I started playing chess at a fairly young age (5-6) and moved into competitive chess vs adults at age 8 and playing near national level at around age 12. In all

I started playing chess at a fairly young age (5-6) and moved into competitive chess vs adults at age 8 and playing near national level at around age 12. In all that time I never read a single book about how to play chess, or try memorize openings. What I did do is play a lot of competitive chess and discuss strategy / tactics at every opportunity with strong players, both in terms of my own games and also in general. The original article pretty much nails it as a guide, in my opinion. Highly recommended.