Suprised no one mentioned Irving Chernev's "Logical Chess Move by Move, Every Move Explained". It's been reprinted in algebraic and is an easy to follow (very few variations) collection of annotated games. I know Coach Heisman recommends it and it seems to be almost a rite of passage for chess players.
Chess Books for Beginners?
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Even more surprised nobody mentioned Lasker's chess manual. I think it's fantastic as an introduction to serious chess.
cardinal46 wrote:
kayak21 wrote:
I can't be reading chess books, I would find them so boring. I got bored reading Fifty Shades of Grey.
Here goes the neighborhood!
No, I prefer a good crime thriller. I read most of the Prey series by John Sandford. 
When I was a kid, I got a lot of mileage out of Fred Reinfeld's book, The Complete Chessplayer.
I remember giving it to a co-worker many years later, but I missed it so much I ended up buying another copy for myself.
Used copies are available via Amazon for about $4.00, and this includes shipping.
And yes, Chernev's Logical Chess Move By Move... belongs on every beginner's shelf.
What are some recommendations for chess books for the beginner rated around 1200?
Also something not too complex to understand or grasp.
there are some good and easy books like -
art of combination by maxim.v blokh
what it takes to become a chess master by andrew soltis