Books and tips for beginners

MadMardegan

I used to play chess in school when I was younger. I won a couple of tournaments but was more so out of luck than anything else. There was never too much thought behind it, just move some pieces in a careful manner and hope something presents itself.
Fast forward 12 years and while I still know how to play (which pieces go and move where etc) I have no idea about openings or strategies/defenses/proper line of attacks etc.
I've looked into joining a club but unfortunately the one in phibsborough doesn't meet at a time that suits me and there's no others, that I can tell, close by. I'm on the Navan road.

Anyway, are there any books you'd recommend I read to gain the basics and some more intermediate tactics? Anywhere that's good for tips?
I was considering signing up for membership on the chess.com iPhone app but, to be honest, 11 euro a month is money that could be better spent.

Anyone have any advice for me?

Cheers, Mick

macinalli

Phibsboro would definitely be the best choice of club for you. Not sure if it makes a difference but for the winter season they meet twice a week (Mon & Thurs).

Have previously played on chess.com and gave it up. I found it good fun, but addictive and not particularly good quality. If you play over the board you'll take the time to work out moves, but online chess tends to be 3 or 5 minute time controls and you don't learn anything from that.

Some of the folks here play on redhotpawn.com - it's a free site and it's basically correspondence chess. I'd usually have about 4 games on the go, make a minimum of 1 move a day in each of them. I find that it gives you a much better quality game than online blitz, but the games can go on quite a while. A club would definitely be the best option though....

Irish Warrior

Not sure where on the Navan road you are, but there are also chess clubs in Inchicore, Finglas and Blanchardstown.

For a full list see http://www.icu.ie/clubs/list.php

LiamMc

As you may know a chess game is divided up into Opening, Middle, Endgame and through that(mostly Middle-game) are Tactics (short bursts to win material or gain control of a square) and Strategy (Longer thought out process).

With the Chess books you may find the same publishers. Everyman (Prev. cadogan),Gambit,Batsford.
Dover Books and Quality Chess are reprinting old classics.
And the same authors Jeremy Silman, Yasser Seirawan, Neil McDonald.

Books I have and used/over-used after I too returned to the Game.
I had to learn En passent and full castling rules.

As an overview for beginners and refresher for returned players to the game
Daniel King - How to win at Chess, 10 Golden Rules to Follow.
Not a cheap shortcut, but an overview of moving central pawns rather than outside pawns, explanation of Tactics( such as Pins, Skewers,Forks and Double-Attacks)

An Opening book by Irishman IM Sam Collins - Understanding the Chess Openings - Gambit Books
Produced in the last few years, comprehensive opening book for White and best Response for Black. It will have longevity but will give you an idea of what opening suits your style and you can find a more detailed book.


Winning Chess Tactics - Yasser Seirawan, Everyman Chess
Chapters: Definitions, Double Attack, Pin,Skewer, King Tactics and Combinations, Deflection, Battery, Power of Pawns,Decoy, Clearance sacrifice,X-Rays and Windmils,Zwischenzug (Intermediate move),
Part Two: biography and some games of 6 Chess Masters incld Morphy,Andersson,Alekhine,Taland Kasparov.
Part three: Tests and Solutions.


Endgame
Silman's Complete Endgame Course -Jeremy Silman, Siles Press (his own publication company.).
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is very big and very detailed starting with majority mates e.g Queen and King v.Lone King, Rook and King v. Lone King.
Then gently moves onto to Opoosition between the Kings and Triangulation.
Minor Piece,Pawn and King v. Lone King. It gently builds up the readers knowledge and Silman encourages to return to previous chapters until the knowledge is ' muscle memory'.
King and Pawn endgames, basic Rook Endgames, Queen and King v. pawn on 6th or 7th rank, Outflanking,Two Bishops v.Lone king, Lucena,Philidor,King as a fighting piece, Principle of two weaknes,Cat and Mouse.
Short profiles of some famous endgame players Rubenstein, Capablaca, Smyslov and Fischer.

One thing, very comprehensive there is NO Knight and Bishopv.Lone King as Silman says it is very rare position and the time to take to learn it is not worth it.

You may want the odd small Puzzle book and/or tactic book.

For further reading in your own pace:
Books of Games either by the player themselves Aleksander Alekhine and Robert Fischer books are recommended. But modern players also Garry Kasparov and current World Champion Vishy Annand.
Also, complilations of dozens of different games over time.
You will see many of the same games in different publications.

Also, Chess Biographies are interesting too. I think partly because a Master's life and career spans several decades and as a global sport, both Politics and Geography are added to the anecdotes.

Amazon are good but you will pay postage.
Book depository, I understand there is no postage to Ireland.
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/

Morrisseeee

Found this today, while goooooglin, loads of books and in different formats, and if you're brave enough, try to use the 'advanced' find
Archive search

/end zombie

Past_Pawn_99

The 37 and 39 going towards blanch stop 100m or less from our club (blanchardstown) and you can get the 39a if you want to walk from blanch .

We meet every wednesday in mountview youth and community centre at 7:30 and close up at 9:30, but you come and go anytime between then .

We're always welcoming new members and are happy to help you improve your game.

Lucena

A good general starting out book is The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess. (Not to be confused with the Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games by the same author.)

A bit about general principles, tactics, basic endgames, overview of most openings. I bought this 15 years ago, found it useful then and even now I'll still have a quick look through it.

eclipsechaser

Lucena wrote: »

A good general starting out book is The Mammoth Book of Chess by Graham Burgess. (Not to be confused with the Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games by the same author.)

A bit about general principles, tactics, basic endgames, overview of most openings. I bought this 15 years ago, found it useful then and even now I'll still have a quick look through it.

I think it's a great general book. It gives you a bit of insight into most aspects of the game to reasonable level.

Valmont

I found books such as My System by Nimzowitsch and My 60 Memorable Games by Fishcer just a bit too much to get a hold of when I started out playing chess. I always recommend (and have recommended to me) Logical Chess: Move by Move by Chernev. The constant repetition of standard or 'obvious' moves really drives home the general theme or course to expect from certain openings and there are some tactical patterns that seem to reappear in certain positions. Now if I can only learn to stop hanging pieces or having them pinned to my King I'll be getting somewhere. I lost twice today at the Leeds Chess Congress which takes me to a seven game, five week losing streak. I should have taken up checkers.

Stechkin

Roman Dzindzichashvili doing good moves on U tube for beginners of course this is not books but new gen prefers this way

Valmont

What do people make of the books vs videos argument? I enjoy watching chess videos on youtube but I can't see how anything could top sitting down with a book, learning a principle or motif, and then solving some complicated puzzles with the board out.

cdeb

I find studying from books quite hard - tedious almost. Particularly when there's a whole page of sub-variations.

But I also found, having watched a few DVDs, that I'd retained bugger all.

The compromise I've found is to make notes while watching DVDs. It also gives me something to refer back to after games - find out where I left opening theory or where I didn't follow a general ending plan, etc.

Valmont

cdeb wrote: »

I find studying from books quite hard - tedious almost. Particularly when there's a whole page of sub-variations.

I've seen some books like this but there are definitely authors who write very engaging and write informatively. I just borrowed Chernev's Capablanca's Best Chess Endings from the library and while it's definitely more complicated than Logical Chess, it reads very easily.

cdeb wrote:

The compromise I've found is to make notes while watching DVDs. It also gives me something to refer back to after games - find out where I left opening theory or where I didn't follow a general ending plan, etc.

I'm guessing the chessbase DVDs are of a much higher standard than some of the youtube videos I watched which put me off that form of learning!

Stechkin

another project on Utube Eugen Grinis many videos available

Stechkin

Task for improve fantasy : find mate in six moves also seven moves mate is well but find six one .
White position : R (a1) p (a7) K (f4) B (f5)
Black position : K (a8) p (b7) p (b6) p (b5) p (b4) p (b3)

white turn