WIGSTON CHESS CLUB
Articles by club members
This section features some articles written by club members setting out some thoughts on chess improvement. 1. How to deal with time management during your games. 2. Why you should analyse your games and how to go about it. 3. Theoretical endgames - the 10 endgames you should know (part 1). 4. Theoretical endgames - the 10 endgames you should know (part 2). 5. Theoretical endgames - the 10 endgames you should know (part 3).Learning resources
There are a huge number of chess books and websites where you can learn more about the game and develop your skills. It can be rather overwhelming, so here are some suggestions as to where to look.General resources
There is a library of books in the equipment cupboard. Members are free to borrow anything that interests them. If you want to browse chess books then a good online option is the London Chess Centre. For a large range of high quality videos on just about everything, try the St. Louis Chess Club YouTube channel.Starting out
For Leicestershire juniors there is a club that meets on Saturday afternoons, with a mixture of coaching and playing. Also for juniors, there is an excellent website, Chesskid.com. This has structured lessons for children following a curriculum, and they can also play other children, watch videos etc. It is free to create an account but that only gives restricted access. Discounted premium access can be obtained via Leicestershire Junior Chess.Books
Players rated 1500-1800
Players rated 1800-2100
Players rated over 2100
Openings
It is difficult to give specific recommendations as it will depend on which opening you want to study. It is best to find something that concentrates more on explanations rather than giving too many variations. For books, Everyman Chess and Quality Chess have a wide range of titles, and the quality is usually excellent. If you prefer videos then Chessbase has an excellent selection. Some recommended authors are Victor Bologan, Danny King and Simon Williams.
A good introduction to tactics.
An explanation of basic tactical themes with a large number of
exercises.
33 games by grandmasters, with every move explained in detail.
A structured programme to teach children to play chess. The Steps
1 Workbork covers the basic rules. Workbook 2 coves a lot of tactics.
A high quality course of chess training. Level 1 is aimed at players
up to 1600.
A good overview of all the openings, helping you decide which ones
you might want to investigate further.
An excellent introduction to strategy.
Structured practice on a number of tactical themes.
1001 puzzles at a wide range of difficulty levels.
The size is a bit daunting, but the chapters are broken down into
rating categories, you can work through just the chapters that are
appropriate for your level.
Workbooks 3 and 4 are appropriate for this level.
The Level 2 books are suitable for this ability range.
A self-improvement manual which covers areas such as calculation
and psychological factors.
An in-depth study of the 28 most common structures in chess
practice.
The Level 3 books are suitable for this ability range.
Covers the endgame positions most likely to occur in practice.
40 chess puzzles were shown to a panel of players ranging from
occasional club players up to Super-GM and co-author Michael
Adams. Compare your solution and thought processes.
A series of books where the emphasis is on solving exercises. Start
with "Calculation" and "Positional Play", then move onto "Endgame
Play" and "Attack and Defence".
The definitive book on endgames.
The book covers 6 key middlegame structures.
