Starting Out
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Chess Tactics for Kids |
A good introduction to tactics. |
1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners |
An explanation of basic tactical themes with a large number of exercises. |
"Logical Chess" by Irving Chernev |
33 games by grandmasters, with every move explained in detail. |
"Steps" books |
A structured programme to teach children to play chess. The Steps 1 Workbork covers the basic rules. Workbook 2 coves a lot of tactics. |
Yusupov Chess Fundamentals |
A high quality course of chess training. Level 1 is aimed at players up to 1600. |
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Players rated 1500 - 1800
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“Understanding the Chess Openings” by Sam Collins |
A good overview of all the openings, helping you decide which ones you might want to investigate further. |
"Simple Chess" by Michael Stean |
An excellent introduction to strategy. |
"The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book" by John Emms |
1001 puzzles at a wide range of difficulty levels. |
"Silman's Complete Endgame Course" |
The size is a bit daunting, but the chapters are broken down into rating categories, you can work through just the chapters that are appropriate for your level |
"Steps" books |
Workbooks 3 and 4 are appropriate for this level. |
Yusupov Chess Fundamentals |
The Level 2 books are suitable for this ability range. |
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Players rated 1800 - 2100
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"Improve your chess now" by Jon Tisdall |
A self-improvement manual which covers areas such as calculation and psychological factors |
"Chess Structures" by Mauricio Flores Rios |
An in-depth study of the 28 most common structures in chess practice. |
Yusupov Chess Fundamentals |
The Level 3 books are suitable for this ability range. |
"100 endgames you must know" by Jesus de la Villa |
Covers the endgame positions most likely to occur in practice. |
Think like a Super-GM |
40 chess puzzles were shown to a panel of players ranging from occasional club players up to Super-GM and co-author Michael Adams. Compare your solution and thought processes. |
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Players rated over 2100
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"Grandmaster Preparation" series by Jacob Aagaard |
A series of books where the emphasis is on solving exercises. Start with "Calculation" and "Positional Play", then move onto "Endgame Play" and "Attack and Defence". |
Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual |
The definitive book on endgames |
"Zlotnik's Middlegame Manual" |
The book covers 6 key middlegame structures. |
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Openings
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It is difficult to give specific recommendations as it will depend on which opening you want to study. It is best to find something that concentrates more on explanations rather than giving too many variations For books, New in Chess have a wide range of titles, and the quality is usually excellent If you prefer videos then Chessbase has an excellent selection. Some recommended authors are Victor Bologan, Danny King and Simon Williams.
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