Recomended reading
- The Right Way to Play Chess by D Brine Pritchard; Elliott Right Way Books
- General guidance and principles for the complete beginner or novice player.
- The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess and John Nunn; Robinson
- A superb introduction to chess for the more serious player. Tactics; delivering mate; the openings; attack
and defence; and just about every other subject is at least touched on. BCF Book of the Year, 1997.
- The World’s Greatest Chess Games by Graham Burgess, et alia; Robinson
- The companion volume. 100 pyrotechnic games by all the world champions and other great players,
each annotated by a Grandmaster (John Nunn or John Emms) or International Master (Graham Burgess).
- My System by Aron Nimzowitsch; Hays Publishing
- A superb introduction to more advanced principles by one of the most famous ‘hypermodern’ players.
Restrain, blockade, destroy; overprotection; pawn chains; isolated or doubled pawns; and much more.
Illustrated by 50 games against the likes of Paulsen, Tartakower, Capablanca, Alekhine, and Rubinstein.
- Chess Praxis by Aron Nimzowitsch; Hays Publishing
- 124 annotated games which illustrate the ‘System’ including 14 by modern GMs. Algebraic notation.
- The Sorceror’s Apprentice by David Bronstein; Everyman Chess
- 220 games by a most entertaining player and author, consisting of 40 combinations with explanations
(full games, one per page, with a discussion of the combination only); 50 games with comments;
60 games with diagrams; and 70 “picturesque” games. Algebraic notation.
- Strategic Chess by GM Edmar Mednis; Dover
- 30 closed games annotated by a most entertaining player and author. Algebraic notation.
- The World Champions Teach Chess by Yakov Estrin & Isaac Romanov; A&C Black
- One article by each of the official undisputed world champions: Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky, Fischer, Karpov and Kasparov, plus Estrin (World Correspondence Chess Champion). Algebraic notation.
- 303 Tactical Chess Puzzles by Fred Wilson & Bruce Alberston; Sterling
- 100 for “advanced beginners”, 100 for intermediate players, 100 for tournament players, plus two bonus problems in each section. (Yes, that’s 306 problems). Great for train journeys. Algebraic notation.
- 202 Surprising Checkmates by Fred Wilson & Bruce Alberston; Dover
- 100 mates in one; 100 mates in two; and two mates in three. All entertaining. Algebraic notation.