12 Books About Chess for Kids

We’ve been lucky enough to have an amazing volunteer willing to help us at my library by offering chess classes for our kids! Thankfully, we have a volunteer because my staff and I know a little bit about chess, but not enough to offer a series of classes for beginner and intermediate students. And these classes are insanely popular with kids signed up and tons of kids on the waitlist too. I had no idea chess was such a popular interest, but it definitely is in our community for sure. Today, I’ve gathered some great fictional titles with chess interwoven throughout the story. But, I also wanted to share some nonfiction titles to help kids increase their skill level when playing.

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12 Books About Chess for Kids

Always, Clementine by Carlie Sorosiak

Clementine is different from other mice: she can calculate the speed of light and she dreams in Latin. The scientists say she’s a genius and put her through test after test. Clementine is proud of being a good lab mouse, but she’s lonely. Her only snatches of friendship occur during her late-night visits with a chimpanzee named Rosie. When a compassionate lab technician frees Clementine, the mouse discovers an outside world full of wonders: Brussels sprouts, games of speed chess, television fame, and a chance for a real home. But for Clementine, it’s not enough to be free when she knows that Rosie and the other mice are not.

This tender, lively adventure story, narrated in letters from a mouse to a chimpanzee, shows us that goodness is something we have to define for ourselves—and that courage and wisdom aren’t proportionate to size.

Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer, Stuart Margulies, and Don Mosenfelder

Learn how to play chess the Bobby Fischer way with the fastest, most efficient, most enjoyable method ever devised. Whether you’re just learning the game or looking for more complex strategies, these practice problems and exercises will help you master the art of the checkmate. 

This book teaches through a programmed learning method: It asks you a question. If you give the right answer, it goes on to the next question. If you give the wrong answer, it explains why the answer is wrong and asks you to go back and try again. Thanks to the book’s unique formatting, you will work through the exercises on the right-hand side, with the correct answer hidden on the next page. The left-hand pages are intentionally printed upside-down; after reaching the last page, simply turn the book upside-down and work your way back.

When you finish, not only will you be a much better chess player, you may even be able to beat Bobby Fischer at his own game!

Check Mates by Stewart Foster

Some people think that I’m a problem child, that I’m lazy and never pay attention in lessons. But the thing is, I’m not a problem child at all. I’m just a child with a problem. Felix is struggling at school. His ADHD makes it hard for him to concentrate and his grades are slipping. Everyone keeps telling him to try harder, but no one seems to understand just how hard he finds it. When Mum suggests Felix spends time with his grandfather, Felix can’t think of anything worse. Granddad hasn’t been the same since Grandma died. Plus he’s always trying to teach Felix boring chess. But sometimes the best lessons come in the most unexpected of places, and Granddad soon shows Felix that there’s everything to play for.

Chess for Children by Sabrina Chevannes

Chess is great for developing a child’s analytical skills, fostering the competitive instinct—and having fun. Nothing beats this cute, character-based guide for teaching youngsters how to play. Jess and Jamie—two rough-and-tumble, chess-obsessed kids—explain it all: what the pieces are and how they move; the opening, middlegame, and endgame; checkmate; and sneaky tricks that win. The book’s friendly, entertaining, and essential to any child’s bookshelf.

Chess for Kids by Michael Basman

International chess master and tutor Michael Basman show you everything you need to know to improve your tactics and win more games. Go from beginner chess player to chess champion by following the expert advice in Chess for Kids. Soon you’ll know the difference between chess pieces (your bishop from your knight!) and how to use them strategically, when to use the castling move and how to counter the Queen’s Gambit.

Dive into the history of chess and learn from the greatest players and games. Before explaining techniques, the book builds your fundamental knowledge of chess and boosts your understanding of its value, power and importance. Chessboard graphics illustrate different scenarios so you can visualize different chess moves and their potential outcomes and learn the best move to make in any given situation.

Focused by Alyson Gerber

Clea can’t control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. Clea knows she can’t just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can’t help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?

It’s starting to be a problem-not just in school, but when Clea’s playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.

Clea knows life can’t continue the way it’s been going. She’s just not sure how you can fix a problem that’s all in your head. But that’s what she’s going to have to do, to find a way to focus.

How to Beat Your Dad at Chess by Murray Chandler

This is a chess book for everyone, from eight to eighty, beginner to master. In a clear, easy-to-follow format it explains how the best way to beat a stronger opponent (be it a friend, clubmate – or Dad!) is by cleverly forcing checkmate. Delightful and instructive positions from real games are used to show the 50 Deadly Checkmates that chess masters use to win their games.

For the beginner, simply learning the checkmating ideas and enjoying the examples will help develop the tactical skills needed to carry out attacks, combinations and sacrifices. For the advanced player, many of these checkmating ideas will come as a revelation, having never been categorized before. Experts agree that pattern-recognition is vital to success in chess, and this book provides a wealth of valuable patterns.

My Name Is Tani…. And I Believe in Miracles by Tanitoluwa Adewumi

At eight years old, Tani Adewumi, a refugee, won the 2019 New York State Chess Championship after playing the game for only a year–and while homeless.

Tani and his family fled Boko Haram’s reign of terror in Nigeria to come to the United States, where they lived in a New York City homeless shelter while waiting to be granted religious asylum. Tani began attending a public elementary school and decided he wanted to join the chess program, but it required a fee. Tani’s mother reached out to the coach, who offered Tani a scholarship–and a year later the young immigrant became a chess champion.

Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles

Nothing’s gone right for Lawrence since he had to move from Charlotte to Larenville, North Carolina, to live with his granny. When Lawrence ends up in one too many fights at his new school, he gets expelled. The fight wasn’t his fault, but since his pop’s been gone, it feels like no one listens to what Lawrence has to say.

Instead of going to school, Lawrence starts spending his days at the rec center, helping out a neighbor who runs a chess program. Some of the kids in the program will be picked to compete in the Charlotte Classic chess tournament. Could this be Lawrence’s chance to go home?

Lawrence doesn’t know anything about chess, but something about the center—and the kids there—feels right. Lawrence thought the game was over . . . but does he have more moves left than he thought?

The Story of Chess by Horacio Cardo

After a steady stream of inventors, artists, and storytellers tried and failed, a man appeared with a box and a gameboard. So begins the story.

The man explains how each piece moves, and why. For example, the king is all-powerful, so he can move in any direction. But because a ruler must be cautious, he can move only one square per turn. he animosity of the kings is so great that they can never occupy adjacent squares, and their importance is such that if a side loses its king, it has lost the war. Each piece is given similar treatment, as are such moves as check, checkmate, castling, and en passant. The highly individualistic illustrations help demonstrate the mechanics of the game explained in the text, and a more conventional board-and -piece icon on each page show that more literal interpretation of the move. Through an illustrated story of the creation of chess, this book provides narratives and visual devices for learning the game and remembering the moves.

The Verdigris Pawn by Alysa Wishingrad

The heir to the Land should be strong. Fierce. Ruthless. At least, that’s what Beau’s father has been telling him his whole life, since Beau is the exact opposite of what the heir should be. With little control over his future, Beau is kept locked away, just another pawn in his father’s quest for ultimate power.

That is, until Beau meets a girl who shows him the secrets his father has kept hidden. For the first time, Beau begins to question everything he’s ever been told and sets off in search of a rebel who might hold the key to setting things right.

Teaming up with a fiery runaway boy, their mission quickly turns into something far greater as sinister forces long lurking in the shadows prepare to make their final move—no matter what the cost. But it just might be Beau who wields the power he seeks . . . if he can go from pawn to player before the Land tears itself apart.

Winning Chess Strategy for Kids by Jeff Coakley

Winning Chess Strategy for Kids is a fun and comprehensive chess course written for children 7 to 13 years old. Full of original material and entertaining artwork, it’s a perfect guide for learning the royal game. Parents and teachers are sure to like it too.

The book begins on square one: covering the rules, basic mates, and elementary tactics. It then leads the student through a whole range of advanced strategies, including piece development, pawn structure, and attacking the castled king.

Opening principles, middlegame plans, and endgames techniques are all explained in clear and simple language. Separate sections throughout the book are devoted to combinations and terminology.

Whether kids are learning chess for recreation or are interested in playing competitively, Winning Chess Strategy for Kids will help them understand the game better and enjoy it more.