Chess Opening Workbook For Kids - Graham Burgess

Hardback, 128 pages, Gambit Publishing 2020

This is a book for those who want to start their chess games purposefully and take full advantage of their opponents’ mistakes.

It is vital to start a chess game well. Each move needs to be useful and precise. The best way to develop the necessary know-how is by experience and practice, rather than rote learning of ‘rules’ and principles. It’s all about the specifics and being alert to what the opponent is doing, and pouncing on any errors.

Chess Opening Workbook for Kids is the second in a new series of books that help players gain chess skills by tackling hundreds of carefully chosen exercises. The themes are similar to those in Gambit’s best-selling ‘Chess for Kids’ series, but the focus is on getting hands-on experience. Many positions build on ones given earlier, showing how advanced ideas are normally made up of simpler ones that we can all grasp.

Each chapter is focused on a particular theme and features dozens of exercises, with solutions that highlight the main strategic and tactical points. Each chapter offers tips on opening play, such as how to detect weaknesses and poorly-placed pieces. Later chapters address key aspects of opening strategy such as the centre, development and castling. The book ends with a series of seven graded tests where you are given few clues about the themes involved.

Award-winning author Graham Burgess has written 27 chess books, including two on opening play for the ‘Chess for Kids’ series. He is a FIDE Master and a former champion of the Danish region of Funen. In 1994 he set a world record for marathon blitz chess playing.

Watch a YouTube video in which GM John Nunn presents a sample from this book.

“Focuses on tactics and traps and tactical ideas that happen very early in many games… however, this is much, much more than a book about openings. In summary, an excellent book with much original material presented in a clear and friendly way and therefore to be recommended. It is an ideal follow-up to Chess Opening Traps for Kids and we would advise studying Chess Opening Traps for Kids first and then move on to this workbook” – John Upham, BRITISH CHESS NEWS.

“Over 400 opening positions are presented, each linked to a specific question… excellently suited to both self-study and training” – Thomas Binder, GLAREAN MAGAZINE

“Burgess has used the novel approach of using tactical exercises to teach opening principles… recommended” – IM John Donaldson

“Instructive tips on opening play, such as how to take advantage of weaknesses and poorly placed pieces. This lovely made works ends with a series of seven graded tests where the reader are given clues about the themes involved. Highly recommended” – John Elburg, chessbooks.nl