inquisitor wrote:
I'm an adult beginner, and my experience with going to chess clubs has been
frustrating -- the better chess players are self-absorbed and won't give the
time of day. At most, they say something like "there are really good books
on chess", but the books I've picked up use obscure terminology or the
vaguest of references and don't make any sense.

What book(s) have you tried? Give the titles - links to amazon if you
have them, so people know what you try.

I'm sure everyone has their favorites, but I think the "Winning Chess"
series by Yasser Seirawan (there are about 6 in the series)
are pretty good. They are published by "Everyman Chess".

The first (most basic) one is "Play Winning Chess"

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/073...lance&n=283155

There there are books on openings, endings, tactics, strategies and
brilliances (the most advanced book of the 6).

Looking at the first one ("Play Winning Chess") it starts with how the
pieces move (so is very basic), although it does not spend long on how
the pieces move. It is aimed from someone who wants to play chess well,
not a beginners book who wants everything in 50 pages.

It has an 18 page glossary in the back (so you can look up any
terminology) annotated games, chapters on force, time, space (rarely
seen in most beginner books), quizzes (with answers).

I don't think there is much point you saying
-
Dave (from the UK)

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