Review: IM Jeremy Silman's 'The Amateur's Mind'

I recently finished "The Amateur's Mind", an instructional chess book by IM Jeremy Silman, which I think helped improve my chess quite a bit - though some of it was over my head. This is my video review.

Recording date: 2022.02.12

[AndersonConnors]

YouTube recommended this today, though I'm sure I watched it when you first posted this video. I just want to say your channel has come a LONG way since then. Your current presentation and editing is TONS better now! I hope some of the thousands of people who watch this older video try some of your newer ones. :-)

[tank.]

Thanks for the review, I just got this book in the hope that it might improve my positional understanding to the point where I come up with a decent plan.

[aniseedtwist]

hi, overall a good video, big point here, chess engines number crunch on every move, total calculation on a scale we find very difficult to comprehend, generally when u follow the engines, best play is given for both sides as it always should be, if your vision gets u to the end of the line you're advantage will only ever be as useful as your ability to understand the strategy from the line, that can only come from knowledge, authors like silman and heisman have a lasting relationship regarding your chess development, as far as club players go engines can point out your mistakes yes, when the dust has settled that's when a lot problems can occur, if 30% of silmans book gives you some strategical knowledge you my friend have gained something tangible

[Silvermist]

Solid content man! Well done. You don't sound like an 1100.

[AndersonConnors]

I suppose learning chess was a whole different ball game in 1999 and before. You'd *have* to read books and/or have a coach and/or keep up with whatever magazines/newspapers reported on current master games and tournaments. I wonder what the 1800s and early 1900s champions would think of today's mostly online chess world with ready opponents all over the globe at a moment's notice, immediate engine analysis after the game, the computer storing every move, and a million YouTube videos talking about chess.

[tannerhachey]

So just curious, what's your elo rating?