I'm a 1500 USCF rated player and have a good grasp on tactical themes for my rating. I want to improve my strategic knowledge of chess and I'm wondering if this is a good book to purchase? Can anyone review it or comment on this book at all?

In case you missed it in the title, this is the WORKBOOK, not the original HTRYC book which I already own and have read. Incidentally, I liked HTRYC however I am finding it difficult to put the knowledge into over the board play. I'm hoping the workbook will solve this so that I 'learn by doing'?

I actually planned on buying this book today, but settled for a different book by Silman instead =D. I have paged through this book and I would strongly recommend it, but think that it is necessary to try and apply the knowledge from HTRYC without the help of the workbook first. That way, you at least have some "base experience" on which the workbook will help you build.

Good luck!

Paul

If you liked HTRYC, you should like the Workbook as well. The meat of the book is a series of problems which you are asked to solve divided up into opening, middlegame and endgame phases along with self-annotations where you are asked to annotate a game or game fragment. Detailed solutions are then given with attention to the imbalances in each problem situation.

Vladimir Drkulec aka Crash

'Simple Chess' by Michael Stean is another good book for positional/strategic play. However, I recommend you study Silman's book first as Silman's book is probably more suitable for a 1500ish player.