman books, the Kotov books, and scores of others that try to impart positional and strategic knowledge to the reader. But the simple truth is that the vast majority of all chess games is decided by an oversight, blunder, or missing a tactic that you or your opponent have available. Unless it computer vs. computer. I humbly dissagree with any player who says that a tactic must come from an advantage in position first. Countless tactical resourses in a game arise EXACTLY FROM TRYING TO RESCUE A BAD POSITION! So I think the book does exactly what it intended: to let the reader know how important it is to study tactics and avoid blunders (to the extent that it can be done). He may have overstated the importance to drill it into one's head. But since most players have the positional/strategic/opening books in their library, one should thank the author for doing just that. I think the reader is expected not to ignore the other stuff. I think you don't have to do it EXACTLY as explained in the book, as long as you make a very determined effort to study lots of tactics in whatever time you have. I have read the Jeremy Silman review of the M. de la Maza book and it seemed like a personal attack (or counterattack?) for possibly taking some chess (and money?) away from Silman. But, as la Maza correctly states in his book: the best players are not neccessarily the best teachers, including masters and GMs. In fact I personally believe the best teachers are players rated only 200 to 400 points above you. They are the ones that can understand where you're coming from, in chess terms. And they are the ones who understand chess in a way similar to the way you do. GMs and IMs are just too far removed from a class player. And possibly only interested in selling many chess books.