Please send us your list of preferred scholastic books along with an indication of which age group it is most appropriate, ability level (rating), and aspect(s) of the game the book covers.

Books for Early Improvement

Play Winning Chess, by Yasser Seirawan and Jeremy Silman.

Microsoft Press.

This should be every novice chess player’s first chess book. Readable, practical, and rock-solid on chess theory, this book literally set a new standard for the chess books that followed: no more pages full of six-ply variations; no more dry, poorly constructed sentences; no more page after page without a diagram or pinch of humor. This book is inexpensive, fun to read, visually attractive inside and out, accessible to beginners, and full of ideas that will provide substantial, immediate improvement. What more can you want?

Winning Chess Tactics, by Yasser Seirawan

The follow up to Play Winning Chess, this book continues to capture powerful chess ideas in an attractive, entertaining package. Forks, pins, skewers, combinations, and other chess tactics are explored and revealed here. Although others have tried, none have presented tactical chess as clearly and effectively as Seirawan: a must-have book for chess teachers and their students.

Winning Chess Strategy, by Yasser Seirawan

You guessed it; this is the third book of the series, dealing with positional elements and strategic use of pieces. Seirawan draws elements from Steinitz, Nimzowitch, and other greats, and presents their ideas in his customary, accessible style. The student who masters all three Seirawan books will be a formidable opponent for any club-level chess player.

Weapons of Chess, by Bruce Pandolfini

The author of this fine book was Josh Waitzkin’s chess coach, portayed by Ben Kingsley in the film, Searching for Bobby Fischer. Although Pandolfini has written many books, I believe this is his strongest. Primarily a strategy book, Weapons of Chess is organized alphabetically rather than thematically; still, it presents information and ideas logically and effectively. This is one of the most readable chess books you will ever find, yet it handles chess strategy issues (such as isolated d-pawns and placement of minor pieces) very well. In fact, I recommend that students read this book before reading Seirawan’s, Winning Chess Strategy.

Pandolfini’s Endgame Course, by Bruce Pandolfini

This is the other Pandolfini book I recommend. The single most neglected part of chess is endgame. How many times have we seen novice players display good tactical and strategic knowledge to gain an advantage, only to blow the endgame? Well constructed and diagrammed, this book teaches all of the basics of endgame. My only criticism is the space spent on obscure, rare endgames that the average student will never encounter. Study the chapters involving pawns and rooks, and forget about the rest.

Best Lessons of a Chess Coach, by Sunil Weeramantry

Another revolutionary book by a world-class chess coach (Weeramantry’s son, Hikaru Nakamura, became the youngest master in history at age ten), this text gives complete, thoroughly annotated games. The questions, diagrams, and discussions occur at critical points in the games, and Weeramantry, knowing the effectiveness of the Socratic dialogue, predicts possible wrong answers from students and explains why they are wrong. No other game annotations come close to Weeramantry’s for usefulness to the novice chess player.

Books for Advanced Students

How To Reassess Your Chess, 3^rd Edition, by Jeremy Silman, Siles Press

This book challenges players to rethink the way we select our moves. Silman suggests organized thinking, based around accurate assessment of the position and recognition of “imbalances,” areas where one player or the other has an advantage. Reassess Your Chess literally changes the way you look at the board. In fact, you may struggle in competition as you first try to incorporate Silman’s methods of assessment and strategy, overlooking simple tactics and combinations. Once you assimilate the book’s ideas completely, however, you can expect extraordinary advancement.

Essential Chess Endings Explained Move by Move, Volume 1, 2^nd Edition, by Jeremy Silman, Chess Digest

This may be the only endgame book a club player will ever need. In his usual playful, direct style, Silman presents all of the most practical endgame knowledge in critical positions, with each move explained. Reading this book is like getting inside a master’s head during endgame. Best of all, Silman spends time and space on those endings that are most important: the ones that occur most frequently. The vast majority of the text deals with kings, pawns, and especially rooks.

The Inner Game of Chess, by Andrew Soltis, McKay Chess Library

Soltis has been one the most prolific chess writers in the world, writing many opening books with a wide range of quality and usefulness; however, The Inner Game of Chess could be his finest contribution to chess literature. Soltis presents chess analysis and calculation, following somewhat in the steps of Kotov’s Think Like a Grandmaster, but in a more cohesive, accessible manner. Soltis handles calculation “trees,” common errors, and critical moments when calculation is most important. Overall, this is a very good read, full of good diagrams and well-selected games and positions.

The King in Jeopardy, by Sam Palatnik and Lev Alburt, Chess Information and Research Center

What do you do when there are no immediate tactical opportunities, and yet you have an advantage in space or development in front of the enemy king? Attack! In this book, Alburt and Palatnik discuss attacking and defending the king. Many important questions are answered: When is the king safest left in the center? How do you initiate attacks on an uncastled king? When should you attack with pieces, and when with pawns? This book will help passive players become attacking machines. For another good attack text, check out Colin Crouch’s Attacking Technique, published by American Batsford Chess Library (International Chess Enterprises).

Improve Your Chess Now, by Jonathan Tisdall, Cadogan Chess

In what may be the best chess book of the decade, Tisdall challenges the “tree thinking” calculation of Kotov and his disciples, suggesting that master players rely more on pattern training and well-developed instinct than on constant calculation. This holistic approach to move selection includes “stepping stone” visualization techniques, defense of bad positions, value of the pieces, and mating patterns; in other words, the book is thematically messy, lacking a single, central “secret” idea or method—much like the game of chess itself!

TITLE	AUTHOR	Age Group of Reader	Ability Level of Audience	ASPECT OF GAME	RECOMMENDED BY
The Complete Idiots Guide to Chess	Wolff	Adult	Beginner	Most	NM Dan Heisman
Square One	Pandolfini	~8-10	Beginner	Moves and Rules	NM Dan Heisman
Comprehensive Chess Course Vol I	Alburt	10+	Beginner	Moves and Rules	NM Dan Heisman
Comprehensive Chess Course Vol II	Alburt	10+	Beginner+	Basic tactics & mates	NM Dan Heisman
Chess Tactics for Students	Bain	8+	Beginner+	tactical motifs	NM Dan Heisman
Chess Rules for Students	Bain	10+	Beginner	Basic Rules	NM Dan Heisman
The Chess Tactic Handbook	Wollum	8+	Beginner+	tactical motifs & mates	NM Dan Heisman
Logical Chess Move by Move	Chernev	Adult	Beginner+	annotated games	NM Dan Heisman
Everyone's 2nd Chess Book	Heisman	12+	Beginner+	Board vision, guidelines, improvement	NM Dan Heisman
Parent's Guide to US Chess	Heisman	Adult	N/A	Understanding the world of chess	NM Dan Heisman
A Guide to Scholastic Chess	Barber	Adult	N/A	Setting up a School Program	NM Dan Heisman
Pandolfini's Endgame Course	Pandolfini	10+	800+	Endgame Examples explained	NM Dan Heisman

ASPECT OF GAME

Scholastic Chess Syllabus

Books for Early Improvement