The Best Books to Learn Chess: From Beginner to Intermediate
Chess, the most written-about game in history, offers a fascinating journey of strategy, tactics, and mental discipline. Whether you're a complete novice or an aspiring tournament player, the right books can significantly accelerate your learning process. Here's a curated guide to some of the best chess books available, designed to take you from the basics to a solid intermediate level.
Starting from Scratch: Foundational Books
For absolute beginners, understanding the fundamental rules and piece movements is paramount. Several books excel at introducing these core concepts in an accessible way.
"Chess for Beginners" by Michael Basman
This book is an ideal starting point, covering the basics such as how the pieces move, the rules of the game, and some simple strategies. It lays a solid foundation for further exploration of the game.
"Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess"
A classic for a reason! This book uses a unique, interactive approach to teach you how to think like a chess player. Although there's some controversy about the extent of Fischer's involvement, it introduces the basic rules of the game, along with key tactical patterns. This book explains some concepts and ideas, and then gives you exercises based on those ideas. It’s like multiple choice, it’s a very interactive book. It’s a very, very good first chess book for trying to learn some basic ideas.
"Winning Chess Strategy for Kids" by Jeff Coakley
Despite the title, this book is an excellent resource for beginners of any age. Coakley, an experienced chess teacher, explains concepts and ideas effectively, using well-chosen examples and a good mix of opening, middle game, and end game coverage. The book also includes puzzles and explains chess terminology in a way that's easy to understand.
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Building Tactical Skills
Tactics are the heart of chess, involving short-term calculations and the ability to see one or two moves ahead. Mastering basic tactical motifs is crucial for improvement.
"Mastering Checkmate in One Move" by Hüseyin Çamur
This book sharpens your tactical skills by focusing on recognizing checkmate in just one move. It’s a fun and practical way to train your brain to spot winning opportunities quickly.
"Chess Tactics for Students" by John Bain
This book is designed to be used repetitively, reinforcing basic tactical patterns. All of the problems have to be easy enough to eventually be solved on recognition, within reason. They also have to be basic enough to either be single motif, or very easy double motif. They should be building blocks for more difficult problems.
"Chess Tactics for Champions" by Susan Polgar
This book is a goldmine of puzzles and exercises that will help you recognize patterns and improve your tactical vision. It even includes a section on defensive tactics, teaching you how to save the game when under pressure.
"Starting Out: Chess Tactics and Checkmates" by Chris Ward
This book provides a solid introduction to basic tactics and checkmates, essential for building a strong tactical foundation.
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Delving into Strategy
Once you're comfortable with tactics, it's time to explore strategy, which involves longer-term planning and understanding positional concepts.
"The Complete Book of Chess Strategy" by Jeremy Silman
This book breaks down everything from openings to middlegames in a way that’s easy to understand. It's a comprehensive guide to strategic concepts.
"Logical Chess: Move by Move" by Irving Chernev
This book is a gem for understanding the thought process behind every move. It analyzes classic games move by move, explaining the reasoning behind each decision. The only downside to Logical Chess is that there are some analysis errors that you wouldn't see in a more modern book.
"My System" by Aron Nimzowitsch
Once you’re feeling more confident, this classic will take your game to the next level. It introduces advanced strategic concepts like prophylaxis, overprotection, and pawn structures.
Understanding Chess Thinking
For serious players feeling stuck in a rut, books that examine chess thought processes can be invaluable.
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"The Seven Deadly Chess Sins" by GM Jonathan Rowson
Rowson describes each of the major "sins" that drive chess players' thinking off track, offering insights into chess psychology.
"Move First, Think Later" by IM Willy Hendricks
This book explores chess thinking (and the lack thereof), providing thought-provoking puzzles and examples.
Exploring Game Collections
Studying annotated games by masters is an excellent way to learn both tactics and strategy.
"Logical Chess Move by Move" by Irving Chernev
Logical Chess delivers on the title's promise of explaining every move of the great masters. It's the book that made me first realize that chess was a game you could study and attempt to master.
"The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played" by Irving Chernev
This book is similar to Understanding Chess Middlegames in that the games are organized by themes, and thus very helpful.
Mastering Endgames
Endgames require specialized knowledge and techniques.
"Silman's Complete Endgame Course" by Jeremy Silman
Endgames can be intimidating, but this book makes them approachable. It’s divided by skill level, so you can start with the basics and work your way up.
"Concise Chess Endings" by GM Neil McDonald
For most chess players, you can find everything you need to know about endgames in the easy to read guide, Concise Chess Endings by GM Neil McDonald. It's a pocket-sized book that tells you the essentials so you can start using the ideas immediately.
Advanced Strategy and Evaluation
For players ready to delve deeper into strategy, these books offer advanced concepts and techniques.
"How to Reassess Your Chess" by Jeremy Silman
This is the ultimate guide for players ready to dive deeper into strategy. It teaches you how to evaluate positions, plan your moves, and understand imbalances.
Additional Recommendations
"Chess for Tigers" by Simon Webb
This book is suitable for players who have been playing for a year or two and are starting to enter competitions. It offers practical advice on how to beat stronger and weaker players, manage time, and study effectively.
"The Chess Player’s Bible" by James Eade
An introduction to chess with lots of diagrams, it’s very, very visual. A bit like the first book I mentioned, Winning Chess Strategy for Kids, it covers a wide variety of topics: how to start your games, how to play in the middle, how to play at the end. I think it’s a great first or second chess book. It’s something that kids can dip into again and again, once they decide they really like chess and want to learn more.
"My Great Predecessors" by GM Garry Kasparov
If you want to learn about chess history and strategy at the same time, there's nothing better than former world champion GM Garry Kasparov's five-volume set, My Great Predecessors.
Online Resources
In addition to books, numerous online resources can supplement your learning.
Chessity.com
A Dutch site that is very interactive and it’s probably the best place to learn how the pieces move.
Chesskid.com
The best thing about that is they’ve got fantastic educational videos. It’s a safe place to do puzzles and play games.
Chess.com
Good for adults or older kids. You can play games, you can solve puzzles, there are lots of good videos on there.
Lichess.org
A charity, it’s amazing.
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