No advertising on this page. We have no agreements with the shops. We aren't paid for the links or for anything you buy. We haven't held or tried any of them ourselves. The facts come from the shops' own pages, with the date.
What we look for
- Diagrams on every spread. Chess is learned with the eyes.
- Exercises to solve, not just text to read.
- The right level. A book that is too hard gets put away; one that is too easy teaches too little.
Watch out: Many older chess books write the moves in descriptive notation, P-K4 where today's books write e4. If you are buying an old edition of a classic, check which notation it uses.
Six to choose from
In no particular order. Every shop here ships to the United States, the United Kingdom and most of Europe. The Chess Shop and Blackwell's are in the United Kingdom. If the shop is in another country, you may have to pay import duty or tax when the parcel arrives. More on how to choose is in the guide to buying a chess set.
The Usborne Chess Book
A write-in book with puzzles, facts and tips that show how to play chess. Some puzzles are answered with chess-piece stickers, all the answers are at the back, and there are pictures on every page.
- Publisher
- Usborne Publishing
- Binding
- Spiral-bound hardcover
- Pages
- 64, and 2 pages of stickers
- Age
- 6 and up
Our view Younger children who want to learn, on their own or with an adult.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (The Chess Shop)Chess for Children
Murray Chandler, Helen Milligan and Helen McCluskey
A book that explains all the rules step by step, assuming no prior knowledge, with the stories George hears from his pet alligator Kirsty along the way. Murray Chandler is a grandmaster; Helen Milligan is a FIDE woman master and a former British Ladies Champion.
- Publisher
- Gambit Publications
- Published
- 2004, hardcover
- Pages
- 111
- Language
- English
Our view Children who are ready to read about chess, and the parent who wants to teach them. A good step before joining a club.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (Blackwell's)Learning Chess Workbook: Step 1
Rob Brunia and Cor van Wijgerden
The first workbook of the Steps Method, which Rob Brunia and Cor van Wijgerden developed to teach children chess. Step 1 brings in all the rules, and waits as long as it can before teaching checkmate. Short reminders of the lessons are followed by exercises, twelve positions to a page. The shop writes that many schools and clubs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria use the method.
- Binding
- Paperback
- Pages
- 56
- Exercises
- 486 positions
- ISBN
- 90-77275-13-9
Our view Anyone who wants to practice, not just read. It suits children and adults, alone or with a coach, and there are five more steps when this one is done.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (The Chess Shop)Capablanca: My Chess Career, Chess Fundamentals & A Primer of Chess
José Capablanca
Three books by the former world champion in one volume: A Primer of Chess, an introduction to the rules and the basic principles; Chess Fundamentals, his classic handbook from 1921; and My Chess Career, with 35 of his own games.
- Publisher
- Everyman Chess
- Binding
- Paperback
- Pages
- 470
- ISBN
- 9781781943960
Our view Adults who want one book that goes from the first principles to master games, in a world champion's own words.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (The Chess Shop)Logical Chess Move by Move: Every Move Explained
Irving Chernev
A classic in a new and refreshed edition. Chernev goes through 33 complete games and explains the thinking behind every move.
- Publisher
- Batsford
- Published
- 2026, paperback
- Pages
- 256
- Language
- English
Our view Anyone who knows the rules and wants to understand why a move is played.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (Blackwell's)Chess: A Novel (Little Clothbound Classics)
Stefan Zweig
Stefan Zweig's novella about travelers on a passenger ship who challenge the world chess champion, and the stranger whose whispered advice helps them. Fiction, not a textbook. Translated by Anthea Bell, in a small cloth-bound edition.
- Publisher
- Penguin Classics
- Published
- 2023, hardcover
- Pages
- 96
- Translator
- Anthea Bell
Our view The present for someone who already plays, or who reads more than they play. It can be read in an evening.
Facts from the shop's page, November 6, 2026. They may have changed since.
To the shop (Blackwell's)Frequently asked questions
Which chess book should a beginner read first?
It depends on age. Younger children enjoy an illustrated book with small puzzles. Older children and adults learn the most from a book with lots of exercises, like the Steps Method workbooks. Chess for Children suits a child who likes to read. The most important thing is to play what you read.
What is descriptive notation?
An older way of writing chess moves, common in English-language chess books until about 1980. Each file is named after the piece that starts on it, and the ranks are counted from each player's own side, so the move e4 is written P-K4. Today's books, and this site, use algebraic notation.