Dan Heisman is a prominent chess instructor and author specializing in educational chess materials. His works, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess and Chess Tactics for Students, have introduced thousands of learners to the game's strategic principles. He has contributed significantly to making chess instruction approachable for beginners and young players.
68 Books Recommended by Dan Heisman
Ranked by popularity across all reading lists on this site
The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Chess
Covers not only how to play, but many of the same tips I give my students.
Chess Tactics for Students
Learn motifs (pins, removal of guard, double attacks, back-rank mates, etc.)
Winning Chess Strategy for Kids
Highly recommended for basic tactics AND strategy.
Starting Out
There are some fairly difficult problems but most are basic and quite fundamental.
Checkmate for Children
A modern book covering checkmate patterns - one of the best I have ever seen at just this particular issue.
Winning Chess Exercises for Kids
Possibly the best 'intermediate' book to test the tactics for players of all ages!
Practical Chess Exercises
An interesting idea with 600 positions from games where all you are given is that there is a best move.
Chess Training Pocket Book
The 300 most instructive positions needed to get to a rating of 1800.
The Art of Checkmate
Mostly a great book about checkmate pattern but lots of problems, too.
Rapid Chess Improvement
An expanded version of his '400 Points in 400 Days' article on how to improve your game.
Modern Chess Openings
Every intermediate can use a one-volume tome covering all the openings.
Practical Chess Endings
An excellent collection of endgame problems covering most practical ideas.
The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played
A book of games, each with an individual idea.
50 Essential Chess Lessons
Positioned as a more modern, slightly more advanced than The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played.
Chess Rules of Thumb
These ideas are so important they are part of my 'Big Five' things you should learn first.
100 Endgames You Must Know
Every time I read this book I like it more. It's advanced, but seems to have its pulse on just what it claims.
Sacrifice and Initiative in Chess
Another advanced follow-up [to Art of Attack in Chess] book.
Thought and Choice in Chess
The definitive book analyzing how strong chessplayers think. Warning! Reads like a PhD thesis, not a chess book.
Applying Logic in Chess
Covers the entire gamut: how and what to study, how to use engines, analyzing your own games, and much more.
Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy
The most advanced positional book - great.
Rethinking the Chess Pieces
Advanced book about the changing value of the pieces, playing imbalances, when to trade, etc.
How To Choose A Chess Move
The Method in Chess
The Kaufman Repertoire for Black and White
Probably the best opening repertoire book.
The Joys of Chess
It's 'just' a fun book.
Chess Curiosities
Another 'fun' book that's really a great trip.
Transpo Tricks in Chess
Some really great practical advice about how to get the most out of many openings.
The Winning Way
Similar to another classic, Winning Chess Traps by Irving Chernev.
