The best chess books 2021, the definitive guide to find the book you need.
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Whether you are new to chess or an experienced chess fan looking for some books to help you improve, this list is for you. While many of the books on the list are primarily aimed at the beginner-to-intermediate audience, there are also selections for more advanced players, up to the expert level.
About the title
Writing a good chess book is not an easy task. However, if you walk into any chess store you will see the enormous number of titles and collections that exist. Unfortunately, some of them, despite containing a promising title, end up disappointing us when working with them. I would shy away from overly commercial titles such as "Earn 200 rating points in 3 weeks".
How to know if a chess book is good?
Knowing the author, as we have just mentioned, is a fundamental clue. But if you are looking at a book, wondering whether to buy it or not, look at the amount of text it has in relation to the number of games / plays. A good book must have enough text, the author's explanations must be the protagonists, reinforced of course by the examples shown.
If we are talking about opening theory books, it may be important that it is recently published or recently published. If it's an opening idea book, this detail may not matter.
On the other hand, the theory of the end of the game has hardly evolved over the years, so the date of publication is not so important.
What is a beginner in chess?
A player can be of any age, some children play much better than many adults. However, if our child or someone who wants to give a book wants to learn chess. We have below a section of books ideal for children.
We understand a beginner as a person who knows how to play chess, that is, he knows the rules but still leaves the pieces with relative ease, he does not know basic strategic principles, he does not have notions of the game in the end and his knowledge of openings is low.
If you are in this article and you include yourself in the previous description, I am sure that it will be until soon, we will show you the best material to progress to chess.
Top 10 Chess Books for Beginners What are the best chess books for beginners?
As many of you come to this post to look for books that will help you get started in chess , I am going to show you in the article the books that I recommend ordered by popularity.
General Treaty of Chess
- Available in Spanish
- Author Roberto Grau 🖊️
- Basic rules and fundamentals 🔝
- 100 instructional attack games ♟️
- 150 exercises to solve ✔️
Without a doubt, we have the most complete chess work written in Spanish , it has been translated into several languages and reissued on multiple occasions. An ideal chess book for beginners backed by thousands of copies sold . It starts from the basics and through exercises and diagrams it progresses in the dynamics of the game.
Suitable both to teach children as adults and to be used as a guide book for Chess instructors . Try to teach and at the same time put into practice what you have learned.
From the theoretical evolution of the subject, the most basic principles such as the placement of the pieces on the board, to taking you to a deep analysis of the game, greatly expanding the knowledge you may already have.
Through more than one hundred games and one hundred and fifty exercises that you must solve, you will be able to easily understand the secrets of chess, the forms of attack and with an unusual simplicity, the author warns us of common mistakes made by beginners and everything you need to get a broader understanding.
Chess Fundamentals
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- Available in Spanish and English
- Author José Raúl Capablanca 🖊️
- Improve your analysis 🔝
- Improve pedagogically 📚
- Clear and definitive examples 🔝
- Understand the ending from the opening 📚
This book is a good complement to Grau's treatise, both from a purely pedagogical and chess point of view. For the Grand Master and history of chess Capablanca, the vision of the end must be captured from the opening approach and he demonstrates it with clear and definitive examples. It is almost possible to hear him speak in its pages, and it gives us a series of beginnings and endings that are of great value.
Complete Chess Course
 Miguel Illescas.webp)
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Miguel Illescas Córdoba 🖊️
- > 800 essential pages 📚
- Rules and precepts to progress in your game 🔝
Miguel Illescas needs no introduction. He has been the best Spanish chess player in the last 40 years until the arrival of the new generations. In this book, through an innovative method, he helps us to advance safely in learning chess. Miguel, in addition to being a great chess player, is also an expert teacher who very clearly explains the basics of the game and how to assimilate them.
This is a very suitable chess book for beginners who have already played a few games and want to progress in their strategies.
Chess for Dummies
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author MF James Eade 🖊️
- Master the openings and variants 🧠
- Find the winning strategy ♟️
- Easy to follow and step by step instructions 📚
This book is an ideal guide to start playing chess from scratch.
It describes the principles and rules of the exciting game of Chess from the beginning of learning:
- The movement of the pieces
- The rules of the game
- How to play openings
- How to make tactical combinations to surprise your opponent
- Strategic principles
Elemental chess
- Available in Spanish
- Author Igor Molina Montes 🖊️
- Principles and strategies for new chess players ♟️
- Methodology to perfect your game 📚
This is a Chess book for beginners starting from scratch.
In it he will explain the rules and history of chess: how to move the pieces and start playing your first games.
Although it starts from the most elementary, it uses a methodology in which it explains principles and strategies to advance quickly in learning.
Learn Chess and have fun!
- Available in Spanish
- Author Francisco Fernández Lozano 🖊️
- More advanced tactical topics 💎
- Destruction of defense, diversion, attraction, etc 💻
This is a very visual introductory Chess book with 3D images and clear diagrams. In Learn Chess and have fun you can start learning Chess from scratch. The movement of the pieces, the board and its coordinates as well as the most basic moves to start playing Chess are explained.
This book can serve as a guide for instructors and teachers who want to teach chess as well as beginner players.
Chess Initiation: Chess Manual for Beginners and Trainers
- Available in Spanish
- Author Jacobo Caselas 🖊️
- Basic endings 🔚
- Middle game: tactics and strategy 📚
- Aimed at beginners and beginner instructors 👨🏫
- Support your explanations with progressive exercises 🔝
Chess is not limited to learning to move the pieces and if you want to advance you need a guide like the one Jacobo Casela has written.
This introductory course is aimed at players who already know the movement of the pieces and want to deepen the game. It is also suitable for monitors as a learning guide.
The book contains 300 exercises !! to strengthen knowledge.
Chess for clumsy
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- Available in Spanish
- Author Federico Marín Bellón 🖊️
- Strategy, tactics, anecdotes, etc 🔝
- Learn to play in a fun way 😜
Chess for Clumsy Book is not a simple chess move description guide . Thanks to the lively and entertaining comments and the stories and anecdotes with which the reader is delighted, we find here a pleasant read, full of the secrets of the game: strategies, tactics, plays and perfect attacks.
Journey to the kingdom of chess
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Yuri Averbach 🖊️
- Develop and perfect your knowledge ♟️
- Take your first steps without hesitation ✔️
"The chess player needs the chess book in the same way that the musician needs the notes." These words of the authors accurately synthesize the reason for this work.
Considered an essential instrument for any player, regardless of age and level, this magnificent work of chess by two great masters, Yuri Averbach and Beilin, correctly synthesizes the elements that will help you develop and perfect your knowledge of chess. matter.
As if it were a trip, these authors will become your guides and support, based on two fundamental pillars to carry out their mission: amenity and rigor. Ensuring that in this way, both the beginner and the experienced can play without hesitation and at the same time avoid unnecessary mistakes, which lead to discouragement.
Essential checkmates
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM John Nunn 🖊️
- Learn the most frequent dunks 💎
- Exercises classified by level 🔝
One more of Nunn's recommended Chess books that is a classic. When you already know how to play a little, it is essential that you begin to learn certain patterns of the game and Checkmate is one of the most important.
The most frequently repeated maths and the procedures to achieve them are shown in the book. By learning the basic schemes of the dunks you learn a lot about chess and about the movement of the pieces and their true strength in some situations.
Top 6 best-selling chess books of all time
Despite the fact that with technology the best approach to training is to alternate books with online courses due to the high quality they have today. It sounds counterproductive, but the main advantage of training with chess books is the slowness. Many chess courses offer us great training progress in a short time. This, however, is only a superficial way to learn chess. Understanding the concepts requires spending time as well as establishing them correctly. Also, another advantage is that sometimes the courses are for a limited time and you may not be able to finish, the book lasts forever.
Due to the vast number of chess books published, it is becoming increasingly difficult to figure out which books are worth studying and which ones are not. Many chess players have the frustrating experience of wasting valuable chess study time on boring books.
For that reason, this article is going to show you the 8 best-selling chess books on the market.
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
- Available in English
- Author GM Bobby Fischer 🖊️
- Programmed learning method ♟️
- Examples and explanation of concepts 🔝
- Book related to strategy and tactics 🧠
Learning to play chess from one of the greatest players of all time has been proven effective for a generation of players. Bobby Fischer's book is still one of the best-selling chess books in history to this day. And you should have it in your library, even if you already know how to play chess. You can lend it to your family and friends, who may have always wanted to learn how to play.
The book covers everything from how pieces move and basic checkmates to how to attack your opponent. Readers will transition from knowing nothing about chess to being able to play a game, which is relatively easy these days.
Chess for Beginners: Know the Rules, Choose Your Strategy, and Start Winning
- Available in English
- 10 strategies to control the board ♟️
- 10 tactics to support your strategy ♟️
Guide that provides a clear and illustrated introduction to the movements of each piece along with the basic rules and dynamics of the game. Place your pieces, coordinate your attack and capture its king, beginner chess teaches you all the movements to play the perfect game.
Clear, easy-to-follow illustrations and directions. 10 strategies to know how to control the board, think several plays in advance, 10 short-term tactics to support your strategy.
Complete Book of Chess Strategy
- Available in English
- Author IM Jeremy Silman 🖊️
- Easy to learn strategy concepts ♟️
- Each concept has a clear explanation and an example of how it is used 🔝
Dictionary guide to learn the different aspects of chess strategy, easy for players of any level. Each strategic concept is listed in alphabetical order with a clear and easy-to-absorb explanation, accompanied by examples for use in practice.
How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances
- Available in English
- Author IM Jeremy Silman 🖊️
- Ideal for 1400 to 2100 ELO ♟️
- Practical chess psychology 🧠
- Easy to follow tips and techniques 📚
- Chess Strategy 🔝
Often positional ideas and development plans in the middlegame are missed by chess players. This book focuses on the thought process behind middlegame plans and how to perceive position imbalances. IM Jeremy Silman ( @Silman ), a renowned author, writes with humor and insight into the limitations of the amateur chess player.
This book is recognized for its accessibility, and has been designed for a wide range of players (playing strength between 1200 and 2000). It is also a very useful tool for those who take up chess after a break. This classic has something for everyone!
Modern Chess Openings: 15th Edition
- Available in English
- Author GM Nick de Firmian 🖊️
- Full review of all openings ♟️
- 748 pages ready for clubs or players 🔝
- Called the chess bible 📚
A completely revised and updated edition of the book that has been the standard reference in the English language on chess openings. Discover recent games and the most up-to-date theory on chess openings, ideal for intermediate level players willing to take their game to the next level and who want to stay on top of recent chess innovations.
Chess for Children (Chess for Schools)
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- Available in Spanish and English
- Ideal for children from 9 to 12 years old 👦
- How do the pieces move? ♟️
- How are the plays scored? 🖊️
- Basic strategy 💎
The ideal book for young chess players who are starting in the world of chess, the price is super affordable and if you are starting it will be a gift that will make you very excited. Discover how the pieces move, how the plays are scored and basic strategy in a fun way.
Top 5 chess books for children
Chess for Children (Chess for Schools)
- Available in Spanish and English
- Ideal for children from 9 to 12 years old 👦
- How do the pieces move? ♟️
- How are the plays scored? 🖊️
- Basic strategy 💎
The ideal book for young chess players who are starting in the world of chess, the price is super affordable and if you are starting it will be a gift that will make you very excited. Discover how the pieces move, how the plays are scored and basic strategy in a fun way.
Checkmate! Chess initiation for children
- Available in Spanish
- Author Garry Kasparov 🖊️
- How do the pieces move? ♟️
- How much are the pieces worth? 📊
- How do they attack and defend themselves? 🛡️
- How are the pieces captured? 💢
- How to checkmate? 💎
A player who is the history of chess, Kasparov shows in a didactic way basic topics in chess: how they move, how much they are worth, how they attack and defend, how they capture and, above all, how the pieces checkmate.
How to beat your dad at chess
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Murray Chandler 🖊️
- From 8 to 80 years old 👦
- Checkmate ideas with examples ♟️
- Develop the necessary tactical skills 🧠
An introduction and review of basic math for all ages. Discover the 50 basic chess checkmates.
Chess for Kids: My First Book to Learn How to Play and Win: From Beginner to Champion: Complete Guide and Course in Color
- Available in Spanish
- They will enhance their desire to improve ♟️
- They will improve your concentration 🧠
- They will learn to respect their adversaries 💎
- Nothing is needed is a guide from A to Z 🔝
- Teach chess in a fun way ✔️
Learn and improve self-improvement, concentration, respecting your rivals, and all the lessons that a game of chess teaches. These lessons and ethics are not only in chess, they will apply it in their day to day and in their future life.
A fun way to learn to play chess, full of colors and drawings being a guide from A to Z!
Let's play now! Intermediate
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Carlos García Palermo 🖊️
- 15 chapters with 3-level examples ♟️
- Discover the hidden logic in each play 💡
- Basic endgame ideas 🔚
- Development of chess reasoning 💎
- Improves the ability to concentrate 🧠
Discover the hidden logic in each play, basic ideas of the endings, tactical reasons, etc. This book will help you develop the ability to concentrate, the discipline of thought and respect for your opponent. All illustrated with model games, typical positions and exercises.
The 5 best chess opening books
Chess games start off the board, knowing in depth the ideas, plans, endings, advantages and disadvantages of an opening is something that is trained off the board. Knowing openings is very important so as not to run out of time in the first moves, as well as being able to place your pieces in a proper way. There are a lot of openings and a strong point of them is being able to prepare against a specific opponent. Nowadays, databases such as the one available on this page for all players, allow you to know which openings you play and prepare against them. A good preparation can make a game easier and although there are many online databases, knowing the secrets is done in courses or books like the ones we leave below.It is important that the book is updated so that the variants are relatively new, we know what is fashionable and how to play against them.
Modern Chess Openings: 15th Edition
- Available in English
- Author GM Nick de Firmian 🖊️
- Full review of all openings ♟️
- 748 pages ready for clubs or players 🔝
- Called the chess bible 📚
A completely revised and updated edition of the book that has been the standard reference in the English language on chess openings. Discover recent games and the most up-to-date theory on chess openings, ideal for intermediate level players willing to take their game to the next level and who want to stay on top of recent chess innovations.
Chess Openings for Beginners: A Comprehensive and Simplified Guide to Chess Openings
- Available in English
- Author GM Cory Klein 🖊️
- Best practices in opening 📚
- Understand how a GM plays an opening 🧠
- 30 commented openings ♟️
- Diagrams and Examples 🔝
Discover the advantages and disadvantages of the most common chess openings, with a brief evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of each. By covering all openings, you do not go into great detail in them. If you want to decide by lines and know them, it is an ideal book, if you want to delve into one, a specific book is better.
Discovering Chess Openings: Building opening skills from basic principles
- Available in English
- Author GM John Emms 🖊️
- Understand the basic principles 📚
- Don't memorize all the lines 🧠
- Rapid development 💨
- Center control ♟️
- King's Safety 🛡️
There are hundreds of different openings, with a multitude of theory and subtleties. If you are looking to learn openings without memorizing them, this is your book. Understanding the basic principles of each opening is the important thing, the vital themes of the openings are: rapid development, central control and king security.
Chess openings
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Miguel Illescas Córdoba 🖊️
- Develop the pieces ♟️
- Dominate the center 🔝
- Castle quickly 💨
- Complete opening course 📚
Thought to become a champion, this practical chess text written by Miguel Illescas Córdoba, will teach you to unfold the pieces, dominate the center and castle quickly. Aimed at both amateurs and beginners, intermediate or advanced players, it introduces you to the basic theories of the game and explains in detail each play, as well as a brief review of its history.
Focused on helping you understand the different openings and defenses, there are exercises at the end of each chapter, which you must solve in front of the board. It also shows examples of real games and tips to design your own juice strategy and succeed in each game.
Winning Chess Openings
- Available in English
- Author GM Yasser Seirawan 🖊️
- Understand the principles of opening ♟️
- Don't memorize long lines, understand them 📚
- Keep the king safe 🛡️
- Improve calculation 🧠
- Understand time, force, space and pawn structure 🔝
Psychology and confidently starting our games dominating the openings are very important points. In this book for both White and Black they teach how to choose the appropriate types of attack and defense, understand the principles of the opening that you can apply to each game you play without having to memorize all the movements.
5 of the best chess finals books
At this point we have to talk about one of the most important elements of the game, the endings. Here I am going to show you the best in my decision when it comes to studying finals.
Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual
- Available in English
- Author IM Mark Dvoretsky 🖊️
- Discover the secrets of the Russian school 🏫
- Dvoretsky recognized the best finalist 🔝
One of the best books on endgame theory ever written, as it contains almost all the necessary knowledge on the subject. It is quite heavy work, like a compendium, that can be visited for many years. The chess player who studies this manual with full concentration will have all the necessary knowledge of endgame theory.
Practical rook endgames
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- Available in English
- Author GM Victor Korchnoi 🖊️
- Promise that whoever reads the book will raise 100 ELO ♟️
- Great depth in tower endings 💪
One of the leading experts in the field of tower finals, he documents his own tournament experiences. Its main goal is to inspire readers with a deep interest in tower endings , and it promises that anyone who thoroughly masters the given material will increase their Rating by 100 points or more!
100 Endgames You Must Know
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Jesús De La Villa 🖊️
- Master the most frequent endings ♟️
- Clear examples with easy rules 💪
"100 Endgames You Must Know" is not intended to be a comprehensive encyclopedia of all known endings. But, rather, that it is a practical tool that allows to improve the knowledge of the theoretical endings that occur more often in the live game. The really "must-know" endings are relatively few. GM De la Villa, an experienced coach, has selected the 100 finals that he considers the most useful to learn. Basic concepts such as triangulation, opposition or more advanced concepts such as conjugate boxes are also studied.
With today's rhythms, players often have little time to think about the ending. That is why knowing these endings well will help greatly improve your results.
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge
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- Available in English
- Author GM Yuri Averbach 🖊️
- Elemental check mates ♟️
- Exploitation of positional advantage 💣
- Material advantage 🔝
The author concentrates on the basic principles that the average player must know and also tries to build a firm foundation from the development of his interest and technique in this fascinating stage. The author is an expert in endings, as well as a chess player, he is a problem composer and publicist in the Soviet Union, although he was an engineer by profession. In the field of chess, in addition to being a player, he has been a great problemist, writer and organizer. It takes the reader from the most elementary maths, through the exploitation of positional and material advantage, to the analysis of real endings.
Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master
- Available in English
- Author IM Jeremy Silman 🖊️
- Finals by ELO levels ♟️
- Ideal for trainers and less than 2000 ELO 💎
It is divided into different levels according to your ELO, but it is essential that you read the previous sections even if you have a higher level. In this way you build on previous knowledge, and there are rules and patterns that emerge.
This widely accessible endgame book is not intended for advanced level players like the one shown before "Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual".
The 15 best strategy books and how to think chess
There are many techniques to establish the best strategy in our games, it is also clear that as the game progresses, the time is reduced and depending on the situation of the game we must use one or the other. This section shows how to learn the different existing techniques to improve in our strategic plans, the middle game is one of the chess phases that has been widely studied for years. With these wonderful books the level will be improved, without having to memorize long lines but with clear concepts to bear in mind.
How to Reassess Your Chess: Chess Mastery Through Chess Imbalances
- Available in English
- Author IM Jeremy Silman 🖊️
- Ideal for 1400 to 2100 ELO ♟️
- Practical chess psychology 🧠
- Easy to follow tips and techniques 📚
- Chess Strategy 🔝
Open book for large audiences, it has been designed for a playing strength players between 1200 and 2000. It focuses on the thought process behind the plans of the middle game and how to know the weaknesses in the positions.
The Zugzwang Method: How to Optimize Your Preparation
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author Daniel Muñoz and GM Herminio Herráiz 🖊️
- Designed for players from 1500 to 2200 ♟️
- Avoid analyzing unnecessary variants ✔️
- Prepare openings like the GMs 💻
- Find good plans in the middle game 🔝
- Think like titled players 💡
- Make good decisions in record time ⏳
- Avoid memorizing the same thing many times 🧠
Chess players do not have unlimited time, whatever their level is intermediate or advanced, you must decide what to study to improve your chess. This decision is not at all easy and in this book a set of techniques and thought processes are explained, which will serve as a guide for each player to improve and reach the next level by optimizing their knowledge and resources.
The techniques that are proposed have been proven over years, with examples of the best players in the world, you will learn to prepare openings and think like qualified players, make an effective positional evaluation, focus on balanced and unbalanced positions, how to analyze game variants, how to make effective decisions in record time, etc. Written in its entirety with a language that is easy for any chess player to understand.
Play winning chess
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- Available in English
- Author GM Yasser Seirawan 🖊️
- Easy-to-read chess themes 🔝
- Instructive examples ♟️
- Psychological advice 💎
- Question and answer sections ⁉️
- Games to learn to make strategies 🧠
- Personal anecdotes and historical details 📜
Designed for a beginner-novice level. It focuses on explaining the four fundamental principles of chess: Force, Time, Space and Pawn Structure . Understanding these principles helps to have a framework for formulating plans and strategies that will help improve your chess.
The Soviet chess manual
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- Available in English
- Author IIya Maizelis 🖊️
- It inspired generations of Russians to get started in the game 🔝
- In Russia, this book is simply called "Chess" ♟️
The classic chess training manual course in the former Soviet Union. A book endorsed by three former world chess champions: Lasker, Karpov and Kasparov . The first few pages explain elementary concepts, but the level quickly increases and is suitable for intermediate and advanced players . The book is structured to take the student, with diligent study. If you are looking for an "advanced" chess course, this is your book.
Winning chess strategies
- Available in English
- Author GM Yasser Seirawan 🖊️
- Apply flexible strategic principles ♟️
- Destabilize the opponent in the opening 💣
- Formulate a strategy before midgame 💡
- Understand every move of your rival 🧠
- Position yourself for a winning ending 🔚
Provides a more detailed exposition and practical examples that reinforce, expand positional / strategic concepts and techniques.
Winning chess strategy for kids
- Available in English
- Author Jeff Coakley 🖊️
- Recommended age from 7 to 13 years 👦
- The rules and basic dunks ♟️
- Elemental and advanced tactics 🔝
- Opening principles 📚
- Midgame plans 💎
- Final techniques 🔚
The title is not the most appropriate since it is not only aimed at children. It is an introductory course in chess tactics and strategies appropriate for EVERY beginner-novice (and many intermediate players).
Pawn Power in Chess
- Available in English
- Author GM Hans Kmoch 🖊️
- Discussion about the isolated pawn game 📚
- One or two pawns constitute the winning strategy ♟️
- 182 examples of pawn manipulation 🔝
Learn the fundamentals of the pawn game, a book that focuses and goes into great depth about endings. This book has a downside and it is the use of descriptive chess notation together with a somewhat peculiar terminology, where to describe structures and concepts.
Chess secrets: the giants of strategy
- Available in English
- Author Neil McDonald 🖊️
- Attack the opponent's king ♟️
- Take advantage of a development advantage ✔️
- Control the center 💎
- Theory through the invention of dangerous gambits 💡
- Find out how famous chess minds work 🧠
- Ideal for all fans 🔝
Exceptionally instructive examples of positional-strategic play taken from the games of Kramnik, Karpov, Petrosian, Capablanca, and Nimzowitsch.
Logical Chess move by move
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Irving Chernev 🖊️
- 33 commented games 🔝
- Understand the strength of the pieces 💪
- Place the pieces in a better way 💡
Chernev is a classic of the Soviet School, very didactic and accessible to the general public, which is why several of his books have been an impressive sales success.
His magnificent comments on thirty-three critical games , comprehensive, understandable and adaptable to all levels of play, are a prodigy of good work and stylistic didactics, both in substance and in form.
One of the most popular chess books of all time. Aimed at the beginner-intermediate player , this is a collection of grandmaster games, with the reasoning behind virtually every move analyzed and explained.
The seven deadly sins of chess
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- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Jonathan Rowson 🖊️
- Psychological reasons for mistakes during games 💎
- Thought (unnecessary or wrong) 🧠
- Relaxation (missed opportunities, lack of determination) 💎
- Greed (excessive concern for the outcome of the game) 😟
- Materialism (insufficient attention to non-material factors) ♟️
- Selfishness (poor awareness of the opponent and his ideas)
- Perfectionism (time constraints, exaggerated efforts) ⏳
- Dispersion (losing the thread, misplacement, poor concentration) 🛑
In his book, GM Jonathan Rowson investigates the psychological reasons for mistakes during games. By attacking those mistakes, he builds on what prevents chess players from reaching their full potential. In his work, he presents the seven deadly sins of chess:
- Thought (unnecessary or wrong)
- Relaxation (missed opportunities, lack of determination)
- Greed (excessive concern about the outcome of the game)
- Materialism (insufficient attention to non-material factors)
- Selfishness (poor awareness of the opponent and his ideas)
- Perfectionism (time constraints, exaggerated efforts)
- Dispersion (losing the thread, misplacement, poor concentration)
Each chess sin is explained in detail and illustrated with many examples from real games. Without a doubt a great book, excellent for those who want to improve and correct their mistakes in chess. The author will help you recognize and beat them, growing your game to a higher level. Ideal for all levels .
My system
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- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Aron Nimzowitsch 🖊️
- Innovative ideas about chess 💡
- Positional Game Manual 📚
This book by Aron Nimzowitsch is an excellent example of a classic chess book. It presents important positional ideas, such as: prophylaxis, chain of pawns, blocking of passed pawns, use of the center, etc. It is generally considered one of the most important chess books of all time.
My System is aimed at a higher level audience between 1500 and 2200 , and some feel that it reads more like a textbook. Despite not being considered as accessible as other classics, it is a book that every serious chess player must have and read.
Grandmasters chess move by move
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM John Nunn 🖊️
- Understand and calculate your chess better ♟️
- Ideal for advanced players 🔝
A not so well known book but ideal to improve the calculation. British GM John Nunn was recognized as one of the best chess authors. Recommended for advanced players , especially those who want to improve their game with initiative.
Chess strategy for kids
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author IM Thomas Engqvist 🖊️
- Identify the correct strategy 💎
- Find good plans for yourself 🔝
- Importance of the central boxes 💡
- The pieces and how they are affected by the pawn structure ♟️
The book seeks the activation of the mental development of the little ones, Artur Yusupov, creates this chess book for children, in which he unleashes a method created so that they can be taught in a didactic way, to the point that are able to understand the basic principles of the game.
This book is explained and understood in a clear and simple way, integrating extraordinary plays, what are the unexpected movements, spectacular combinations and forms of attacks. Although aimed at children, it is ideal for beginners or amateurs .
Understanding chess move by move
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM John Nunn 🖊️
- For all levels 💎
- Commented games and concepts ♟️
- Discover new strategic ideas 💡
Nunn is a prolific author of Chess books, including this one that approaches chess theory from the analysis of master games.
This book is suitable for beginners who have already played a bit. It is not a book to start playing chess from scratch.
Think like a great teacher
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Alexander Kotov 🖊️
- Kotov from the first authors of the Soviet school 🔝
- Discover the thinking method of a GM 📚
The book was the first to discuss a topic well known today, candidate plays . This method took him from master candidate to one of the best players in the world. Kotov talks about many practical and important aspects of chess. A tool for tactical improvement (analysis tree, candidate moves and calculation exercises), as well as positional (creation and implementation of plans, isolated pawns, weaknesses, tension, etc.). Aimed at more advanced players (playing strength between 1600 and 2200).
The 5 best chess problem books (tactics, strategy endings, etc)
During all phases of a chess game, tactical motives are what decide most games. Whether it is a trap, a sacrifice or a tactical blow that leaves our rival without options. Seeing when a tactical blow occurs is the complete thing, many players of basic and advanced levels when they are given a problem are able to solve it. It is true that there are problems of many levels, but if you follow a common pattern in an instant you are able to solve it. These books strengthen both, recognizing when a tactical motive may occur and doing it in a precise way to leave our rival without options.
Chess tactics for champions
- Available in English
- Author GM Susan Polgar 🖊️
- Learn tactics with Susan ♟️
- How to calculate the effect of a move 🔝
- Intermediate and advanced level of all ages 💎
Very popular tactics exercise book aimed primarily at intermediate and superior players . Polgar reveals the type of thinking that chess champions rely on while playing, specifically the ability to recognize patterns and combinations. This book teaches players to calculate the effect of a play to gain an advantage over the opponent.
The 300 most important positions and ideas
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- Available in English
- Author MI Thomas Engqvist 🖊️
- 50 most important openings 📚
- 150 most important mid-game positions 🔝
- Top 100 finals positions 🔚
- Increase positional understanding ♟️
Fundamental tactical, positional and strategic issues, from the opening to the end, discover with the 300 positions studied and discussed the basic concepts in each of the phases of the game.
Chess Tactics From Scratch: Understanding Chess Tactics
- Available in English
- Author Martin Weteschnik 🖊️
- Advanced Tactics Course 💎
- Methodologies for intermediate level ♟️
An advanced course in chess tactics and combinations, ideal for the intermediate and superior player . This book allows you to detect if there are certain conditions that would make the position adapt to a certain type of tactic. It is a good book for the player who knows the basic tactics.
Chess tactics from A to Z: Explanation of each chess move
- Available in English
- Author George Huczek 🖊️
- All key terms used in chess ♟️
- Relevant chess games with tactical themes 💎
- Exercises that illustrate each topic 📚
Twenty-six tactical themes with each move explained. 400 increasingly complex tactical problems are provided, with solutions. The level of the book is suitable for all levels of players.
Mastery in Calculus
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Jacob Aagaard 🖊️
- Improve tactics and calculation 💻
- Candidate Plays, the Elimination Method 💣
- The Comparison Method, reversal of the order of plays, etc 💎
- Importance to imagination and creativity 💡
- Diversity, depth of advice and examples 📚
One of the best book authors, he tackles the world of variant calculation and how to improve a player's ability in tactics and calculation. Different very useful techniques are explained regarding the calculation of variants, to implement in your games, such as the candidate moves, the elimination method, the desperate, the comparison method, the inversion of the order of moves, the visualization and step calculation.
The diversity and depth of the advice and examples published make this work indispensable, for all levels.
5 of the best chess books for advanced players
There are more than 5 books for advanced players, chess has many phases in a game and there is a lot of material to be a specialist in each of them.
In this article I am going to show you the 5 books that both Grand Masters have positively criticized, as in my experience they are accurate books that explain interesting concepts for advanced players. Undoubtedly, there will be many that pass me by, if you think that I am missing any of them, do not hesitate to tell me and I will be happy to review it and be able to add it if so. I hope they help you to give that push to advanced players who use this website.
Secrets of chess training
- Available in English
- Author IM Mark Dvoretsky 🖊️
- Soviet methods of training ♟️
- Analysis of positions and endings 💎
Soviet training methods are the best in the world and more if they are explained by the history of chess Dvoretsky, who is one of the best writers and popularizers of chess in the world. Decades of uninterrupted success attest to methods for bringing out the best in a player's ability. This book reveals the techniques with which candidates for the World Championship have been trained to the highest level of the grandmaster level. Topics include the analysis of positions and endings, the study and play of determined positions against an opponent.
All of this comes with selected exercises, but the resolution of which requires a fairly high level of positional understanding. Almost all positions are late or middle games with very few pieces.
Dvoretsky's Analytical Manual
- Available in English
- Author IM Mark Dvoretsky 🖊️
- How to manage time
- Solve problems calculating variations to the end 🔚
- High quality training material and many exercises 💡
- When to trust intuition or positional considerations ♟️
It is another extraordinary work by Dvoretsky , it is very important to train your skill, understand when to trust intuition and more general positional considerations, when to try to solve problems by calculating variations to the end, and how to manage time to avoid time pressure. For these purposes, this book provides excellent, high-quality training material and numerous exercises. The level of users who want to read the recommended book is from 2200 .
School of Chess Excellence
- Available in English
- Author IM Mark Dvoretsky 🖊️
- Final standings series ♟️
- Reviews are packed with tips 💡
- Special test positions 💎
- Questions for reader participation 📚
This book is intended for players above the 2200 level who are looking to prepare themselves. The book contains many different exercises, with a large number of chess resources in which principles, methods, rules, ideas and techniques are mixed. For the disciplined high-level player he is an excellent companion.
Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual
- Available in English
- Author IM Mark Dvoretsky 🖊️
- Discover the secrets of the Russian school 🏫
- Dvoretsky recognized the best finalist 🔝
One of the best books on endgame theory ever written, as it contains almost all the necessary knowledge on the subject. It is quite heavy work, like a compendium, that can be visited for many years. The chess player who studies this manual with full concentration will have all the necessary knowledge of endgame theory.
Positional Decision Making and Dynamic Decision Making
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- Available in English
- Author GM Boris Gelfand 🖊️
- Improvement in decisions 💡
- Discover their worst mistakes and best games ♟️
Positional decision making in chess offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a grandmaster. In his efforts to explain his way of thinking, Boris Gelfand focuses on topics such as 'strangulation', the advantage of space, the transformation of pawn structures, and the transformation of advantages. Based on examples from his own games and those of his hero, Akiba Rubinstein, Gelfand explains how he thinks during the game.
Books on how to teach chess
Chess in schools is beginning to be a reality rather than a dream. For it to be consolidated, it is necessary to be able to train in different academic fields using chess.
At present, different books are coming out that just work on these aspects. Forcing an educator in a correct way makes the child in a playful, attractive way and using chess acquire knowledge of all subjects such as mathematics, history, language, physical education, etc. That is why I am going to leave you here the best books that I consider to be able to train you as a monitor and correctly transmit the knowledge to the students, seamlessly and safely. It should be noted that the level of the teacher is independent, any teacher who knows the basic rules these books are adequate.
Chess for parents and educators
- Available in Spanish
- Support guide for amateur parents or educators 👨🏫
- Neat teaching method with examples 🔝
- Solutions to the most common difficulties ♟️
If you are a father who has doubts about whether to train his son himself or if you see your son interested in this world and want to help him, we have an ideal book for you. In addition, the price that it has is ridiculous , this book is a support guide aimed at parents, monitors or teachers who are amateurs or, at least, already know how to play with ease. You will be able to transmit this knowledge to your children or students in a very simple way. What better gift than teaching chess?
How to teach chess
- Available in Spanish
- Gradual and well-structured methodology 💭
- Facilitate learning ♟️
- Easily show the concepts 👨🏫
If you are new to chess, you know very little or you are an advanced player. This book provides a well-structured and gradual methodology, which facilitates the learning and assimilation of new concepts.
Chess for Educators: How to Organize and Promote a Meaningful Chess Teaching Program
- Available in English
- What can teachers do to improve? 👨🏫
- How important is talent? 💡
- How to support a group with special needs? 💭
- How to deal with parents? 👪
- Strengths of a chess program? ♟️
Chess has the rare quality that children love it even though it is good for them. Playing chess is like life: you have to make plans, make decisions, be creative, handle disappointments, interact with others, and evaluate actions and their consequences.
In this guide, he shows a set of reliable tools for school chess teachers and organizers. What can teachers do to improve their instruction? How important is talent? How to support a group with special needs? How to deal with parents? What are the best selling points of a chess program? How do chess programs work in schools in different countries?
Chess and motor skills
- Available in Spanish
- Chess and gamification in the classroom ♟️
- Chess and motor skills 💪
- Mutitude of games and exercises 🏐
Chess is a great educational resource, it facilitates the design of transversal activities, it can be used in the form of gamification in the classroom. It will be useful for teachers since they will find plenty of games, exercises and activities related to chess to work the motor skills of students in the compulsory educational stages (infant, primary and secondary). With this approach, it is also possible to learn the game of chess from the physical education subject in a dynamic, transversal and fun way.
Best chess books on how to apply psychology
Psychology is a very important aspect in chess games that can help you improve as a player. In chess above all it occurs in the thoughts and emotions that occur during the game and allows to improve the results. Sacrificing in a game without any fear, being nervous before starting the game, shaking, or someone who is so sure of himself that he could not see a simple threat from the opponent just by having in mind what he wanted to do. This can be improved with different skills enhancements such as the following:
- See defeat as learning, this causes us to improve, enjoy and analyze the games you play.
- Nerves or fear can affect you when you are in front of the board, so it will be important to control those attitudes.
These books show just this, how to improve in many situations that psychology makes us lose many points.
Grandmaster Preparation - Thinking Inside the Box
- Available in English
- Author Jacob Aagaard 🖋️
- Chess psychology 🧠
- 4 decisions we make while playing ✔️
- How to play easy positions ♟️
- What is calculation? ➕
- How to analyze games 💻
This book tries to answer the question of How can we make better decisions on the chessboard? To do this, he talks about the following topics:
- The psychology of chess
- The four types of decisions we make at the board
- How to play simple positions
- What is calculation?
- How to analyze games
Beyond Material
- Available in English
- Author GM Kuljasevic ♟️
- Ideal for intermediate players ✔️
- Guided examples to improve 💎
- Learn the real value of the pieces 🔝
Gathering the courage to sacrifice material and accurately assess the potential benefits is a real challenge. In this book, Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic teaches you to look beyond material balance when evaluating positions. With plenty of instructive examples, it shows how the actual value of your pieces fluctuates during the game, depending on many non-material factors. Some of those factors are related to space, such as mobility, harmony, outposts, structures, rows, and diagonals. Other factors are related to time, and to the way the plays are developed. With many fascinating examples, the skill of taking calculated risks is taught. After studying beyond the material,Winning games by sacrificing equipment will become second nature to you.
Mental Toughness in Chess: Practical Tips to Strengthen Your Mindset at the Board
- Available in English
- Increase concentration 🧠
- Recognize your strengths and weaknesses 🔝
- Face the defeats and the victories 💎
- Increase self-confidence ✔️
- Avoid underestimating your opponent ♟️
- Make better decisions under pressure ⏳
Being a winner also requires a mindset capable of coping with a lot of stress and setbacks during hours of uninterrupted concentration. In this book he presents practical tips and tools to improve your brain power during a game of all levels to unleash all the power of your brain and win more games.
- Increase your concentration and stamina
- Recognize your own strengths and weaknesses
- Facing both defeats and victories
- Increase your self-discipline when studying
- Handle upsetting thoughts and feelings during a game
- Increase your self-confidence
- Avoid underestimating (and overestimating!) Your opponent
- Make better decisions while under pressure
Winning chess with psychology
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author Paul Benko 🖋️
- Ideal for amateur players ♟️
- Study how psychology influences 🧠
This book studies the influence of psychology in the development of a game of chess. What is the best play? Emanuel Lasker once answered this question by saying, "the one that bothers the opponent the most . " Winning chess with psychology will teach you how Alekhine, Botvínnik, Tal, Fischer and Kasparov perfected the weapon created by Lasker, regardless of your chess level.
Chess game books and tournaments
Today, the most important tournament management website has a total of 586 613 registered tournaments.
From tournaments in small towns to Olympics and international championships of the highest level. Many grandmasters have had the experience of world championships or elite tournaments and this section is about just that. See from his point of view, with anecdotes and commented games with his high level of analysis to learn more about chess.
In this list of books, we are going to show you from the best games in tournaments of great and illustrious players in the history of chess, to experiences in relevant tournaments in the history of chess, to learn all the anecdotes outside the board.
The life and games of Mikhail Tal
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Mikhail Tal 🖊️
- Discover the complete life of Tal 🧬
- 100 complete games ♟️
Such was a genius, everyone knows. But who was the author who used the best words to describe his career, this may still be unknown to many people. This work is a book of chess, literature, history, suffering, love of life, science and art. We can only regret that the book ends in the mid-1970s; "Misha" also created many masterpieces later.
Winning chess brilliance
- Available in English
- Author GM Yasser Seirawan 🖊️
- Immobilize the enemy king in the center while you ... 🔝
- Reinforce your attack with maximum efficiency ♟️
- Establish deadly queen and bishop batteries 🧠
Twelve deeply analyzed GM games appropriate for the seasoned player familiar with positional concepts. This is an excellent and highly instructive book, providing a practical lesson on how ideally chess games should be scored.
How I beat Fischer's record
- Available in English
- Author GM Judit Polgar 🖊️
- The first successes of Judit Polgar 👧
- Chess ideas you needed to master to achieve them 🔝
An award-winning trilogy by someone who many consider to be the greatest chess player of all time. Discover chess thinking at the highest level clearly explained.
Zurich International Chess Tournament
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM David Bronstein 🖊️
- Understand the middlegame with the Zurich games 🔝
The so-called middle game is considered the most interesting and even decisive area of each game, hence in this interesting chess text , Bronstein approaches with incredible precision the games played in the Zurich championship in 1953, by the great masters and recognized champions within this discipline.
It is a classic that cannot be missing from the library of all competition chess lovers, fans and experts. David Bronstein accurately analyzes his matches played in the 1953 Zurich championship, rated the most important tournament since World War II. From that moment the 210 games of this legendary tournament are presented as masterpieces in which readers will enjoy valuable lessons explained for all levels and designed to put them into practice, recommended for levels between 1200 and 2000 .
My 60 Memorable Games
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author GM Robert Fischer 🖊️
- Analysis of the 60 best games 🔝
- Strategic and tactical ideas ♟️
Many people consider Bobby Fischer one of the three greatest players of all time, along with Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen.
A book of Fischer's best games with his own commentary is important enough for any fan to have. Fischer offers clear and insightful commentary on his spectacular games. This book is primarily intended for experienced, intermediate and superior chess players.
A first Morphy book
- Available in English
- Author GM Reuben Fine and Cecil Purdy 🖊️
- > 60 of Morphy's brilliant and instructive games 🔝
Morphy, one of the great chess players of all time and a master of open play. The book is aimed at the beginning intermediate player. Bobby Fischer wrote (in 1964) that "Morphy was perhaps the most accurate player who ever lived," proclaiming that "Morphy's natural talent would be more than enough to beat the best players of the 20th century." The fundamental principles of chess are clearly expressed illustrated in this instructive book.
Chessboard Masters
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- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Ricardo Reti 🖊️
- Games selected and commented by Reti 🔝
Instructive analysis and commentary on the style of play of most of the great chess masters from the mid-19th century to the early and mid-20th century, including Morphy, Anderssen, Rubinstein, Steinitz, Tarrasch, Tartakower, Spielmann, Capablanca, Lasker, Alekhine , etc.
Biographical Chess Books
There are many players who have left their mark throughout the history of chess and those who are beginning to leave it. Knowing their life in details, how those wonderful minds developed their game and life is something very interesting with a slightly different reading than usual. In this section we show you some biographical books about players whose names are familiar to us all.
Capablanca. Legend and reality Volume I
- Available in Spanish
- Author Miguel Angel Sánchez 🖊️
- The most complete biography of Capablanca ♟️
A wonderful biography of Capablanca, by far the most complete that exists. It shows a wide collection of games by Capablanca and other great chess players, all carefully annotated and explained. But the book also impresses with the portraits of environments and characters, such as the account of the eventful life of Capablanca's paternal grandfather, José María Tadeo Capablanca, a whole adventure novel, or the detailed and moving description of Capablanca's last days in a city - New York - shaken by the beginning of the Second World War.
Atlas of a Chess Master: The Life of Tartakower: Trilogy and Forgotten Annotations from a Sports Chronicle
- Available in Spanish
- Author Luis Herraiz Hidalgo 🖊️
- Discover the life of Tartakower ♟️
Tartakower, the chess master, had already suffered the horrors of war. The conflict will mean a forced parenthesis as a player as well as the final end point to the golden age of chess that had been marked by the colossi Lasker, Capablanca and Alekhine. In this recently released book, the reader will walk through an emotional life and review the major milestones in the history of Europe and chess in the first half of the 20th century. Teacher, soldier, poet, spy ... Who was Tartakower?
Garry Kasparov on My great predecessors
- Available in Spanish and English
- Author Garry Kasparov 🖊️
- Biographies about the first champions ♟️
- Wilhelm Steintz, Emanuel Lasker, Jose Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine 🔝
- Situation in historical, political and cultural context 📖
- Different style on the board and new ideas 📚
5 volumes of the brilliant former world chess champion. A critical and detailed analysis of the life, times and games of the greatest chess legends in history. This is an important contribution to the historical literature of chess.
Indispensable collection for chess players of all levels. Advanced players will find in the Kasparov + Chess Modules analysis a great material to train the calculation. Chess players with the strength of the master candidate will benefit from studying the evolution of chess. In addition, beginners will learn a little more about the history of the great champions.
Garry Kasparov's five-volume set contains analyzed games and the background of chess history, beginning with the first world champion: Wilhelm Steinitz. Having Kasparov talking about each world champion (and their challengers), while also providing his perspective on the classic games justifies the price of the book.
Rubinstein Biography
- Available in English
- Analysis of his life with photographs 🔝
- Discover their games ♟️
A very difficult book to find. Practically available in second-hand bookstores.
The biographical work Akiba Rubinshtein published in Moscow in 1980 is generally considered one of the most important books written in the latter part of the 20th century. Razuvaev had the gift of explaining thoughts in depth and at the same time in simple words. He was truly one of the best chess writers and thinkers that we have been blessed with.
Judit Polgár Princess of Chess
- Available in Spanish
- Author Tibor Károlyi 🖊️
- Judit Polgar game analysis 👧
- From childhood to adulthood 👨👧👧
Nicknamed 'the queen of chess', Judit Polgár won the title of International Grand Master at just 15 years old, becoming the youngest person to receive it until then. In this book a wide selection of his most exciting games is analyzed in depth, with victories over the best masters of today; Kasparov, Karpov and Anand included. This book will allow readers not only to practice her method and her sense of attack, but to discover the life of one of the few women to reach the elite of chess.
The test of time
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Gary Kasparov 🖊️
- Discover the life of Kasparov ♟️
The Test of Time is a book that shows the rise of the young Garry Kasparov to win the Candidates Cycle, as the story ends just before the match against Karpov.
In the book we find the dreams that motivated Kasparov from the beginning of his career and we can get an idea of the aggressive and energetic style of play that he has always shown, as well as the tireless work that it cost him to reach the top.
Don Miguel Najdorf, the "Old Man"
- Available in Spanish
- Author GM Zenón Franco Ocampos 🖊️
- 270 commented games, many by Najdorf ♟️
- Personal testimonials and anecdotes 📖
- Includes the text of the unfinished book by Miguel Najdorf 📚
"What you haven't learned yet, I forgot a long time ago, kid!" That was one of the phrases Najdorf used to say to his rivals. This extraordinary character, who changed the history of Argentine chess, is portrayed in this exciting book, in chronological order, with more than 270 commented games, many of them by Najdorf himself, personal testimonies and anecdotes. It also includes the text of Miguel Najdorf's unfinished book.
Bobby Fischer the greatest
- Available in Spanish
- Author Manuel López Michelone 🖊️
- Meet the movie-worthy life of Robert James Fisher ♟️
Robert James Fisher is perhaps one of the most iconic characters in chess. His life as a chess player is worthy of a movie. At the age of 15 he became the youngest Grandmaster in history up to that moment (1958). He faced Boris Spassky in the so-called "match of the century", whom he would undoubtedly defeat to become the eleventh Champion. of the world. This book narrates the life and chess work of Bobby Fischer, analyzing his most significant games, his great combinatorial chess and his contributions to the world of 64 squares. A fundamental work to understand modern chess.
Is it a good option to buy online on Amazon?
If you have read reviews, opinions and have spent enough time researching before buy online, you are likely to make a good decision.
Amazon is the largest online store in the world and there are many advantages to buying there. If you are looking to buy something to have it quickly (be it a gift, to improve your chess, or to have a treat), with security and the possibility of returning it is the best option.
On the other hand, you will be able to see hundreds of comments from people who have bought chess clocks and draw your own conclusions.
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Nevertheless, also there are several chess stores online that provides the same and more chess material. Yottachess participates with several shops like Duochess, Tienda Ajedrez Escac i mat, The ChessStore and House Of Staunton.
