Maybe "Understanding Chess Move by Move" by GM Nunn would be interesting for you.
Best beginner chess book that emphasises on live strategy and creativity? (or chess960 book)
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"... 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/news/view/a-new-years-resolution-improve-your-chess-with-new-lessons
"... 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/
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486273024.html
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.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
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-endings
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708092617/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review560.pdf
Feb 1, 2019
0
#5
Richard Reti's "Masters of the chessboard" is part beginner guidebook, part game collection, part chess history (or - at least - chess history as it was known in 1932). It's a real classic that I've only just gotten around to reading that I felt would have REALLY benefitted me as a beginner. It's pretty light on opening theory and variations, focusing instead on the strategic themes that any player might be able to benefit from.
Also, Reti himself was an academic, so the prose style and wit is sometimes of a higher degree than your average chess book.....a lot of GMs are very smart at chess and pretty dumb everywhere else. Reti was a Renaissance man, and it comes through in his writing.
Feb 1, 2019
0
#6
AlisonHart wrote:
Also, Reti himself was an academic, so the prose style and wit is sometimes of a higher degree than your average chess book.....a lot of GMs are very smart at chess and pretty dumb everywhere else. Reti was a Renaissance man, and it comes through in his writing.
This is also a reason I picked GM Nunn he went to Oxford at the age of 15. To me that is pretty impressive. Not to mention his other accomplishments there.
Hi, I'd like to take up chess as a means of improving my lateral thinking and problem solving skills. Therefore I'd like to find a few beginner-level books (I've never played chess before) that emphasise on this aspect, as opposed to memorizing openings and in-game tactics (not that it can't have chapters dedicated to it, but it shouldn't be the main focus).
Now don't get me wrong, I completely understand the importance of learning openings and moves, specially if you want to be a medium to top-level player, and therefore I have a lot of appreaciation and respect for people that play at that level. But that's not my main goal, as I will be using chess more as a tool rather than a hobby or a competitive game. I really don't care about my score or playing tournamets or anything like that, I'd like to understand the rules and mechanics of the game and learn what constitutes a good move and a bad move, what are the main goals, how to take advantage of each piece, the main basic tactics and why they work, and how to analyze a situation in real time and act accordingly, using logic and creativity instead of memorized moves. I'd like to see how far I can go this way, and most importantly, to progress by using my creativity, and perhaps discover tactics by myself.
I am also interested in reading books about chess960, as it diminishes the need to memorize openings to some extend, although I'm aware that this variant is not very popular.
Thanks in advance