Chess for Beginners

The following list of books has been compiled from a number of web resources.

1200-1400

1) Chess Tactics for Students by John Bain
2) Logical Chess Move by Move by Irving Chernev
3) Polgar’s 5334 Chess Problems by Polgar
4) Winning Chess Tactics by Seirawan
5) Pandolfini’s Endgame Course by Bruce Pandolfini
6) Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca
7) Lasker’s Manual of Chess by E. Lasker
The Ideas Behind the Chess Openings by Ruben Fine

1400-1600
1) Modern Chess Strategy by Ludek Pachman
2) Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev
3) Combination Challenge by Lou Hays
4) Marshall’s Best Games of Chess
5) Best Lessons of a Chess Coach by Weeramantry & Eusebi
6) 1001 Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld

1600-1700

1) The Amateur’s Mind by J. Silman
2) Alekhine’s Best Games
3) Attacking Technique by Colin Crouch
4) Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings
5) Chess Praxis by Nimozwitch

1700-1800

1) The Art of Attack by Victor Vukovic
2) Chess Training Pocketbook by Lev Alburt
3) My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer
4) One Hundred Selected Games by Botnnivick
5) Understanding Chess Move by Move by Nunn
6) Chess Puzzle Book by John Nunn

1800-2000

1) How to Reassess your Chess by J. Silman
2) Fire on Board by Shirov
3)Fundamental Chess Endings by Mueller
4) Improve your Chess Now By Johnathan Tillman
5) Strategic Play: School of Chess Excellence 3
6) The Road to Chess Improvement by Yermolinsky
7) Modern Chess Opening Theory by Suetin
Zurich 1953
9) Grandmaster Secrets of the Endgame by Soltis
10) My System by Nimzowitch
11) Think Like a Grandmaster by Kotov

In How to Reassess your Chess Jeffery Silman describes how to create a plan in the middle game based on his set of imbalances. The list of imbalances includes:

Imbalances

1) Superior minor piece
2) pawn structure
3) space
4) material
5) control of key file or square
6) lead in development
7) initiative

Silman goes on to describe his ‘Thinking Technique‘ which is based on his imbalances. In a nutshell the thinking technique consists of:

Silman Thinking Technique

1) Determine your position based on positive or negative imbalances

2) Determine the side of the board to play on

3) Dream up fantasy positions

4) Try to acheive fantasy position, if not dream up another one

5) Look at candidate moves. candidate moves are all moves that lead to fantasy position.

This Chess Course is broken down into 86 Lessons each lasting 60 minutes. Lessons should be taken a minimum of 2 times per week. The entire course lasts anywhere from 21-43 weeks.

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