Top 5 Chess Books for Beginners!! (and ones to avoid...)

[@hannahsayce1]

Hello! Just updating this list for you guys. I would now like to change one of my recommendations from "100 Endgames you Must Know" to "Silman's Complete Endgame Course". Just picked up Silman's book over Christmas and have already read over half of the book in just a few weeks! What I like about it - The book is split up into sections by rating, and there's something for everyone! The first section is intended for beginners, teaching simple checkmates and pawn endgames etc. The following sections build upon this knowledge in a very approachable and interesting way, with each section noting the rating level it is intended for. You can pick this book up at any stage of your chess journey and have something to take away from it. - Great writing. When you pick up a Silman book, you can know that you will be reading something well-worded and entertaining. This book is no exception! This is the best endgame book I have read so far! It makes endgames fun, which a lot endgame books don't manage to do :D. Enjoy.

[@johnkaponis5187]

Another book that makes endgames fun is Van Perlo's endgame tactics!

[@Abhyuday.]

Recommended Books 00:00 Introduction 00:31 Winning Chess Tactics by GM Yasser Seirawan 01:42 Winning Chess Openings by GM Yasser Seirawan 02:27 The Complete Book of Chess Strategy by IM Jeremy Silman 03:08 -100 Endgames You Must Know by GM Jesus Villa- or **Silman's Complete Endgame Course by IM Jeremy Silman(preferred; see pinned msg)** 03:48 A Modern Guide To Checkmating Patterns by IM Vladimir Barsky Books to Stay away from as a beginner 04:39 Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual 05:08 Chess Fundamentals by Jose Capablanca Thank you for the excellent book recommendations, Hannah! Sometimes chess players, especially beginners, choose the wrong book for their level of chess, and instead of helping them improve, it negatively affects their game. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. I own a couple of Yasser's books and they are amazing for beginners. Some other books I can recommend are Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, and Winning Chess by Irving Chernev. And yes, I would love to see a video for book recommendations for intermediate players :D

[@StefanTarras]

I have Yasser's Winning Chess Strategies course on Chessable and have found it very useful. I'm going to take your recommendations and get his two books on this list! Thanks!

[@hannahsayce1]

Glad it was helpful! Best of luck :)

[@clandeszipp4564]

Why not keep book covers on the screen for longer?

[@RTAC_1234]

As a writer, I'm very happy to see you encouraging people to read books!

[@hannahsayce1]

Even with all the great online courses available, there’s nothing quite like reading a good book! :)

[@LightningGunne]

RIP Jeremy Silman. i don't own that many chess books and i only really own your #3 recommendation and _How to Reassess Your Chess,_ but his style of writing really stuck out to me, and i was literally cheering in my seat to see the #3 rec! and yes i'd love to see a video like this but for intermediate players! :hannahhLove:

[@hannahsayce1]

Jeremy silman is a great author! And I will definitely look to make a video with recommendations for intermediates 😊

[@LexWil7]

Agree on Capablanca’s Fundamentals, I think this is more of a primer than an actual instructional book, to your point it’s a little dull and hard to follow in places. I would , however, replace Seirawan’s Tactics with “Everyone’s First Chess Workbook” by Giannatos and then go with Polgar’s “Chess Tactics for Champions” as I find these ones more practical due to the sheer number of exercises with progressive difficulty.

[@bassfischer4273]

Thanks Hannah! I'd also recommend The Amateur's Mind, also by GM Silman.

[@hannahsayce1]

I haven't read this one, but I'll definitely check that one out! Awesome :D Pretty much anything by Silman is always great :)

[@davidsprenkle2641]

I'm 55+ years away from being a beginner, but I think your recommendations are spot on. I've not seen the de la Villa and Barsky books yet, but I've heard good things about them. And both Seirawan and Silman are clear and engaging authors, with a good sense of what beginners need to know--and how to explain it. Can't go wrong there. Wish I had those books when I was coming up! I also agree with your two warnings. Dvoretsky's book is amazing, but it's like reading a scientific treatise on quantum mechanics. Definitely not for beginners. I only ever just poke around in it as needed for info on specific endings, but I have played through the "tragi-comedy" examples he places at the end of his chapters, and they're quite amusing--and a good reminder that even GMs struggle with endings. Refreshing. As for books like Capablanca's, a "classic" from the old days, well, I just don't think he explains things as clearly, and choses his examples as well, as authors like Silman and Seirawan do. Books like that were probably at least partly written for money, and I don't sense Capa was fully into it when he wrote it. So I agree with your "heresy." I like your channel--keep up the good work!

[@hannahsayce1]

Thanks for your comment on the video, and great insights! Definitely agree with you on this :). Yes I do quite enjoy the tragi-comedies in Dvoretsky’s book, but unfortunately I’m still a way away from being able to solve many of the presented puzzles! I think sometimes as a beginner there is a tendency to think “well if I want to learn and be great at this game, I should get the same books that the great players use”, which was my thought process when I purchased that endgame manual as a new player. Unfortunately I attempted the puzzles, taking 20-30 minutes to calculate one, finally deciding on a move… just to flip to the answers page and see ‘obviously not (my move)’ 😅. Back to basics it was for me!

[@Chunda8]

Thanks Hannah. I'm at the point where I can't decide if I'm a really good beginner or mediocre intermediate, welcome to 800 land. I wish I had more time for it.

[@hannahsayce1]

It's hard to push through that level, but you've got this! :)

[@FxBrawler]

Great video! Some ideas for future videos: Your opening repertoire as white and why you play them. Same thing as black. Then perhaps some more in-depth coverage of those openings and some common ideas, traps, and thematic pawn pushes within those openings. Thanks!

[@sidsriva]

Thanks for excellent recommendation .

[@tizianoricci7509]

Even of you have intermediate as broad as 1300-1800, De la Vilas one is absolutely not for beginners, 1300elo would bare surpass his basic requirements section in the very first chapter..... (And also the same book goes up to master level, 2000+ level endgames concepts).... Its like 2d tier endgame knowledge, there are simpler books to start....imo

[@creationcoach2703]

I have the book 100 End Games.

[@hannahsayce1]

it's a great one!

[@zizhiqu]

I worked with an old guy who in his youth was the NSW junior state champion or some such thing. I was just getting into chess, and when he heard about it he said I MUST study end games because he had lost too many important games by being outsmarted by older players. Anyway he kindly loaned me his ancient End Game textbook. What a completely useless thing it was. So dry, so clinical, so irrelevant to someone who just wanted to survive the first 6 opening moves with my pieces intact, my pawns not ruined, and my prospects of formulating a plan still alive. I prided myself on learning the knight-bishop endgame, and three decades later, I still haven’t played one in real life.

[@alexs1621]

Hi Hannah. I have been doing the "Chess Fundamentals by Capablanca" course on chessable. Based on that, I think your critique is spot on, as that course, which i know is very faithful to the book, leaves a great deal of figuring out to the student rather than explaining. I am currently doing the "100 End Games You Must Know" on Chessable, and will return to the "Chess Fundamentals" course after that, probably starting the Chess Fundamentals Course from the Beginning. So as to get maximum benefit from that course. Also in your opinion, do you think it's better to have say the " 100 End Games You Must Know" book? rather than the Chessable course? or maybe Both? Love Your Work, it's much appreciated.

[@hannahsayce1]

sorry for the extremely late reply to this, just decided to check up on comments here this morning! In general, I like chessable for openings, then for middlegame/endgame studies I prefer the physical books. It's more of a personal preference but I find I remember and understand better when using the physical books :D

[@seanobrien2306]

Hi, HannahSayce..., Excellent video and very informative, and thank you for sharing the video ! ! I have all of the chess books, except the last book..., which I will purchase this afternoon. I totally "agree' with you on all of the chess books, including the two ( not ) to purchase. Of course..., I purchased those books, too... LOL * Ms. Hannah Sayce..., is bright, intelligent, and attractive ! ! After watching and listening to your excellent chess video..., I decided to "Subscribe " to your excellent chess channel... Thank you for your hard work and sharing the video... "Semper Fi" Mike in Montana :)

[@hannahsayce1]

Hi Sean, thank-you for the kind comment! Hope you have a wonderful week and I appreciate the compliments :D

[@seanobrien2306]

@@hannahsayce1 Hi, Hannah..., Sad that IM Jeremy Silman passed away. Great Chess player, writer, teacher, and one nice person... ( RIP ) IM Jeremy Silman... "Semper Fi" Mike in Montana :(

[@mikey3387]

Hi Hannah. So, I've been playing chess for a while, played on a team in high school, then stopped for several years. I got back into it online. I hear a lot about "theory", but have no idea what is meant by theory. Thinking I'd like to learn a bit about that.

[@hannahsayce1]

Hey! Sorry for the late reply, but welcome back into the chess world, great to have you here :D. When we talk about "theory" it means moves that are have been studied in a particular opening. For example, theory for the Ruy Lopez opening is 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 Bb5. Theory can sometimes go 30 moves deep or more! So basically, it is moves that have been studied in the past. The average player, like you and I can use theory in our games by memorizing 'good' moves in the opening. This is somewhat similar to how we can use theories in science to form a framework for current studies. When talking about theory, we often refer to lines that are considered "good" or "best". The "main line" of theory is the most popular line. However, there is "theory" for gambits, and straight-up terrible moves! So, essentially it is just a move that has been studied. Let me know if this helps you at all!

[@mikey3387]

@@hannahsayce1 No apologies necessary! Thank you, Hannah, for clarifying that for me. That really helps!!

[@alexblue6991]

Chess puzzle or Chess book which is best for beginners?

[@ДевятихвостыйЛис-я4с]

Спасибо за советы для новичков

[@schlangenbiss1]

Neil McDonald has some very good books for beginners and intermediate players. He explains ideas of moves very well.

[@hannahsayce1]

I have to check these out ! Always nice to find new books to recommend :). what book should I look at first?

[@schlangenbiss1]

@@hannahsayce1 The three that I have read are: Planning After the Opening, The Art of Logical Thinking, and The Art of Planning in Chess Move by Move. Enjoy. I think you will like them.

[@hannahsayce1]

thankyou! Appreciate your suggestions :D@@schlangenbiss1

[@nomoreblitz]

FIRST Version: "All good except there is no way beginners should start with 100 endgames you must know." EDIT: great video! i'm glad you redirected beginners towards Silman.

[@hannahsayce1]

check the pinned comment! I swapped out this recommendation for another. Personally, 100 endgames you must know is the book I started with (at around 1000 elo online), and I found it okay to read, but I agree that there’s better endgame books for beginners! I decided to swap my recommendation to silman’s endgame course because it’s something you can take with you along your whole chess journey and starts right with the basics ☺️

[@nomoreblitz]

@@hannahsayce1 Good call! (imo)

[@bidyutchess]

Must Know Chess Concepts To Become A Strong Player written by Bidyut B Handique (Fide elo-2077)

[@wiilegend4776]

Hi Hannah, I'm 1800 lichess, how good would you say I am?

[@iconicon3108]

Jeremy Silman endgame course should be on the list.

[@hannahsayce1]

yes check the pinned comment!

[@dklee123]

I tried starting the Capablanca book, but the descriptive notation instead of algebraic notation made my eyes glaze over. Did you learn descriptive notation for older books?

[@hannahsayce1]

I have learned descriptive notation for reading older books, but definitely prefer to read modern, algebraic notation :D

[@dklee123]

@@hannahsayce1 thanks for sharing! This gives me more encouragement to just rip the band-aid and learn it when the next old book comes around

[@joeldick6871]

For endgames, why De La Villa rather than Silman?

[@mustaphad1319]

I'm about the same level as Hannah I'd recommend Silman over De la villa starting out but both should be read

[@joeldick6871]

@@mustaphad1319 Agree, Silman's Complete Endgame Course is a much better place to start than De La Villa, for a few reasons: 1) Silman's language is a lot easier to follow than De La Villa. I found De La Villa to be hard to understand in places. 2) Silman progresses a lot more gradually through the different levels. De La Villa tends to get quite difficult in certain places. 3) Silman covers just the essential openings you need to know at each stage. De La Villa will mix in some more advanced openings and then go back to some more fundamental stuff.

[@joeldick6871]

Even after you are done with Silman's Complete Endgame Course, there are some other better books to give you more practice before you need to go to De La Villa's book. For example, Pandolfini's Endgame Course, Chernev's Practical Chess Endings, John Hall's Endgame Challenge!, and The Manual of Chess Endings by Sarhan Guliev have lots of good exercises. You're better off working through those with the knowledge you got from Silman before advancing to De La Villa.

[@joeldick6871]

And even when you're finished with those, you're best off reading a book with practical endgame examples rather than advancing to more obscure or difficult theoretical endgames that don't come up often or are very difficult to learn. Some good books with practical endgame examples are Capablanca's Best Endings by Chernev, Just the Facts! by Lev Alburt, Practical Endgame Play by Neil McDonald, and Endgame Virtuoso by Smyslov. Also, the grand daddy of all practical endgame strategy books is Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky, which is a must-read for any intermediate player.

[@joeldick6871]

In short, Silman's Complete Endgame Course will give you all the theoretical knowledge you need for a while, and then those exercise books should give you good practice, and then those practical endgame books and Shereshevsky should show you how to approach endgame strategy. There is no real need for De La Villa, which is a sub-par book anyways in terms of style.

[@bondanization]

I believe everything you said

[@creatorofimages7925]

Video says 1080p, meanwhile Hannah resolving in 480p of the camera. 😂

[@hannahsayce1]

a camera upgrade is definitely on the wish list 🥲

[@zizhiqu]

Just as the world was not ready for the Goose opening, the world is not ready for 1080p Hannah.

[@MrSupernova111]

Sounds like a great list for intermediate players. Beginners by definition barely know how the pieces move. Imagine a beginner learning B + N "w" mating pattern. lol

[@hannahsayce1]

great comment! I definitely get what you are saying here. I find it a little difficult to define a beginner in the world of chess, as there is such a large range in skill level. However, I saw a lot of people say that intermediate level is placed around 1200-1400+ up to 1800-1900 ELO. I wanted to aim these recommendations at people below this level, that are still wanting to learn a lot about chess. But advice taken, I’ll try and make sure that my ‘beginner’ videos in future are aimed at a more ‘true beginner’ level. 😊

[@johnkaponis5187]

100 endgames you must know,i don't think it's for beginners.

[@hannahsayce1]

true! that’s why I switched my recommendation to silman’s endgame course! 😊

[@agpaok0704]

the only reason I am playing chess, is Bobby Fischer. His books are not published any more (in my country at least), so I went to a chess club and asked for the book in order to print a copy. I got +1000 rating points just by touching it. 100% recomend it.

[@chessparrotify]

Silman is dead.

[@seanobrien2306]

With a lot of respect..., my Jeremy Silman ( Rest-in-Peace) and I enjoy his DVDs and a majority of his excellent chess books ! ! * RIP..., Jeremy Silman... Excellent chess writer, chess player, and friend. "Semper Fi" Mike in Montana :)

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