Batsford, which was the preeminent name among chess book publishers in the
1970s and 1980s, is once again returning to the forefront after a period of troubles.

The first book (STARTING CHESS), aimed at the absolute beginner by Gillam, is a revised and enlarged edition of the book of the same name published in 1977. It starts with an explanation of the rules of the game and then moves on systematically to cover more advanced material introducing basic themes like pins, forks, discovered checks, etc.

Mr. Gillam’s second work (SIMPLE CHESS TACTICS) continues along the lines of his first book, methodically leading the reader step-by-step through more advanced material. By the time the student has mastered the material in these two books, they should have reached the playing strength of approximately 1000. Both books would be excellent to use when working with children.

MASTERING CHECKMATES by Neil McDonald is aimed at a considerably more advanced level than the two previous books. It reminds one of an updated version of Renaud and Kahn’s THE ART OF CHECKMATE. GM McDonald covers the basic checkmate patterns presenting new modern examples, which are likely to be unfamiliar to the reader. This book can be read with advantage by players from 1600-2000.

YOU CAN FIND STARTING CHESS AT

YOU CAN FIND SIMPLE CHESS TACTICS AT

YOU CAN FIND MASTERING CHECKMATES AT