Self-learning
The amount of chess resources today is enormous. This page is intended to give beginner, improving players, and chess parents, a healthy set of chess resources without them having to spend hours searching online and asking around for advice.
The list is by no means definitive, but aims to at least point the learner in the right kind of direction.
Feel free to get in touch if you can recommend any additional chess resources.
Complete BeginnersBeginners (Elo up to ~1600)Intermediate (Elo ~1600 to ~2000)Miscellaneous
Online Interactive Guides & Courses:
YouTube:
Books:
Online Interactive Guides & Courses:
- Chess Lessons “Beginner”/”Intermediate” | Chess.com
- Smithy’s Opening Fundmentals | Chessable (Openings)
Videos:
- Typical Mistakes by 1000-1600 Players | GM N Pert | Chessbase (by former Suffolk junior and World U18 Champion)
Books:
- Chess Player’s Bible | FM J Eade (Complete Guide)
- Simple Chess Tactics | A J Gillam (Tactics – out of print but still some second-hand copies available)
- Simple Checkmates | A J Gillam (Tactics)
- Chess Openings for Kids | IM J Watson & FM G Burgess (Openings)
- Chess Opening Traps for Kids | FM G Burgess (Openings)
Live Chess Streams:
Online Interactive Courses:
- Winning Chess Strategies | Y Seirawan | Chessable (Planning/Strategy/Positional Chess)
Videos:
- Typical mistakes by 1600-1900 players | GM Nick Pert | Chessbase
- Typical mistakes by 1800-2000 players | GM Nick Pert | Chessbase
Books:
- Duels of the Mind: Twelve Greatest Games of Chess | GM R Keene (Game Analysis)
- Test Your Chess IQ First Challenge | A Livshits
- Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games | B Pandolfini & L Polgar (Tactics)
- Simple Chess | GM M Stean (Strategy/Positional/Game Analysis)
- My System | A Nimzowitsch (Strategy/Positional/Game Analysis)
- Logical Chess : Move by Move: Chess Explained | I Chernev (Strategy/Positional/Game Analysis)
- Pandolfini’s Endgame Course | B Pandolfini (Endgames)
Software
- Chessbase | Windows
- Stockfish Open-source Chess Engine
- FollowChess (follow live tournaments)
Videos and live streams
Articles:
Books:
Online Games:
Films & Documentaries: