The Chess Exchange

My System and Chess Praxis are both in my library and unread. I have plenty of 'tactics' reading going on right now between Tal's Winning Chess Combinations (Tal/Khenkin) and Find the Checkmate (Lane).

Are the Nimzovich books sufficiently 'positional'? Which should be read first?

Start studying my system, you will like it!

Learux

Though I will add, it’s a very difficult book - if your easily board, you will get fed up before you get into it enough to reap any rewards. I stopped and restarted it quite a few times, and I’m usually, fairly patient with chess books.

Nasgard, spot on. That is why I wrote studying instead of reading!

Learux

So you did – TBH I didn’t notice the distinction

just like they said my system is a must read for people who take chess seriously.

The best way to read Nimzovich is a little at a time; don't try to rush it. (That really ought to be the case with any chess book, but it's especially true of Nimzo). Study a few pages at a time, try to apply what you've learned (or at least spot the concepts in games played by othres), then move on. And you should read My System before reading Chess Praxis; Praxis was intended as an adjunct/sequel to the other book to illustrate his "system" in action.

I must confess I have My System and I can see what a brilliant book it is for those who have the time to invest in it, but I myself have never got past the first few chapters.

However you can now also get it on computer disk, it’s slightly simplified but more or less the same as the book, but with parts narrated and the game/position examples all set up and easy to flip through on you’re screen.

When it comes to Chess study I’m very old fashioned - to me Chessbase and DVD’s are no replacement for books, I like to set positions up on a board and feel the pieces in my hand. But I do believe the computerised version of MS is more help to the amateur player with a day job, such as myself. I’ve gone through it from the start several times and I learn something new each time.

To do the book justice you really need to put weeks of work, for hours each day, into it. I just don’t have that kind of time, if I’m preparing for an important game or a congress coming up, I can just about manage to give my study one or two Sundays.