Do chess tactics, puzzles that help you see common chess patterns.
https://www.chess.com/tactics/
http://chesstempo.com/chess-tactics.html
Have him teach you what he learns each day, good for him to teach (helps him learn more solidly) and helps you keep pace with him.
Play lots of games, online, against computer, or wherever you can - only way to gain experience. Watch videos of chess game analysis so you get familiar with how others think about chess ideas.
You need to have patience enough to think through the possible implications of each move, and sometimes that patience and energy for attention is the hard part keeping one from learning. Especially if you don't like chess!
Yeah, look at the game length, 7 moves. I often play the fried liver and there is a mate in 3 blunder that I've hit a few times that produces a similar result, 7 book 3 best.
https://www.chess.com/live#g=5425322627
Is the game link if you are interested.
I am no expert but one of the primary goals in the opening is development of your pieces (not pawns). The best strategy is to move pawns that allow mobility for the pieces and support them. In the picture you post your opponent is ahead in development (a knight and a bishop) and can attack more effectively, especially the centre squares, and will be able to castle the king to safety earlier.
Time to study up on your middle game!
Watch Hanging Pawns Middlegame Ideas playlist. He explains very well everything you need to know about the middle game and how to play it.
If you are looking for a book then Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage. It is a middlegame book that focuses on pretty much everything and it's very easy to read. To me this book is the be all and end all for middle game stuff outside of some specific things that are more advanced.
Knowing you have a good position and knowing how to capitalize on it are two very important skills to have.
I don’t recommend spending too much time in the opening. At your level, the opening is not the reason you’ll win or lose. Work on tactics. Blunders are a bigger concern. For positional improvements check out one of Jeremy Sillman’s books.
Ps here’s a great free Android chess clock app:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=samyups.example.chessclock
https://www.chess.com/live/game/5937294883
Here's the link for the game if anyone's interested. Felt really good capitalizing on the early mistakes the opponent made.
Unfortunately, my opponent resigned after >!Qxh8+ Kd7!< .
Here's the game in case you're curious: >!https://www.chess.com/live/game/5755096983!< (please forgive the cringeworthy missed fork after move 7)
Glad you liked it!
https://www.chess.com/live/game/5454282928
For chess.com, it's as easy as copying the URL, but I haven't tried sharing something like a PGN before. You could also just post the first set of moves as an example, since you're worried about the first 5 turns.
Here's an example game of mine (not pretty) where an early queen snags one of my pawns, but notice that by turn 10, I feel I'm well developed. I also happened to miss a bishop-rook+pawn exchange after that turn (good practice to see what I mean).
As you said, it's best for you to see the best answers during a game, so just make sure to take the time when the queen gives you pressure. If you mess up, record the beginning moves of that game, find the correct response, and practice it to help in that specific scenario, but also speeding up your thought process in similar scenarios.
As always, disclaimer that I'm in the 700s, but I remember being frustrated with early queens, and even though I still get caught off guard now and then, practicing those scenarios helped me react to them (and similar ones!) without breaking much of a sweat.
A similar example (from a quite high-level game) was in Carlsen and Caruana's World Championship match, game 6. Carlsen was white, down a piece for a pawn in an opposite color bishops endgame (https://www.chess.com/article/view/what-if-caruana-beat-carlsen-in-2018 contains it with annotations, move 68 is the position i'm talking about). It would have required some insane moves for caruana to win (supercomputer found mate in 34), most notably self-trapping his knight. Kasparov tweeted that if Caruana had found it "They would request metal detectors immediately! No human can deliberately trap his knight like that." It flummoxed an array of elite-level GMs doing online commentary as well.
Obviously this is an extreme case, but you get the idea.
Congratulations! That is an excellent first step. When you solve these puzzles do you set them up on a chessboard? A better exercise is to try to solve them in your head first. This will "train your brain" to visualize the moves in your head. (looking at the ceiling is optional) Soon you will be able to keep a whole game in your head.
If you need more chess puzzles to work on check out z-lib.org Books and search for Chess Puzzles -- you will be amazed.
Something you can try is playing at a time control that’s faster than you’re used to to acclimate your brain to a speedier setting. And then going back to your regular time setting. So if you always play 10 min, the. Play a few games at 5 min and then go back to 10 min and it’ll feel like you have a lot of time. It’s a psychological thing.
Ps here’s a great Android chess clock app: -custom time for each side (time-odds) -custom time delay for each side -custom time increment for each side -in-game time adjustments (for illegal moves)
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=samyups.example.chessclock
I’ve had one when I was trying to reach 2000 and it was useful. But, at your level it isn’t necessary. Too many free resources. Google, Wikipedia, books (Jeremy sillman is a great author), database.chessbase, YouTube and much more.
Btw, if you’re looking for a great free chess clock, try this one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=samyups.example.chessclock
The notation used today is called algebraic notation and this book has been issued in algebraic. There are a couple of different versions on amazon here's one https://www.amazon.com/dp/1857440730/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_3K71Z1JNZ6CRMDYFHKWE
For free mobile app you can play offline with Free Chess from AI Factory. Or if you want online there's Lichess Online (link below).
For other platform such as PC (Steam) or PS4, there's Ultra Chess and I love this one personally. You won't regret buying this one.
which did you have in mind specifically? also - what is your use-case? Learning? Travel? Display?
the reason I like the mouse-mat versions is because it still looks really good (for example if you get a mahogany-style mouse-mat board) and is good for learning and travel, while still remaining cheap.
I really like actual wood though, and I have found this is a really good set (got it for my son): https://www.amazon.com.au/ChaukokoTM-Chess-Set-CKW-001-Magnetic/dp/B097T2X9XZ
I research buying the pieces and board separately for a bit because I wanted larger & heavier pieces. Then I ended up buying the one linked below from Amazon & absolutely love it. The name is so dumb, but don't let that fool you, it's a really good basic set. The pieces are great, tall & heavy; and we've play a lot of games on it now.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Chess-Set-Ever-Silicone/dp/B01BSDILBC?th=1
I have this set and I'm very satisfied with it. The magnetic pieces have a nice feel to them, and the foam storage in the foldable board works great for portability. No complaints.
I have been in the same boat. The game changer for me was the fco book. Fundamental chess openings. Explains different variants with a sentence or two, generally, per move. I have been able to pick it up and develop a few openings and the proper responses to my opponents move and understand why I am making them. https://www.amazon.com/FCO-Fundamental-Paul-Van-Sterren/dp/1906454132
If you’re looking for something that looks good, there are lots of wooden sets with magnetic pieces that would serve him just fine.
If he wants to use it to play as well as study, I strongly recommend getting an official USCF sized set with wide-based weighted Staunton style pieces and a roll up vinyl board that is approximately 20x20 inches. This listing includes a vinyl carry case and an extra queen in each colour.
This is from Amazon.ca, but I think you can access it from the US.
There is really a lot of good books out there but my personnal favorite and must read has to be this one when it comes to chess.
This was a tricky one! I think I finally found it.
>!Nxd7+!<
From here, Black has a few possible moves, all of which resolve to checkmate:
If you like this kind of tough puzzle, I've been working my way through the Polgar mate-in-twos, which has been very challenging but really helpful.
Buy Hikaru's bullet chess book. J/k I think you just have to play it a lot to get used to the time format. Maybe do a bunch of easy tactics as fast as you can as well.
Around 30 USD on Amazon
AMEROUS 15 Inches Magnetic Wooden Chess Set - 2 Extra Queens - Folding Board, Handmade Portable Travel Chess Board Game Sets with Game Pieces Storage Slots - Beginner Chess Set for Kids and Adults https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N5ZS5QP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_062R902ZQKAPSDF3VSET?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Around 30 USD on Amazon
AMEROUS 15 Inches Magnetic Wooden Chess Set - 2 Extra Queens - Folding Board, Handmade Portable Travel Chess Board Game Sets with Game Pieces Storage Slots - Beginner Chess Set for Kids and Adults https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N5ZS5QP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_062R902ZQKAPSDF3VSET?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.chess.com/live/game/5937294883
Here's the link for the game if anyone's interested. Felt really good capitalizing on the early mistake the opponent made.
I edited the original posted a put there the game I was playing, I have seen this suggestion in a number of games and I am trying to understand is so advantageous about it.
Sorry I was trying to figure out how to copy the moves but I was not able to (still figuring out how UI works), but I found link to the game in question - here. When I continue from the suggested move even after all the moves provided by stockfish, there still doesn't seem to be an advantage.
I found your game here: https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/5685092688?tab=analysis
​
Your move was defensive but you're not under any pressure, at least in my opinion. Moving your pawn forward would have put more pressure on your opponent's fragile defense, and you probably would have been able to take their queen in a few moves.
I'd recommend playing it out with the computer, starting at that moment again.
​
Side note: Please next time screen capture the whole board, or include a link like the one above so that others can help you in the future.
In case you’re curious, here is the link to the game if you want to watch some 500 rating players go at it
https://www.chess.com/live/game/5646916798
I’ve been a chess spectator for a while, and every so often I’ll give playing a go. Only thing is I get so discouraged as my rating is so low and sometimes lose 12 games in a row that my motivation to improve seems to severely decrease. Recently though I’ve been working on learning a few openings really well, and have found I really enjoy the London opening for white, as well as the Slav/Caro-Kann for black. Learning these openings have allowed me to worry less about the setup early game, and focus on my middle/endgame. If you’re a beginner out there, best advice I can say is worry less about your rating and just focus on improving that mid to late game and you’ll get there in no time
I didn't notice until after posting that one of the solutions is very 'meh' compared to the solution I found in game (where my opponent played >!Qa6+ Kc7 Qa7+ Kc6!<) . My hope was to have solvers go the route I found because the mate at the end looked nice.
Also, to give this post a bit more value, feel free to check out the game it came from here: >!https://www.chess.com/live/game/5623218799!<
It was a very clean game on my end, shows the queen getting trapped, and shows how I even reached the mate, which was not easy for me to figure out.
As someone who loses on time... a lot... yes, be happy. It's my job to find a good move quickly and you should be proud to make moves that challenge that ability, no matter how down you are in material or how dismantled your position may be.
I have lost on time with mate-in-1s on the board and it is no less of a victory for my opponent. Squandering time is kind of like a long-stretched blunder the way I see it.
I am human though, so after those games, you better bet that in my mind, I am most definitely thinking, "Gg... ya jerk..."
Here's an example game where I lost on time in a painful way, but it was avoidable not only by my blunders, but also because I could've grabbed the win after turn 21 with 4.5 minutes left on my clock: https://www.chess.com/live/game/5599728672
https://www.chess.com/news/view/lets-say-hi
Thanks to everyone for commenting their awesome ideas! I created a new club called ChessBeginners, and look forward to seeing/hearing from everybody on Discord.
It is entirely dependent on the comparison of your ranking to theirs, exceptions for if you have a brand new account as this has a provisional rating.
This article may be useful
https://www.chess.com/amp/article/chess-ratings---how-they-work
I got it right here for $15! I like it because it’s small enough to keep in my computer bag, but still almost as big as a regular board.
Here’s the link for the Harry Potter set: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WADKDES/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_CY1AFA65CY8GTQF45BZ9
The only issue I could see having with it is that the kings/bishops/queens all look similar enough that it may take a second to recognize which is which, and it can hamper thinking through moves a bit if you have to pause for a second and figure out which pieces you’re looking at. Some people don’t get bothered at all by it though, so I’d say just look at it and decide for yourself and if you don’t think that would be an issue for you guys then go for it.
I have been using this book that I had got as a gift to study openings it does have the Ruy lopez and Caro Kann
Limited-time deal: Amerous 15 Inches Magnetic Wooden Chess Set - 2 Extra Queens - Folding Board, Handmade Portable Travel Chess Board Game Sets with Game Pieces Storage Slots - Beginner Chess Set for Kids and Adults https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N5ZS5QP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_dl_BK8B694Q4092A1MC5GM4
I got this and love it, magnetic and the pieces have a good weight to it
Wegiel Handmade European Ambassador Chess Set - Wooden 21 Inch Beech & Birch Board With Felt Base - Carved Hornbeam & Sycamore Wood Chess Pieces - Compartment Inside The Board To Store Each Piece https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0009WSPRO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_4T3KW2KXDQ5CV46YW95Z
Parents got me this and although the pieces are lighter feeling they feel good against the board and the plus is there are chess notations on the side
Lichess if you're thinking about changing the platform for playing. Comes with a bunch of great features, completely free and adfree.
Chess Endgame Training is another app I like in which you can practice a big amount of theoretically won endgames vs. AI.
Yeah it’s definitely way better when you can see the moves. This page was pretty useful and recommends some good books. A couple others I would recommend are. Clive ke’s beginners guide, pretty much purely for the endgames. The rest of the book is pretty standard but I think the endgames are explained well. Also I would recommend, a chess players bible which also is fairly standard but has good positional stuff. And finally I would recommend some Jeremy silman books such as amateurs mind and how to reassess your chess but maybe not just yet.
Tactics. Lots of tactics. Secrets of Russian Chess Masters or Silman's complete book of chess strategy could be worth a look Some very basic stuff in there, but most, if not all, types of tactics and strategical concepts regarding castling opposite sides, kings in the centre, and covers isolated/backwards/passed pawns and so on. Don't know if ebooks exist.
https://www.chess.com/article/view/study-plan-directory can be useful.
I found the best way to study openings was with a mate. Pick an opening check some theory to see what each side is aiming for. Play specific/popular variations in a lot of 5+0. Get a feel for it. Sure when you play random people your opponent will deviate from move 2 on a regular basis but with a mate it's a good way to get familiar without wasting time on a tonne of theory that you won't get to apply until you improve a lot more. At least helped me a lot.
Endgame study! Chess endings (Averbakh) or 100 endgames you must know (De la silva). The latter is available on chessable but that isn't for everybody. I'm not a massive fan of it but I can see why it would work for others.
edit: Correcting my English.
Pretty funny I had the exact same position in a chess.com bullet game, except my opponent, took the bishop with Qxd5 which was a better move for black, and after I recaptured the game continued Be6 Qxe6# So, basically the same, except I got there in a different way, my opponent played one extra move, and the time control may have been different. Here is a link if you're interested: https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/4628757208 I am playing white.
Also, congrats on playing a perfect game with 0 blunders 0 mistakes and 0 inaccuracies (at least according to Stockfish)!
Definitely a draw by stalemate. Black wasn't checkmated because he wasn't in check. When it was his move, he had no legal moves that he could make. Now that you know this rule you can prevent it from happening again by giving him at least one legal move to make or putting him in check. Good luck!
Perhaps a long shot, but are you thinking of this famous Paul Morphy puzzle?
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/more-puzzles/a-paul-morphys-puzzle
The only thing really in common is the kings in the corner, but of all the puzzles out there I suspect it's comparatively likely you've seen this one!
Your opponent had no legal moves, so it was a draw by stalemate.
Next time, always make sure your opponent's king always has a square to move to.
You can practice endgames like this by setting up your own board on www.chess.com/analysis and placing a black king, and how many white pieces you want.
I’m with you man, I’m around that 650-800 range right now. If you have Chess.com I’d love to have a game with you. My thing is WillyWonka45
Not my first win but I’ve been working on tactics and avoiding blunders / hanging pieces. I feel like this is the first complete game where I did a good job with both of those and took advantage of his mistakes. Tactics are starting to show with some good pins & forks. Can’t believe I missed a clear as day mate at 25 but did a good job of staying strong through the endgame which is a huge weakness of mine.
Full Analysis https://www.chess.com/analysis/game/live/4146665474?tab=analysis
Ignore the 907 ranking. I just started playing rapid so it should probably be much lower.
Any critique would be appreciated!
> Think Like A Grandmaster - just found on amz... thanks.
u/hbond1957 How about this one as well? The Art of The Middle Game also by Kotov?
The English translation of this is so good:
"Our board of directors has a foldable function, so you can easily contact you when you are in a vacation. Folding boards are laid on a backpack and are used as a trip to travel. You need to enjoy the board game with your friends while traveling!"
There you go: https://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B08YRY75S5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 A little flaw we noticed: the closing mechanism has little pins standing out and while playing they will scratch the surface you're having the board on if you don't put anything soft below it.
That is a good recommendation, but the book has been renamed and updated.
Learn to Play Chess Like a Boss: Make Pawns of Your Opponents with Tips and Tricks From a Grandmaster of the Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/1465483810/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_J5W9JXKN6JVW5YZR1QBH
I bought this set on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KBF9LXS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It's not amazing, but it seems good enough for the price.
I'm OG, I last played in competition 40 years ago. I recently started playing my grand-nephew. I still like books, so I devoted a Fire 8 tablet to only chess related stuff. Simple Board, Lichess app, and ebook readers. There is 150 years worth of chess books out there. Check here for some ideas. But honestly I get most of my ebooks from z-lib.org. It's free (although a donation is a good idea) and they seem to have every book I've looked for, no viruses, no spam. If you don't know any titles to search for just search keyword "chess". I hope this helps, and welcome to the game.
I really like "Studying Chess Made Easy" by Andrew Soltis. I think it's a great place to start. You can find it at z-lib.org, click Books and search for it. It just seach "Beginning Chess" and pick one that looks good to you. Good Luck.
If you've started chess because of Queen's Gambit you're probably tempted to download "Modern Chess Openings" - don't do it! If you're serious about getting better I would go to z-lib.org, click "books" and search for Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis. It's a free download and will make your study much easier. Also everything suggested above. Welcome to Chess, enjoy the game.
One thing that jumps out is that you're resigning too early, especially in this game: https://www.chess.com/live/game/2750121142. Yes, you're about to be a knight down, but against a 700 that's not the end of the world. At that rating level anything can happen. A 700 can easily blunder the piece back and let you back in the game. It might be better for you to play until checkmate at least until you get to 1000.
There's a good reason for this. This article explains it very well. Notable quote:
> We probably should establish ratings for chess games similar to the MPAA ratings. Magnus Carlsen's games are definitely NC-17 and not suitable for players rated under 1500.
I'm rated 2000 on Lichess. At your level, if you want to "level up" quickly, you need to do these things:
Alternatively, you can invest in a "kickstarter guide", which teaches many of these things much better than me:
Then I recommend some kind of kickstarter guide (something likethis)
I'm old fashioned, but I think that there isn't anything better than a book.
You can get plenty of books on the most popular openings, along with ones on specific lines.
Here's a book on the Scandinavian with the variation of 3...Qd6. https://www.amazon.com/Scandinavian-Defense-Dynamic-3-Qd6/dp/1888690119
You can usually find books by your favorite players that feature their favorite openings. I like this publisher in general: https://everymanchess.com/
The advantage of using a book is that you can mark it up, dog ear pages, and flip back and forth between two variations. Using the book as a reference, you'll get used to the main lines while better understanding WHY you make the moves you do. It's more beneficial than simple memorization, because you'll actually understand the theory behind the moves.
For endgame theory, I recommend Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual. It’s commonly known as the best endgame book ever written, but it is very, very exhaustive, often exploring complicated endgame positions in depth. Since you posed this in r/chessbeginners this may be a little too advanced since it’s aimed at players who are already skilled at endgames, but I think it’s a must have for any chess players who is dedicated enough to go through it.
I don't know if this is any help but there is this guide that has helped a lot of players rated about your level before. It's not about "positional" chess, but mainly important chess concepts. I think that is more important at your level than positional tricks.
There’s a great book for you. Bobby Fisher Teaches Chess. He goes from what each piece means all the way to endgame, I imagine - I’m only halfway through and have checkmated in more ways I thought possible. Then again, chess - infinite moves, right? That’s why I love the game 😊
This is pretty good, I have it, its not available from amazon right not, I *think* you might be able to get it from sharper image
I've found that the Starting Out series by Everyman Chess is a good starting point for studying most openings. Here's the book on the Scotch:
Work out of a book like the polgar brick. Solving mate in x's will make you better at spotting them; the benefit of working out of a book is you can ensure you're doing the same puzzles over and over (out of a large working set). That way you wind up mastering the patterns in the puzzles rather than just solving them once.
Watch Hanging Pawns Middlegame Ideas playlist. He explains very well everything you need to know about the middle game and how to play it.
If you are looking for a book then Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage. It is a middlegame book that focuses on pretty much everything and it's very easy to read. To me this book is the be all and end all for middle game stuff outside of some specific things that are more advanced.
If you are ok with books, then a one-volume primer like Fundamental Chess Openings gives you the core variations and the ideas and plans, which it sounds like you want?
That's a very good point, and shows that you shouldn't memorize openings at lower levels. I've always thought that books aimed specifically at lower level players are the way to go forward (like this one). Books in the style of "kickstarters" are way better than Youtube quick win openings.
It looks like this one to me. I bought one in late 2019: 15" x 15" Magnetic Wooden Folding Chess Set with 2 Extra Queens, Handmade Game Board Interior for Storage for Adult Kids Beginner Large Chess Board https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07V1DRLM8/ref=cm_sw_r_sm_apa_fabc_P7YDRHAJ1NJY0C6EFD75?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
It used to be $29.99, but now due to the QG craze it's closer $45. It's a good set though. I'm satisfied with the craftsmanship.
I am chess coach. I have students that won prizes on international competitions.
For all my students I recommend app Max Chess.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=dim.maxym.mychess
Very friendly interface. Even beginners can beat first computer levels.
There are 4 game modes:
"Rules of chess" where you can play chess against very weak opponent and using unlimited hints from your virtual coach.
"Play vs computer"
"Solve puzzles"
"Practice"
Everyman’s Starting Out covers all the fundamentals in a succinct package.
Most starters will make fastest progress by focusing on tactics to begin with. Masetti’s 1001 chess exercises is a good book combining lessons and puzzles arranged thematically.
Good luck!
I am most familiar with children's beginners books but I have recommended them for adults to because they make no assumptions as to any foreknowledge of the game and usually have interesting systems for remembering.
That's the ebook which is kindle gives free sample chapters of.
Chess Steps is ideal for beginner kids. You can buy them on amazon.
If your kids are tournament players 1500+ Yusupov's books are more serious.
I bought from the WE store on Amazon, triple weighted plastic chessmen. Vinyl rollable „board“. It has a good feeling to it and is very affordable. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0040ZWV4E/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_api_i_9IHOFb4GEWM7R?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
If you search on Amazon for "tournament chess set" you'll be able to choose from some nice weighted plastic sets like this: https://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Tournament-Triple-Weighted-Chess/dp/B009RSFOF2
They run around $25-35, the higher end ones generally come with nicer carrying bags that are big enough to stuff some books in them.
Personally I think these look better than the wooden pieces you can get in low price ranges and feel better too due to the weight - the plastic sets are typically what chess clubs use and even if he gets a fancy wooden set one day he'll still use this kind of set for tournaments and such.
What's his level? What age? Still learning the rules? Been playing a few months? Does he go to a club? Play mostly online?
Hello hello my twin. I've recently taken to chess and this app truly helped me gain perspective in a fun way (its has paid options but I don't have the dosh to spend to sticking to the free stuff). https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chess.chesscoach
Chess Endgame Training is an awesome app to improve your endgames. It has a few hundred positions that are won, it's up to you to convert the advantage against the AI. Everything from simple K vs. KP over K vs KKB to more complex endgames.
There's quite a few Android apps as well. Chess Coach Pro (Professional version) has 2970 puzzles which are divided into sections and skill level.
Bobby Fischer Teaches chess is all about simple 1 move mate. For a complete beginner, this book is helpful in building up basic mate patterns and learning the rules. But beyond a complete beginner, there are better books.
​
A book appropriate for your level is Winning Chess Strategy for Kids by Coakley. Don't let the "Kids" word fool you as it is a very good book for all ages that are novice level. This book is enjoyable and you will learn the necessary concepts of opening,tactics,strategies and endgames that a novice player must know. This book also contains exercises. You will improve your game with this book.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-Chess-Strategy-Kids-Coakley/dp/1895525055
Get How To Win at Chess:10 Golden Rules to Follow by GM Daniel King.
This book is really a good chess book for beginners. The lessons are well explained and you can also teach your son the concepts that you will learn here. It is fun book also.
When you teach your son, use a chess board.
https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Chess-Daniel-King/dp/1857440722
One thing I found helpful was to do a bunch (1000s) of simple puzzles. You can do this with a paid membership on chesstempo or get a simple tactics book like Tactics for Students or 1001 Chess Exercises for Beginners.
Keep in mind, though, that you're not only studying tactics so that you can use them in games, you're also studying them to prevent your opponents from using them against you.
There are some chess players at the pro level who'll definitely agree with you - one of them most likely will be Josh Waitzkin. He even wrote a book about it, entitled The Art of Learning.