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. The purchasing decision should depend a great deal on that point, and we need to look deeper than then cover to find out which ones are best for particular persons.
For a teenager or adult who knows the rules of chess but little else, the choice may be easy: the new book Beat That Kid in Chess or the old one Chess for Dummies. If the book purchase is for a gift, the first title is obviously much better, unless you want to insult the one you’re giving the book to. Be aware, however, that this recommended book, Beat That Kid in Chess, is for the raw beginner who knows how to move the pieces but has had little, if any, experience actually winning a game. It has the most basic elements of tactics and how to avoid becoming checkmated and making your own checkmate.
In fact, an older child could enjoy Beat That Kid in Chess, if that kid reads well. The reading level of the text is generally easier for teenagers and adults.
If you’re giving the book to a precocious child who already gets more wins than loses in the royal game, consider Chess Tactics for Kids (by Murray Chandler). It’s not for the early beginner, however, but for the player who can already look ahead in a chess position.
For a young child who might like to learn to play chess, one of the best choices is The Kids’ Book of Chess and Chess Set. It teaches the rules of the game in an entertaining way for younger children, although it warns about a choking hazard for those under three years old (but what toys do not have that warning?).
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Checkmate for the Chess Beginner
So how do you make progress during all those moves in which a quick mate is impossible? You try to gain some advantage that will lead to eventual victory.
The paperback [book] Beat That Kid in Chess was published by Createspace on September 2, 2015 . . . This book can take you into a level that should help you defeat many beginners, at least sometimes.
Chess Book – for the early beginner to win
Written especially for the raw beginner, the chess player who knows the rules of the game but not much about how to win . . .
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