Sharon Junior Chess Club
Book Reviews
The following are a selection of books that I have come across in learning how to play chess. However ChessKid have published a list of what they think are the best 8 chess books for kids. The first four are for beginners and the next are for advanced beginners: https://www.chesskid.com/learn/articles/chess-books-kids
How to win at chess
Daniel King is a Grandmaster who has put together an excellent introduction for new players; who have mastered how the pieces move and now want to start playing games with their parents, friends or bots. The book is clearly set out into three parts; opening the game; the middle game and the endgame. Rather than providing players with long lists of moves to make he provides ten of the most important principles to bear in mind during the game; which if followed will help to guide players in finding the right moves to make enabling them to build confidence and experience in playing the game. This is a good foundation book to have.
Chess Tactics for the Tournament Player
Nearly all chess games are won by basic tactical methods. This book makes these methods memorable and clear.It's been said that "tactics are 99% of chess." This third volume of the Comprehensive Chess Course teaches you the basic tools of winning chess with instructive and memorable examples.
Discovering chess openings
John Emms has written a book aimed at those who know nothing or very little about chess openings. It's also for those who do know some moves of opening theory, who have happily played these moves in their own games, but are perhaps not quite sure why they play them! One of the books main aims is to give the reader enough confidence to face the unknown; to be able to play good, logical moves in the opening despite in many cases having a lack of concrete knowledge of the theory.
The bishops opening explained
This is great opening for beginners to master that has a long history in chess. The Bishop’s Opening allows White to dictate the pattern of play from as early as the second move. It is ideal for club and tournament players as it leads to positions in which a successful outcome depends on knowledge of the important ideas for both sides. The key plans and strategies are explained to make it easy for those who have limited time to study. A large number of world-class players employ it, clearly confirming that it is a highly respected and formidable opening.
First Steps: 1 e4 e5
Everyman Chess are publishers of chess books and John Emms is one of Britain's strongest Grandmasters. He has also carved out a reputation for being an excellent chess writer publishing many works under his name. If you are a junior club and budding tournament player wanting to build a solid foundation and understanding of all the main opening games taught at club level then this book is the ideal starting point for you. Chess books are notably difficult to read; but if you read the book carefully and set out the moves on a chess board you will start to gain a much deeper appreciation of why certain moves are made and what to avoid playing as white or black. This will make you a much better player at club level.
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played
Written by Irving Chernev a chess player and prolific Russian-American chess author. It contains 62 masterly demonstrations of the basic strategies of winning, featuring games by the greatest chess masters ― Capablanca, Tarrasch, Fischer, Alekhine, Lasker, others. Each game offers a classic example of a fundamental problem and its best resolution, described and diagramed in the clearest possible manner for players of every level of skill.
Logical chess move by move
Written by Irving Chernev this book takes a look at 33 famous games to discover the meaning and purpose of every move. By following the ideas, the methods and very thoughts you too can become a master of chess and acquire the knowledge and instinct for recognising good moves and rejecting inferior ones. Chess is the most exciting game in the world and it adds to the pleasure of watching each game unfold the fascination of watching the mental workings of a master as he reveals the wealth of ideas that occur to him in every new situation.