Chess books for intermediate players

Win at Chess: A Comprehensive Guide to Winning Chess for the Intermediate Player
by Ronald H. Curry

Solid Work; Practical Advice
Reviewer: A reader from Albuquerque, NM, USA

    This a practical, workmanlike text that does nothing fancy or "innovative," yet I think it is likely to be of far more use to the improving player than more advanced or specialized works. The author covers all the usual suspects: tactics, strategy, repertoires, endgames, etc.... Excellent review material for the more knowledgeable and good intro for the less-experienced. After you read the fancy opening books, endgame texts, strategy guides, relax and study what you already "know."

Playing Winning Chess (Winning Chess)
by Yasser Seirawan

A fine starting point for someone who knows the basics,
Reviewer: Kirk M.  from the French Alps

  I purchased this book after reading the many reviews here, but noticed that a lot of the reviewers are fairly strong players already. Not that I don't appreciate their judgement, but it's probably more appropriate to see what a novice thinks of this book. I learned how to play chess at an early age, but never played much. I knew the rules, and how to move pieces, but had no idea how to really play.

   This book took me from the post Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess stage (that's the only other book I had at the time) to a level where I feel comfortable playing the game. While this book starts out at a very low level, don't let it fool you; it skips a lot and gets heavy pretty fast. So it's not ideal for a total beginner, but requires a good deal of attention and is best for someone who can grasp the basics quickly, since the author skips over them in just one chapter.

  Beyond that, this is an excellent book, and I have already ordered others in the series. The author neither talks down to the reader, nor does he patronize them. It's a relaxed tone, and that helps a lot.

  The only negative point is that the diagrams don't have coordinates, which makes it a little difficult to get used to spotting the right squares.

Semi-Closed Openings In Action (Intermediate)
by Anatoly Karpov

A good teaching vehicle.
Reviewer: A.J. G. from Pensacola, FL

   I am a U.S.C.F. LIFE - Master. I teach chess for a living. I do a lot of teaching nowadays on the Internet. One of my former local students got this book. We spent a lot of time going over the lines and explanations in it. This is one of the better books of its type in the field. The author, a former World Champion, tells you about the opening. You get a brief history of the line, and often he will tell you about some of the general plans in key positions. If you are looking to play these types of openings from either side - or you are just looking for a general book on openings of this type; I can not help but think you will benefit from a careful study of the material presented in this book. Get it! Study! And get better!!