Chess Books for Beginner?

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BeanBandit

I am new to chess (I learned how to play by watching YouTube videos like Chess.com's "Everything You Need to Know About Chess" series and playing on-line) and I am currently working my way through "Pandolfini's Ultimate Guide to Chess."  Lots of good information.

Can anyone here recommend a few follow-on books to this one for a newbie?  Thanks much.

KeatonBrownstead

Must read: how to reassess your chess, by Jeremy Silman

KeatonBrownstead

Also, get a good collection of games like Bobby Fischer's My 60 Memorable Games

JariIkonen

http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Chess-For-Dummies-3rd-Edition.productCd-1118016955.html

?

Dodger111

For a beginner you can't beat Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca.

granitoman

I think "How to reasses your chess " Fisher's "my 60 Memorable games" are kinda advanced for a newbie. At first you should concentrate on endgame, not to lose pieces for free, and basic motifs like pin, skewer and forks.

So my recomendations:

Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca

Play Winning Chess by Seirawan

A tactics books like "Winning chess tactics" by Seirawan.

By the way Dan Heisman gives great advice on the subject:

http://home.comcast.net/~danheisman/Events_Books/General_Book_Guide.htm

TheGreatOogieBoogie

Thought the link said Evans' Gambit and I was ready to say a beginner doesn't yet have the skill to properly assess his positional and dynamic advantages when out of book (so would trade active pieces when not necessary and therefore harm themselves).

Even Morphy had trouble using the Evans sometimes.  Speaking of which there's an instructive queen vs. queen and two pawns endgame played between Morphy and Anderssen. 

 

Onto book suggetions:

1.Logical Chess Move by Move

2.Chess Fundamentals like mentioned above.

3.A basic positional understanding book.  Calculation is meaningless if you can't properly assess the pros and cons of a specific variation or why you should play certain tactics after all. 

4.Chess Tempo as a guest.

5.Silman's Endgame Course or Muller's Fundamental Chess Endings.  Capablanca recommends studying the endgame for improvement.  I have Fine's Basic Chess Endings, Turning Advantage Into Victory in Chess, Endgame Strategy, and Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual and my endgame library isn't even near complete (I still need Muller's Secrets of Pawn Endings, the Survival Guide to Rook Endings, Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames, and Comprehensive Chess Endgames volume that focuses on queen endgames since books on those are non-existent except for that one.  Then the rest of the Comprehensive Chess Endgames and maybe some ECE for good measure when I develop a sufficient understanding). 

JohnStormcrow

I get absolutely giddy from the idea of some chess beginner reading this and then ordering Muller's Fundamental Chess Endings.

alec849
BeanBandit wrote:

Can anyone here recommend a few follow-on books to this one for a newbie?  Thanks much.

Winning Chess by Chernev and Reinfeld:

http://www.uscfsales.com/winning-chess-new-edition.html

Old School tactics book just released in algebraic format from Batsford if your new to the game you can't go wrong with this for learning tactics.

The Game of Chess Tarrasch by Siegbert Tarrasch

http://www.uscfsales.com/the-game-of-chess.html

Systematic intuitive approach Tarrasch starts with the elements and the endgame then he gradually and slowly moves on to harder and difficult topics you won't mix things up like spaggetti and become a total mess if you stick with him to the end you'll see Chess as a unified harmonious whole with it's parts linked together

1000 Best Short Games of Chess by Irving Chernev

http://www.uscfsales.com/1000-best-short-games-of-chess.html

I call this the recipe book it's full of tactics and patterns by going over the games quickly on a real set every day (speed training) with a chess clock in addition to drilling yourself with hundreds of tactics problems mates and combinations you'll sharpen your vision.

BeanBandit

Thanks for all the input.  I really appreciate it...