 | Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 Tactics, Tactics, Tactics. If you aren't already good at recognizing and using pins, forks, discovered attacks, back rank mates, skewers, etc., then you need this book! Tactics are the single most important aspect of chess to learn. And this is the best (and easiest) introduction to tactics book to begin with. Essential reading for every beginner. Simply a great book!
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 | The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess, Third Edition by Patrick Wolff
Buy new: $12.89 / Used from: $6.38 I think this is the best "comprehensive" introductory book on chess. Read this book after you have finished the "Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess" book. But don't let the title fool you. This is an outstanding coverage of all elements of chess. Patrick Wolff's ability to explain chess is outstanding. If you were to buy only one chess book, this should probably be the one!
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 | Alpha Teach Yourself Chess in 24 Hours by et al Zsuzsa Polgar
Buy used from: $5.54 This is similar to Patrick Wolff's book above, in that it's a comprehensive introduction to chess written for the beginner. However this book, by Susan Polgar (The first female International Grandmaster in history!), is profuse in it's use of diagrams. So there is less need to use a chess board while reading the book. It also treats specific openings more in-depth. An excellent book.
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 | Discovering Chess Openings: Building Opening Skills from Basic Principles by John Emms
Buy new: $18.21 / Used from: $7.99 Most chess teachers/writers tend to de-emphasize the study of openings for the beginner. However I believe it is important for every chess player, novice or expert, to acquire a solid foundation in opening 'principles' (as opposed to memorization of specific openings). This book will teach you the "why's" of opening play better than any other book at the introductory (or perhaps any other) level.
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 | Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master by Jeremy Silman
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $12.98 You need to know the fundamentals of endgame play - period. Studying the endgame will probably pay more dividends, more quickly, than any other aspect of chess play, with the exception of basic chess tactics. This is the best endgame book for you to start with, hands down!
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 | Weapons of Chess: An Omnibus of Chess Strategies (Fireside Chess Library) by Bruce Pandolfini
Buy new: $11.70 / Used from: $0.99 Elements of positional chess. Weakness, holes, outposts, backward pawns, pawn chains, isolated pawn, good bishop, bad bishop - what the heck are these and why should you care. You had better care, because if your opponent knows how to make use of, or exploit them, and you have no clue, then you are in serious trouble my friend! This is the book to begin your study of positional chess.
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 | Chess Openings: Traps And Zaps (Fireside Chess Library) by Bruce Pandolfini
Buy new: $11.70 / Used from: $0.12 Two volumes. I include these because of their unique approach in introducing the novice to a wide variety of 'double king pawn' openings (as opposed to opening principles, which are better covered in the John Emms book I recommend). The focus is on mistakes in the openings, typical traps that can occur, and how to recognize and exploit them. Instructive and fun!
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 | Chess: The Art of Logical Thinking: From the First Move to the Last by Neil McDonald
Buy new: $14.93 / Used from: $7.98 A collection of Grandmaster games with the reasoning behind virtually every move analyzed and explained! See how the greats think and plan their moves. This is essentially a modern version of Irving Chernev's classic "Logical Chess - Move By Move". Either of these books is wonderful (get both)! You need to study the games of the masters!
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