Best Chess Books for Kids

Chess books for kids should be fun and make it simple to try new strategies – this list has the chess books your children want!

Our kids have been in a pretty fun chess phase recently, and since my husband and I were total chess noobs, I turned to chess books for kids to help us develop our strategy after we all learned to play.

The Best Chess Books for Kids

After developing a basic understanding of the ways each piece moves and some of the special rules, we all wanted to dig deeper! I didn’t even bother looking into chess books targeting adults – I’m at the same skill level as my kids anyway! Plus I’m confident that these chess books for kids are WAY more fun.

The first batch of books on this list are the ones we actually own, and then there are a couple at the end that come highly recommended, but we haven’t purchased yet. We have only finished a few of the books we own, because it takes some practice learning and trying out some of the strategic ideas presented!

Chess is a great mental exercise. You know that sort of uncomfortable feeling where you are struggling to grasp something and then suddenly “it clicks”? I have to admit, I haven’t had enough of that feeling since #momlife began, and I’m enjoying it.

Developing my chess strategy is totally stretching my brain right along with my kids! So which chess books are we enjoying? Here’s the list:

Across the Battlefield by Jonathan Ferry

A short read, and my kids devoured it! It helped my kids increase their understanding of the basics and learn when/why certain moves work. This chess book for kids comes highly recommended by the chess community, and while I’m no expert, I agree it’s a great place to start!

Chess for Kids by Richard James

This one is great for beginners, because it covers all the basics but goes just a little beyond. It’s broken into 30 lessons, and is very readable because it’s in storytelling format and my big kids (10 & 8) both agreed it was helpful and fun to read! There are little quizzes and checkpoints for kids to test their understanding.

The Usborne Chess Book

This is not a book that is meant to be opened and read. It’s a consumable book, almost like a bunch of chess workbook except it’s full color, super inviting, and really fun! The kids have no problem with me assigning them a page of this in their daily homeschool lessons, and I like that they are exercising their logical thinking skills!

Chess for Children by Murray Chandler and Helen Milligan

This one isn’t as flashy or colorful as some of the other chess books on the list, but it’s a gem nonetheless. Written with their audience of children in mind, this book keeps it simple, but helps kids develop thoughtful strategy!

How to Beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler

What kid doesn’t want to beat their dad at chess? The title alone was enough to entice my oldest into starting it.

This book is a bit beyond the early beginner phase, so it’s been a bit slow going through it. There really are some clever strategies in here, they’re just going to be best for kids who are motivated to improve their game!

DK Chess for Kids by Michael Basman

This book reads more like an illustrated encyclopedia of chess. If you’re familiar with other DK books, this won’t surprise you! That said, I see my kids flipping through it sometimes, but it hasn’t been one of the chess books for kids that they turn to first.

Here are a couple of chess books that we are interested in, but haven’t personally reviewed yet:

Winning Chess Strategy for Kids by Jeff Coakley

This book has glowing reviews and some chess websites have made it sound essential. I just wasn’t ready to drop $40 on one book! It’s on our list of chess books for kids that we’re interested in, and if the kids keep up their chess interest, we will probably spring for it at some point. If you’ve read it, let me know what you think!

How to Play Chess for Kids: Simple Strategies to Win!

Yes, we all want to win! After spending an hour locked into a chess battle with my 2nd grader, I want to win. Sometimes I lose 🤪 but hey, that’s part of the game.

The clever mom in me wants to order this book and read it before the kids and start busting out great strategies out of nowhere before I reveal the book as my secret weapon. Sneaky, I know. 😏

Chess books for kids are useful (and the best ones are fun) for kids who want to learn the game or want to improve their skills!

Looking for a hands-on, single player way to build chess strategy? Check out this single player Chess Strategy Puzzle Game!

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