The amateur's mind

[Javier]

published 1999 (2nd expanded edition)

ISBN : 1-890085-02-2

Editor : Siles Press - Los Angeles

pages : 443

editor price : US $ 19,95

 

Having been an enthusiatic reader of Jeremy SILMAN's "How to Reassess your Chess" and "How to Reassess your Chess Workbook", I was eager to discover this third title, who was made available in my country only quite recently.

 

IM Silman aims to explain how amateur players (Elo range 900- 2100) think (or don't think at all ..) during a game, and how their play is influenced by their emotional state. He then tries to draw conclusions and advices from his observations.

 

For this, he selects interesting positions, most from classical games, explains first what happened in the real games, tactical ideas and plans, and then presents a series of games where his students play the positions against him (giving the student the winner's side). The student express their thoughts loud during the game, and these "live comments" are analysed by Silman. This process is repeated all along the book. Compared to the first edition, an important test section with 26 exercises (which can be compared to those proposed in "How to Reassess Your Chess Workbook") has been added.

 

Well, to put it mildly, I have mixed feelings about this book. Silman's introductory explanations about the positions are as enlightning as usual, and the exercices at the end of the book are interesting, with well-thought comments.

 

The core of the book, that is the games with students of various levels, I found of much less value, at least as instruction is concerned. However, it's often fun to read, and it might be of interest for people involved in chess psychology, or in chess teaching (Javier , what do you think ? ..).

 

My feeling while looking at the game was : "OK, honest now, I would have misplayed this one as well, but, nooooo, I would NEVER have played THAT move !". So, I found a lot of these games fun to read, but .. then what ? Ok, you find some useful tips, but, compared to what I consider as a GREAT book like "How to Reassess your Chess", the matter is very much diluted, and ... the book could have been made twice shorter without too much difficulty..

 

And ... you cannot prevent yourself thinking it's an easy job for a IM author to show how convincingly he can win against much weaker players, sometimes to have his readers laughing at them, and to make a 400-page book of it.

 

So, my vote for this book will be a severe 3/10, for two main reasons :

 

1°) in my opinion - it is of no much use for the practical player,

2°) Jeremy Silman has proved his writing and teaching standards could be MUCH, MUCH higher than this

 

 

 

(Originally edited by Jean Saulnier on June 10 2002)