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Hello. My dad taught me how to play chess when I was a kid and after a brief (25 year) break, I decided to take it up in order to teach my own kids to play. I started in January and have thoroughly enjoyed losing most of my games. I’d like to make sure my kids are going to be better than me someday, but I’ll have to improve my own game in order to teach them what they need to know. So my question for the forum is: what are some standard resources (particularly books) that I should familiarize myself with in order to study and improve my practice? Thanks!
An english version of Roberto Grau's chess general treaty (i dont know how to write "tratado" in english)
Thanks👍
I'd recommend Alexander Kotovs trilogy of books, Think like a Grandmaster, Play like a Grandmaster, Train like a Grandmaster. It's three books but they are not very long. If anything the 1st one is considered a must read by many chess players.
Maybe a slightly different approach is required if you intend to teach your kids. Why not use proven resources to teach them and get a good review in the process. The Dutch Steppenmethode is widely used to teach kids and gets great reviews. Yes, of course it's available in English. Let me run around and find a link for you...
https://www.stappenmethode.nl/en/
Lots of resources of the sort your are looking for here....
Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell
BTW - Kotov's grandmaster books are (with all due respect) way over your, or any beginner's head. At this point in your chess development you should work with books that are targeted to beginner-novice players. Learn to walk before attempting to run.
That’s probably true. But you can’t reach for the stars without looking at them first.
Feb 22, 2020
0
#8
Books are great for the experienced chess player, but many beginners find them tedious to following long lines, or simply boring. Make sure to teach your kids how to utilize a computer for chess training; this is a huge asset that didn't exist in compare 25+ years ago.
Using a computer is far more than plugging the position in and letting the computer "do all the work for you." A computer for analysis is great when a thinking human player is utilizing it for training purposes. Plus, computers offer chess playing opportunities (thanks chess.com 
) and tactics trainers with problem after problem. This is much easier than waiting for puzzles to be printed in a chess magazine or newspaper like it used to be.
"... for those that want to be as good as they can be, they'll have to work hard.
Play opponents who are better than you … Learn basic endgames. Create a simple opening repertoire (understanding the moves are far more important than memorizing them). Study tactics. And pick up tons of patterns. That’s the drumbeat of success. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (December 27, 2018)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/little-things-that-help-your-game
https://www.chess.com/article/view/how-to-start-out-in-chess
https://www.chess.com/blog/michechess89/8-tips-to-increase-your-online-rating
https://www.chess.com/news/view/rapid-chess-improvement
https://www.chess.com/news/view/a-new-years-resolution-improve-your-chess-with-new-lessons
https://www.chess.com/article/view/mastery-chess-lessons-are-here
"... In order to maximize the benefits of [theory and practice], these two should be approached in a balanced manner. ... Play as many slow games (60 5 or preferably slower) as possible, ... The other side of improvement is theory. ... This can be reading books, taking lessons, watching videos, doing problems on software, etc. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2002)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627084053/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman19.pdf
"... If it’s instruction, you look for an author that addresses players at your level (buying something that’s too advanced won’t help you at all). This means that a classic book that is revered by many people might not be useful for you. ..." - IM Jeremy Silman (2015)
https://www.chess.com/article/view/the-best-chess-books-ever
Here are some reading possibilities that I often mention:
Simple Attacking Plans by Fred Wilson (2012)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090402/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review874.pdf
http://dev.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Simple-Attacking-Plans-77p3731.htm
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (1957)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708104437/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/logichess.pdf
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1965)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/most-instructive-games-of-chess-ever-played/
Winning Chess by Irving Chernev and Fred Reinfeld (1948)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708093415/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review919.pdf
Back to Basics: Tactics by Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708233537/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review585.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-back-to-basics-tactics
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5856bd64ff7c50433c3803db/t/5895fc0ca5790af7895297e4/1486224396755/btbtactics2excerpt.pdf
Discovering Chess Openings by GM John Emms (2006)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627114655/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen91.pdf
Openings for Amateurs by Pete Tamburro (2014)
http://kenilworthian.blogspot.com/2014/05/review-of-pete-tamburros-openings-for.html
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/openings-for-amateurs/
https://www.chess.com/blog/ForwardChess/book-of-the-week-openings-for-amateurs
https://www.mongoosepress.com/catalog/excerpts/openings_amateurs.pdf
Chess Endgames for Kids by Karsten Müller (2015)
https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-endgames-for-kids/
http://www.gambitbooks.com/pdfs/Chess_Endgames_for_Kids.pdf
A Guide to Chess Improvement by Dan Heisman (2010)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708105628/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review781.pdf
Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090448/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review750.pdf
Seirawan stuff:
http://seagaard.dk/review/eng/bo_beginner/ev_winning_chess.asp?KATID=BO&ID=BO-Beginner
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708090229/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review492.pdf
http://www.nystar.com/tamarkin/review1.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627132508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen173.pdf
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-openings
https://www.chess.com/article/view/book-review-winning-chess-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
Dzindo07 wrote:
... Alexander Kotovs trilogy of books, Think like a Grandmaster, Play like a Grandmaster, Train like a Grandmaster. ...
https://www.chess.com/article/view/quotthink-like-a-grandmasterquot-by-alexander-kotov
Maybe there would be something helpful in a 2013 Silman article, called Dinos to the Slav.
http://www.uschess.org/content/view/12291/719/
"... [Winning Chess Strategy for Kids] is a comprehensive chess course written for children 7 to 13 years old. … It covers the rules of play, basic mates and elementary tactics. Then it leads the student through a whole range of more advanced strategies, including piece development, pawn structure, and attacking the castled king. Finally opening principles, middlegame plans, and endgame techniques are all explained in clear and simple language for easy comprehension. ..."
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708094112/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review332.pdf
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/how-to-teach-a-7-yr-old