Guest Author - Megan Romer

Gambit Books is a publishing company that produces a huge line of books about chess. Most of these books are high-end strategy guides, many of them are entire books about a single chess move or opening. However, Gambit has also put out two great books about chess for kids!

It's Your Move - A Children's Beginning Chess Book was written by a teacher, Bob Fogel. He wrote the book in simple, plain English and it is printed in big type, so relatively early-level readers will be able to read it all on their own. Fogel includes not only basic information about the game itself, but also some etiquette tips, which are very important for kids to learn. For example, he suggests that you be sure to always shake your opponent's hand and tell them "Good Game", whether you win or lose. Sportmanship is not just for outdoor sports!

This book is well-written, and is a great book to learn from if your child has expressed interest in playing chess. However, it is fairly technical and may not inspire uninterested children. It does make a great addition to any family chess library, though.

Chess for Children was written by Murray Chandler and Helen Milligan. This book is illustrated with cartoons of George, a little boy, and Kirsty, his pet alligator. Kirsty is a chess champion and has played against many of the world's great chess players, and through the course of the cartoons, she tells about many of her matches. The book is not just cartoons, though, there is plenty of serious explanation, from the very basics (what the pieces are called) to strategy tips. This is a great book that many children would find inspirational. Helen Milligan also pointed out to me that the book is not necessarily only for kids; her own mother learned to play from it!

If your kids (or you) want to learn how to play chess, these books are a great way to start. It's much easier to learn to play from a well-written book with clear diagrams than it is from a simple list of instructions.