14 Comments
May 19Liked by Martin B. Justesen

I got the book in July 2015, and have started it multiple times, but never got very far. I've been a chess addict for 50 years, have 100+ chess books (not counting Chessable), and have finished either 1 or 2 (not sure) in all that time. I hope this club will encourage me to finish this one, as you have suggested. It sounds like a good idea!

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author

Really hope we can break your curse! It's not easy to read them cover to cover. Btw thank you for the support 🙏🏻

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May 21Liked by Martin B. Justesen

Started re-reading this book, adding notes, determined to finish it this time. Hope to be able to join the thread on June 2nd.

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author

Great to hear, Lode! 55 have signed up with you 😊

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Jul 8Liked by Martin B. Justesen

Are late joiners welcome, or should I hold off until you start a new book? (I'm of course committed to reading enough to catch up with everyone.)

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author

Everyone is free to join and catch up:)

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May 20Liked by Martin B. Justesen

Keen to do this, I have the Chessable version of the book with the video commentary.

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author

It will be interesting to hear how the chessable version differs

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PGN for the game on page 17:

[Event "American Open"]

[Date "1992.??.??"]

[Result "1-0"]

[White "Jeremy Silman"]

[Black "Ronald Joseph Gross"]

[ECO "E02"]

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3 d5 4.Bg2 dxc4 5.Qa4+ Bd7 6.Qxc4 Bc6

7.Nf3 Bd5 8.Qd3 Be4 9.Qd1 c5 10.Nc3 Bc6 11.O-O Nbd7 12.Qc2

cxd4 13.Nxd4 Bxg2 14.Kxg2 Bc5 15.Rd1 O-O 16.e4 Qe7 17.Qe2 Bxd4

18.Rxd4 e5 19.Rd1 Nb6 20.Be3 Rfd8 21.Qb5 Qe6 22.b3 h6 23.a4

Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Rc8 25.Rd3 Qc6 26.Qxe5 Re8 27.Qd6 Nxe4 28.Qxc6

bxc6 29.a5 Nxc3 30.axb6 Nd5 31.bxa7 1-0

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Looking forward to trying to keep up with this book club! Always been a huge fan of Silman's books and The Ameteur's mind is and interesting premise.

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Finally had time to sign up! A few comments/thoughts.

1) I'm very exited about this -- I've never been in *any* book club before, and as Martin suggested in the video, some (many?) of us might be spurred to actually finish a chess book!

2) I started playing 3 years ago, and a few months in, I purchased this book. It was over my head, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since. Looking forward to giving it a second try.

3) I'm very appreciative that the book (at least how Martin describes it) is "beginner-intermediate". More of this please (meaning, when you pick your second book). There are tons of books for 1700+ players; not so many for the 1200-1500 level (other than tactics, tactics, tactics).

4) The book I have (and what you showed us, Martin) is the 2d edition. The Amazon description of this book says that "How to Reassess your chess" is a newer version (4th edition) of this book. That makes me very confused. Thoughts?

Again -- much thanks and appreciation to you, Martin!!

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How to reasses your chess is a different book, as far as I know it was Silman's most popular book (hence why he had 4 editions of it), also one of my favorites. 2nd edition of the amateurs mind is the newest version

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Thanks. Yeah, that's what I thought, but when I saw the listing on Amazon, then I wasn't so sure. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1890085022

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I see the same thing you do, it directing towards another book, so that's on Amazon. But they are completely different books.

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