Fredthebear got carried away writing this for another collection, but it might be of use to diligent students and instructors...

Before attempting the classic chess book Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev, FTB recommends that true beginners read the following books three times each (yes, at least three times because it gets clearer -- easier, smoother with each reading as information is assimilated with prior understanding).

Successful chess is PATTERN RECOGNITION from prior experience. Proper repetition is very beneficial. Such books will teach and reinforce basic fundamental patterns s/he must consistently recognize to win the game. With each additional reading, the beginner gets better, quicker, smoother at recognizing the reoccurring patterns in chess such as forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, batteries/outnumbering, and forced checkmate arrangements. One reading will not suffice for mastery!

The point is, if the chess beginner struggles with the book list below, Logical Chess will prove too difficult as well. There's little or no value in reading a chess book that is too difficult to comprehend. One's playing ability and understanding must approach the same level as the book is written for. A grammar school student does not read textbooks written for the senior high school! (The written word of Logical Chess is easy enough to understand, but the combinations and alternate moves are a bit much for newbies.)

Note: Obtain these books from your local library. Each can be requested through interlibrary loan. It's a good idea to purchase the puzzle books (3 or more diagrams per page) to have at home/backpack for constant review of 1,000 to 3,000 puzzles. Most used chess books can be purchased on-line for $10 or less w/a $4 shipping & handling fee. New books, out-of-print books, and hardbacks cost more.

0) Easy Guide to Chess by B.H. Wood. A good first book for adult readers, but probably not children. The Amazing Book of Chess by Gareth Williams is a large, colorful, entertaining hardback with clear chess diagrams.

1) Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Fischer's friends (Various checkmates on the back rank that must not be overlooked. This book uses stars and arrows instead of move notation. This self-guided book has one puzzle per page; it's an easy read that must be understood. It does not explain openings, middlegames, or endgames. It drills, drills, drills, how to perform checkmate in many different but simple ways such as pinning or deflecting the defender, or outnumbering the defender w/more attackers!!)

Most of these are long-lasting chess books still in some form of circulation written in descriptive notation:

2) First Book of Chess by I.A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeld (More comprehensive than Fischer's puzzle book; introduction to descriptive notation, various openings, tactics, and endgames that promote pawns to queen or knight.)

3) Reshevsky Teaches Chess by GM Samuel Reshevsky. (Further explanations of moves, rules, concepts with good games examples.) "Learn Chess Fast" by Reshevsky and Reinfeld is also good.

4) Chess Tactics for Beginners by Fred Reinfeld (Practice basic captures piece by piece; it includes but does not over-emphasize checkmates. Strong chess players master tactics with a high degree of speed and accuracy! Perfect practice makes perfect.)

5) An Invitation to Chess by Kenneth Harkness and Irving Chernev. (This classic teaches various concepts and builds up to chess movies...games with a diagram shown after each side has moved. White moves, Black moves; there's another diagram showing the correct position, etc.)

6) How to be a Winner at Chess by Fred Reinfeld. (Vital guidelines of the thinking process for the novice in the opening, middlegame, and endgame. This is the basic foundation of planning ahead -- what to think about and look for -- that should clear up any misconceptions.)

7) Chess For Beginners by I.A. Horowitz (white cover). The endgame chapter is must-know. The combinations are a bit too challenging for beginners. This book is highly recommended by a well-known chess coach.

8) How to Win Chess Games Quickly by Fred Reinfeld. Mostly short games of 16 moves or less. This is a fairly easy book that could have been read sooner, but a focus on the opening phase should be delayed in the learning process.

9) Chess in an Hour, revised 2nd edition by Frank J. Marshall and Irving Chernev. (Brief lessons on opening traps, middlegame combinations, and pawn endgames. The puzzle examples from GM games are more challenging than the previous books.)

10) A Primer of Chess by Fred Reinfeld.
10) How to Force Checkmate by Fred Reinfeld (300 famous checkmate puzzles in 1-3 moves; it starts off easy but gets more difficult. Read this book three times back-to-back-to-back!!!)

11) Let's Play Chess by Anthony Hansford. Thin hardcover, visually appealing and informative. This serves as an excellent summary of what's been learned so far. Contains more grandmaster games than most beginner books to usher the reader further along.

12) How to Improve Your Chess by I.A. Horowitz and Fred Reinfeld. (This book has 16 games fully explained move-by-move. It is a simpler version of Logical Chess; it holds the reader's hand each turn. The headline and initial paragraph outlines the theme of that particular game.)

13) Chess in Ten Easy Lessons by Larry Evans is well-known; the level of difficulty jumps dramatically toward the end of the book. It includes an excellent jump start on mainstream openings. Unfortunately, the binding tends to be weak, so keep a rubber band wrapped around the middle so the pages don't fall out.

14) Combinations by Julius Du Mont. (A forgotten gem that will raise one's level of analysis. It will prepare you to identify the combinations shown in Logical Chess. Only one move can be played at a time; it's done so after carefully calculating and eliminating other less useful possibilities.)

15) Logical Chess, Move by Move by Irving Chernev. This is the book you've been preparing for!

16) Lasker's How to Play Chess: An Elementary Text Book for Beginners. This book is not as simple as the title sounds.

17) Attack and Counterattack in Chess by Fred Reinfeld. This book is an excellent introduction to multiple openings with emphasis on rapid development and central control. Most games last 20-30 moves explained over 3-4 pages w/a diagram at the key moment.

19) Win at Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (A MUST READ! This renowned book on tactics explains step-by-step how to find the best move to capture your opponent's piece.)

18) How Not to Play Chess by Eugene A. Znosko-Borovsky. This small book is an oldie but goodie that explains twenty five "do not" principles that span general planning and bad habits, opening traps, middlegame combinations, and stopping the passed pawn. Many advanced beginners and intermediates do not realize that they repeat the same types of mistakes over and over.

20) The Logical Approach to Chess by Dr. Max Euwe. This teaches concepts and fundamentals. It addresses the pawn's role.

20) A New Approach to Chess Mastery by Fred Reinfeld. This book uses a question and answer format. It contains just eight games and serves as a fairly brief self-test.

20) The Art of the Checkmate by Renaud & Kahn (A delightful classic...one of my all-time favorites. Students must know how to go about finishing off their opponents.)

21) Common Sense in Chess by Emanuel Lasker. Another classic.

21) Great Short Games of the Chess Masters by Fred Reinfeld.

22) Chess: the way to win by Edward Young. It's loaded with Rules, Opening Traps, Attacking Motifs, and a chapter on the Endgame.

22) What's the Best Move? by Larry Evans.

23) Chess Made Simple by Milton L. Hanauer. Highly instructional, but prior chess understanding helps one to appreciate the usefulness of the material. If you read it once, you'll read it again because you want to.

25) The Game of Chess by Harry Golombek.

25) Win in 20 Moves or Less by Fred Reinfeld (73 short games with light notes and more variety in the openings.)

25) Endgames: Essential Knowledge by Averbakh.

27) Chess Quiz/Challenge to Chess Players by Fred Reinfeld. Puzzle book. Re-printed in algebraic notation as How to Win at Chess.

28) Chess the Easy Way by Reuben Fine. Not as easy as it sounds, but it will be easily understood if you've done your reading assignments!

29) Chess Strategy and Tactics by Chernev and Reinfeld. 50 thematic games.

30) Chess Fundamentals by Jose R. Capablanca. The general principles and game examples are good, but this book requires prior understanding of basic fundamentals to get use from it.

31) The Complete Chess Player by Fred Reinfeld. Compare this book to Capablanca's book.

23) A Primer of Chess by Jose R. Capablanca. It's a bit much for a novice.

31) Chess Master vs Chess Amateur by Dr. Max Euwe and Walter Meiden. This dense book takes a month to read... it's not for beginners, but it does explain everything very well!

32) The King Hunt in Chess by W.H. Cozens. This list constantly hones the reader's ability to strike hard and fast without mercy!

- Strategy and Tactics in Chess Play by Dr. Max Euwe. - The Road to Chess Mastery by Dr. Max Euwe and Walter Meiden. - The Game of Chess by Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch.
- The Middlegame by Reuben Fine.
- Three Hundred Games of Chess by Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch. - Ludek Pachman's Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman. - 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate by Fred Reinfeld - One Thousand and One Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld. - The Complete Chess Course by Fred Reinfeld. Eight books in one! - Lasker's Manual of Chess by Emanuel Lasker.
- Morphy's Games of Chess by Philip W. Sergeant. - Capablanca's Best Games by Harry Golombek.
- Capablanca's Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev. - The Tactics of the End Games by Jeno Ban
- Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood by Edward Lasker - 500 Master Games of Chess by Tartakower & du Mont - Masters of the Chessboard by Richard Reti
- Modern Ideas in Chess by Richard Reti
- Réti's Best Games of Chess by Richard Réti, Harry Golombek - Dynamic Chess: The Modern Style of Aggressive Play by R. N. Coles - How to Play The Middle Game in Chess by John Littlewood

- Basic Chess Endings by Reuben Fine.
- Ideas Behind the Chess Openings by Reuben Fine. - Modern Chess Miniatures by Barden & Heidenfeld. - The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played: 62 Masterpieces of Chess Strategy by Irving Chernev. - Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic
- Art of Sacrifice in Chess by R. Spielmann
- Art of Chess Combination by Eugene A. Znosko-Borovsky - The Great Chess Masters and Their Games by Fred Reinfeld. - Point Count Chess by I.A. Horowitz
- Judgment and Planning in Chess by Max Euwe
- My System by Nimzowitsch
- Pawn Power in Chess by Hans Kmoch
- Rubinstein's Chess Masterpieces: 100 Selected Games by Hans Kmoch - Art of Positional Play by Samuel Reshevsky
- The Art of the Middle Game by Keres and Kotov. - Keres Best Games 1931-1948 by Fred Reinfeld and Dr. Reuben Fine. - Zurich International Chess Tournament, 1953 by David Bronstein - One Hundred Selected Games by Mikhail Botvinnik - The life and games of Mikhail Tal by Mikhail Tal

Instructive chess puzzle books (written in descriptive notation) with diagrams on every page can be solved by starring at the book -- no board is necessary. To solve the puzzles, consider all the possible forcing moves: 1.1) All possible Checks, Captures, and Pawn (Advances)/Promotions available NOW. The vast majority of your moves should be made with your pieces, not your pawns. Pieces can go farther, faster and retreat. 1.2, 1.3) Then consider future Threats to Check, Capture or Pawn (Advances)/Promotion in two or three moves. (Sometimes a simple quite move is made first that limits the opponent's response, such as seizing control of an open line or blocking a backward pawn to prevent the opposing king's escape. This quiet move first prepares a violent follow-up.) 2) Double Attack: Can one of my units move to attack two or more of his units simultaneously? This concept falls under the tactical category of forks, pins, skewers, and discovered attacks. Every unit on the chessboard from king to pawn is capable of forking two opposing units. 3) MIP: Attack a More Important Piece, such as aiming thy bishop at the opposing queen or pushing the pawn at a knight. 4) Outnumber: Attack something already under attack by adding another attacker or subtracting a defender. Where a capture is not materially sound, consider changing the equation of attackers vs. defenders. 5) Unpin/Untie/Unsmother Immediately. If my unit is immobilized and cannot or dare not move to make it's own threat, then I should fix the problem to give my unit freedom of movement.

Repeatedly solving puzzle books from the list is how one develops tactical vision of reoccurring patterns. Gaining a material advantage by capturing and removing the opponent's army one unit at a time without losing your own is a huge advantage, often on the path to victory ("Superior force should win" says Chernev). In most games, a certain number of captures must occur to clear off defenders and make way for invasion before a checkmate can happen. The general with the larger, entirely mobilized army should win if he's careful yet aggressive!

To develop strategical considerations -- a long term plan when forcing tactics are not available -- the learner should play through many annotated games that explain the reasoning behind the moves. Books that have a collection of annotated games from first move to last (like Logical Chess) must be read while seated at a table with a chessboard to play out each move on the board. Just make the move given in the book and continue to follow along move by move. The reader sees what is happening and how the position changes with each turn as the author explains the why.

In fact, many would suggest using two chessboards when conducting a self-study: one board tracks the actual game sequence written in the book, and the second board is for considering alternative moves different from the original game sequence. The units on the second board often get pushed out-of-sorts when a creative mind debates the various possibilities that could have been played instead. Fortunately, it easy to return to the actual printed game sequence because it remains standing in the proper place on the first board. The first board never varies from the actual move order of the game given in the book. The second board serves as the "jumping off" point to look at other possibilities. Many readers prefer to use a standard regulation board as the first board, and a much smaller pocket-sized portable set as the second board.

The 33 games from Logical Chess are not included in this collection. Learn what combinations are and build up to it.

* Game Collection: Checkmate: Checkmate Patterns This link has a good, concise collection of diagrammed checkmate patterns by name. The new reader may wish to consult it initially to the point of memorization. If you cannot instantly recognize checkmate patterns, it's difficult to win a game of chess.

* Garry Kasparov Teaches Chess (Batsford 1986): Game Collection: Garry Kasparov Teaches Chess

* "Attack! Always Attack!" -- Adolph Anderssen

* "Play the opening like a book, the middle game like a magician, and the endgame like a machine" -- Rudolph Spielmann

* "When you have the better of it, play simply. When the game is going against you, look for complications." -- Frank J. Marshall.

* AA minis: http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...