Whether you’re just getting started or looking to build a solid foundation, a great chess book can speed up your learning more than hours of casual play. Below, we review some of the top-rated beginner chess books that actually help you get better—from mindset to tactics.

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This Beginner Chess Book is a Masterpiece

🏆 Top Pick: How to Win at Chess – The Ultimate Guide for Beginners and Beyond

• Author: Levi Rozman
• Pages: 227
• Level: Absolute beginners, intermediates and even aspiring Grandmasters!
• Available as: Hardcover, Kindle, Spiral-bound

💬 Why This Book Stands Out

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by too many chess openings, strange symbols, or endless grandmaster analysis, this book will feel like a breath of fresh air.

How to Win at Chess cuts through the noise and focuses on what actually helps you play better, even if you’ve never read a chess book before.

The author Levy Rozman, also known as GothamChess on YouTube, has gained a huge following over the years, thanks to his entertaining yet insightful Chess Videos.

In How to Win at Chess Levy Rozman reveals the most important lessons of his chess career in a way, that anyone can learn from it.

Unlike other Beginner Chess Books, How to Win at Chess this book teaches core principles—like controlling the center, piece activity, and tactics—in a way that’s friendly, digestible, and actionable.

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• The most important moves and strategies
• Visually appealing examples and diagrams
• The difference between playing moves vs. understanding ideas
• How to plan and think ahead without memorizing anything

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Understanding the Basics

📘 Perfect for True Starters: How to Play Chess – A Beginner’s Guide

• Author: GameSpark
• Pages: 107
• Level: Absolute beginner
• Available as: Paperback, Kindle
• Free Edition on Kindle Unlimited

💬 Why This Book Works So Well

If you’ve never played chess—or barely remember the rules—this book is for you.
How to Play Chess teaches you the absolute basics, without assuming any prior knowledge. It’s like having a patient friend walk you through every step of the game. Out of all the beginner chess books, it’s arguably the best one in the market right now.

Instead of overwhelming you with openings or master games, it focuses on:

• Clear explanations of the rules
• Real beginner mistakes—and how to avoid them
• Simple tactics and tips to win games faster

📌 What You’ll Learn:

• How each piece moves, controls space, and interacts
• Why beginners often lose quickly—and how to fix that
• The core principles of development, center control & king safety
• Tactical patterns like forks, pins, and skewers made simple

New To Chess? 🔥
You might be interested in finding a Chess Set, which is tailored to your needs as a beginner. ♟️
Luckily for you, we have already done the hard part of searching through the internet.
See our blog post about the best chess sets for beginners here.