First we’ll look at what may be the best chess book for beginners who already know the rules of the game: Beat That Kid in Chess. After that brief review, we’ll look at two books for teaching the rules.
Learn Chess by the NIP Method
Nearly-identical positions—that’s the best way to learn to win chess games, and Beat That Kid in Chess uses this new approach systematically. You don’t need to know how it works when you’re going through the book, for it naturally helps you progress through the simple lessons. In other words, just enjoy learning the concepts while the method works under the surface.
This chess book is especially written for the reader who already knows how to play but who wants to win games. In contrast to the countless chess books written by grandmasters who assume the reader already knows the basics about simple tactics, Beat That Kid in Chess helps you one step at a time, beginning with the most basic ideas.
Nearly-identical positions show you how a checkmate works in one position and why it does not work in a similar-looking position. That’s why this may be the best chess book ever written for the beginner who already knows the rules of the game: It uses this powerful new teaching tool throughout the book. What other book on chess has ever done that (before the groundbreaking publication of Beat That Kid in Chess)?
By the way, the reading level of Beat That Kid in Chess is more for older children, teenagers, and adults. Don’t hand it over to an average six-year-old and expect that child to get much out of it. And it does not really concentrate on helping you beat a kid: any age of opponent will do. The title was chosen with marketing in mind, like most titles are chosen for books that become best-sellers.
Chess for Children
This book has been extremely popular on Amazon, sometimes the best-seller in chess books. Yet with all of its glowing reviews, this publication is not ideal for all children.
The following give a brief summary of points, as a warning:
- Chess for Children has many pages that explain the rules
- The images are especially for kids, but not the reading level
- The overall marketing has been excellent, so adults purchase this book
- Older children may find this book is too childish for their taste
- Younger children may not be able to read much of the text
Aside from the above warnings, however, this may be the ideal book for a younger child who enjoys having a parent read it to him or her. The child can enjoy the pictures while the parent does the reading. Just be aware that this has a lot of content for teaching the rules of chess. If an older child already knows the rules, then Beat That Kid in Chess will very likely be a much better choice.
The Kids’ Book of Chess (comes with a chess set)
This book has also sold very well on Amazon, although not usually as well as Chess for Children. Here’s one of the most positive reviews for The Kids’ Book of Chess:
This is the best Chess book for kids I ever came across. It explains all the pieces in a fun and easy way comparing [them] to their “function” in medieval times, so it’s really easy for kids to remember why they move a certain way.
Be aware that The Kids’ Book of Chess may be great in teaching children the rules of the game, but don’t expect much more than that. The main complaint on Amazon was that a chess set was not included (the Amazon page states that a chess set is included). Maybe the safest way to purchase this (if you must have the chess set) is in a book store, where it can be obvious that a chess set is included. Yet also be aware that the second most common complaint relates to the quality of the chess set.
This chess book was written by Harvey Kidder, but when it says, on the cover, “become a grandmaster,” Mr. Kidder may be kidding.
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Chess Books in Reviews
First let’s briefly examine two chess books for intermediate and advanced players. For beginners who know the rules of the game but little else about winning, look at the short book review at the bottom of this post (Beat That Kid in Chess).
The best chess book for a raw beginner
Whether for your own enjoyment or for that of the person who receives a gift-book from you, the choice of a book on chess should depend on the playing level of the one who reads the book.
A New Chess Book for Beginners
Three publications, one of them for chess beginners
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