Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy: Advances Since Nimzowitsch, John Watson. When I was learning, I was told to read "My System," but I found it to be very tough going. Watson makes it easy. In the first part, he reviews Nimzovitch's approach to chess in a style much easier than the original. Part two focuses upon advances in our chess understanding. A highly recommended book.
Chess Life Magazine. The national magazine of the U.S. Chess Federation, with many games, fun columns, and a useful list of tournaments around the country.
My System: 21st Century Edition, Aron Nimzowitsch, Lou Hays (Editor). This is not as impressive as Watson's tour de force above, but it provides a basic summary of the positional elements of chess. I suffered through the original. You'll be happy to have a much easier-to-comprehend edition.
The Amateur's Mind: Turning Chess Misconceptions into Chess Mastery, Jeremy Silman. Another challenging book from a talented writer. You will gain a far greater appreciation for middlegame themes, notably how to create and exploit small advantages.
The Road to Chess Improvement, Alex Yermolinsky. One of the strongest players in the US shares the fruits of his personal quest to understand the game.
Art of Attack, Vladimir Vukovic. A classic text on the attack in chess. Wonderful, complex examples are presented within a logical framework.
Chess Praxis, Aron Nimzowitsch, Ken Artz (Editor). Another of the most important chess books, the companion to "My System" is now in an edited, more readable edition.
Sharpen Your Tactics, Anatoly Lein, Boris Archangelsky, Lou Hays (Editor). More than 1,100 sacrifices from Soviet trainers direct to you.
Understanding Pawn Play in Chess, Drazen Marovic. Drawing upon examples from grandmaster games, Marovic discusses Isolated Pawns, Hanging Pawns, Passed Pawns, Doubled Pawns, Backward Pawns, Pawn-Chains, and Pawn-Islands
The Art of Defense in Chess, Andy Soltis. This book is out of print and may be hard to find, but I recommend it you those who, like me, find enjoyment in watching my opponents defeat themselves. Defend well and you will bring home the point more often than not.
The Development of Chess Style, Max Euwe, John Nunn (Editor). Euwe, the 5th World Chess Champion, provides an instrutive tour through the great games of chess. John Nunn bring's the tour up-to-date by including the modern gems of Karpov and Kasparov.
Bishop vs Knight: The Verdict. Which is really better? It depends upon the position, of course, and Mayer shows their relative strengths in a series of useful examples.
Kramnik, My Life and Games. Vladimir Kramnik, a top grandmaster, presents 50 of his best games against players like Kasparov, Karpov, Anand, Topalov, Ivanchuk, Shirov, and other current greats.
I Play against Pieces. Svetozar Gligoric, the great Yugoslavia grandmaster, annotates 100 of his best games with great clarity and logic. Gligorich used to write the Best Game section in Chess Life. His book on selected chess masterpieces is one of the prizes of my library. Here in English, his best games, a volume we have anticipated for decades.
Excelling at Positional Chess. IM Jacob Aagaard delves deeply into many original examples that he uses for training and study.
Heroic Tales: The Best of Chesscafe.com 1996 - 2001. A treasure trove of modern chess writing, with 54 articles from top grandmasters and award-winning journalists: champions like Lev Alburt,Tony Miles, Genna Sosonko and Hans Ree; famous teachers like Bruce Pandolfini and Mark Dvoretsky; popular columnists like Gary Lane and Tim Harding; intrepid investigators of chess curiosities and history like Tim Krabbe and Edward Winter.
Chess VIDEOS for Adult Learners
Endgame Preparation. Here are four endgame lectures from Life Master Igor Epshteyn, coach of the 1996, 1998 and 1999 Pan-American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship Teams.
Master Class. Here are timeless lectures from Danny Kopec, Pal Benko, and Edmar Mednis. Bring chess camp home!