The Challenge of Quality Chess Books versus New in Chess

vs

  Chess Books, Chess Magazines & Chess Shop

In the facebook group Chess Book Collectors, Chris Wainscott, of the blog "On the road to chess mastery" put a link to his blog post "The Quality Chess Book Challenge". A nice initiative I found. The owners and writers of Quality Chess Books would certainly appreciate it. I must admit, the name of the publisher firm is not badly chosen. Their products are indeed of a good, if not to say high, quality.

 Browsing my chess books I saw that I already have many published by "New in Chess". I started pondering if I couldn't do the same with only books published by New in Chess? I knew Chris Wainscott didn't intend to make this a challenge like a fight or a battle but I couldn't help myself to think that I had to take up the glove and make this a little bit bigger challenge then he intended.

This is by no means ment as a commercial for either Quality Chess Books or New in Chess chess books. Nor is this to say that one of the publishers firm has better books then the other one. This is just a friendly challenge, between two chess lovers, to use only chess books of one publisher, on their way to new heights in chess rating. First stop 1900+ rating, and who knows, maybe we gonna do it all the way up to chess mastery (2200 rating).

Here is what I wrote to Chris in the comments of his Chess Book Collectorst facebook post to make my friendly challenge:

Just to make this more fun. I know this is not a challenge as in fight or battle. But I cannot help myself to think that I have to take up the glove and make this a bigger “challenge” then you intend it to be. 🙂
If I read correctly, we are about the same age (begin forty something). Your current rating (national I think) is 1800ish, my national rating at current time is 1841. You want to raise 100 points so thats 1900 for you and 1950ish for me.
This said I propose the following, you use mainly chess books published by Quality chess and I will only use chess books published by New In Chess. But I want to make two exceptions.
1. Chess puzzle books. Since I am a chess teacher at my chess club I want to use as many sources as I can to find examples to give during lessons.
2. The latest book of Jay Bonin: “Active Pieces”. I just got it in the mail and started reading it, I would hate to stop reading this wonderfull book.
Offcourse, if you want some extra rules, like a set budget one may spend, … I am all ears and will discuse/accept new rules you or others want to bring up.
What do you say? Up to the challenge that will get us both to 1900+ (national) rating next year?

Chris replied

 I'm in!!!

So now I have to prove myself. Mainly that I can get to 1900+ rating in one year with only the help of New in Chess chess books. So I have to adjust my chosen books a little bit. Books number 5 Chess structures A grandmaster guide - Mauricio Flores Rios and number 6 The most instructive games of chess ever played - Irving Chernev,   in my first blog post has to be removed from the reading/study list. Bye my friends, I will miss you.

And replaced with:

5. Training with Moska - Victor Moskalenko
6. The power of pawns - Jörg Hickl

Onwards to 1900+ rating!!!!