Check out Atomic Chess, our featured variant for November, 2024.

Books and journals on Chess Variants

Index

Books

Booklets

Periodicals

More periodicals can be found below.

Chess books for children and beginners

In the list below, you find more information, not indexed above.

A list of books and periodicals containing information on chess variants

David B. Pritchard, The Encyclopedia of Chess Variants

Games and Puzzles Publications, 1994. This is THE source of information on CVs. Anybody interested in different CVs, should read this book. It is available from

GAMES & PUZZLES PUBLICATIONS
P.O.Box 20
Godalming, Surrey
GU8 4YP UNITED KINGDOM

Highly recommended. See also:

ISBN 0-9524142-0-1.

John Gollon, Chess Variations: Ancient, Regional, and Modern,

Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., RR1 Box 231-5, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9700, USA, telephone (802)773-8930, fax. (802)773-6993. An older book, with more on historic variants. Recommended. ISBN 0-8048-1122-9. The book went out of print January 1995. With some luck, you might still be able to find a copy somewhere!

Jean-Louis Cazaux, Guide des échecs exotiques et insolites

French book describing many variants of chess, which appeared winter 2000. See also:

Pascal Reysset and Jean-Louis Cazaux, L'univers des Échecs

French book on chess variants. For more information, see:

H. J. Murray, A History of Chess.

Originally printed in the beginning of the 20th century, it has recently been reprinted. 900 pages on history of chess, containing information on historic chess variants, Shatranj-puzzles, old manuscripts on chess, and much, much more. Reprint by Benjamin Press, Northampton, Massachusetts, ISBN 0-936-317-01-9.

One can order this book directly from Benjamin Press: tel. +1-4135866272; fax +1-4135862852. VISA is accepted. The book costs $39.95; postage costs (from the US to Europe) $4.85 (surface, delivery time 5-6 weeks.)

J. Fairbairn. Shogi for Beginners.

The Shogi Association, Ltd. P.O. Box 77, Bromley, Kent, United Kingdom, First published in Japan by Ishi Press Inc., 1984. Third printing September 1987. A book on Japanese chess, Shogi. You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

John Fairbairn, How to Play Shogi

1979. Published by: The Shogi Association, P.O. Box 77, Bromley, Kent, England. k 1.50. Booklet. English.

T. Leggett, Shogi - Japan's Game of Strategy

1966. Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. RR1 Box 231-5, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9700, USA, telephone (802)773-8930, fax. (802)773-6993. English. Does have some good examples for moves and a few Shogi problems. ISBN 0804819033; $16.95. This book is still in print.

You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

R.C. Bell, Board and Table Games (From Many Civilizations).

1979. Revised edition, two volumes bound as one. Dover Publications, Inc., 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, U.S.A.. ISBN 0-486-23855-5.

You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

R. Wayne Schmittberger, New Rules for Classic Games.

This book contains rule variations on many games, including several chess variants, like extinction chess, middle Shogi, 3-d hook-move chess. Recommended.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York; ISBN 0-471-53621-0. $9.95.

A translation of this book in Dutch (and likely in some other languages) exists. The title of the Dutch translation is: Mens erger je weer-Nieuwe regels voor klassieke spelen.

You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

Variant Chess - periodical

Variant Chess is a regularly appearing periodical on chess variants. More information.

C. Pickover, Mazes for the Mind.

St. Martin's Press, New York, 1994. This book contains many different things, including a number of chess variants, for instance Too Many Bishops. Home page of C. Pickover.

Books on Shogi (Japanese Chess)

Anthony Dickins, A Guide to Fairy Chess

Contains many chess variants. This book has an emphasis on fairy chess problems, i.e., problems in chess variants. Published by Dover in 1971. The book may be hard to find, but a more recent German translation may be easier to obtain. The German Translation is: Anthony Dickins, Ma"rchenschach, Hesse Becker, 1986, ISBN 3-8036-3008-8.

David Li, First Syllabus on Xiangqi - Chinese Chess 1

A 136 page book on Chinese Chess. The book is available at L12 (or its equivalent in any European currency), airpost prepaid, from Premier Publishing Company, P O Box 341267, Bethesda MD 20827, USA. Personal cheque is okay. Information about this book. ISBN: 0963785257; Price $11.95.

You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

David Li, Xiangqi Syllabus on Cannon; Chinese Chess 2

David Li's second book on Xiangqi.

You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

Sam Sloan, Chinese Chess for Beginners

Published by Ishi Press. You can buy this book from Amaz on.com. (If you buy the book using this last link, we receive a small percentage of the cost from Amazon.com, which will be used to cover the cost of this website.)

ISBN: 0923891110. Price: $12.95.

H. T. Lau, Chinese Chess

Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc. RR1 Box 231-5, North Clarendon, VT 05759-9700, USA, telephone (802)773-8930, fax. (802)773-6993. From the Chinese Chess FAQ:

Basic rules, opening, middle and endgame play. Many exercises. Material needed to win or draw various endings. Descriptions of popular opening variations. This book received a rating of 6 in XiangQi Review (on a scale of 1-10, 1 being the lowest).

ISBN: 0804816751.

Books on Chinese Chess from the FAQ

Mario Velucchi, Bibliografia scacchistica, annotata

Chess Variant enthusiast Mario Velucchi, (email removed contact us for address) .di.unipi.it, has written a booklet on Maths Chess, Retrograde Analysis, Chess problems and Computer, Fairy Chess, etc. Here are some bibliographic details: journal supplement: `Scacchi e Scienze Applicate' ISSN: 0392-0127; Bibliography - References of: Books, Magazines, Technical Reports, Articles ... Introduction and Comments in ENGLISH and ITALIAN. The booklet can be obtained by writing to:

Romano BELLUCCI
Castello 5449
I-30122 Venezia
ITALY

Nostalgia

The bulletin of NOST, Nostalgia contains always (I think) materials on chess variants.

Eteroscacco Magazine

Eteroscacco Magazine is the bulletin of AISE, an Italian organisation playing chess variants. Highly recommended, provided that you are able to read Italian!

Books on Kriegspiel

David H. Li wrote two books and some articles about Kriegspiel.

T. R. Dawson, 5 Classics of Fairy Chess

Book by T. R. Dawson. Peter Smith Pub, ISBN: 0844647276, $9. Published in 1991. Also published by Dover.

Edward Falkener, Games ancient and oriental and how to play them

Dover Publications, Inc., New York, S.B.N. 486-20739-0, 366 pages. In this book, a large number of games can be found, including some chess variants. With variants, one finds also some really played sample games. Also, one can find in this book a description of Turkish chess (on a board made of cloth).

Stephen Addison, 100 other games to play on a chessboard

Dutch version: 100 spelletjes op Uw schaakbord, BZZToH, 's-Gravenhage, 1986, 111 pages.

Wim van der Kolk, Een paard voor een koninkrijk

Dutch book. Bert Bakker BV, Amsterdam, 1976, 112 blz.

Chess problem magazines

  1. Probleemblad. Magazine of the Dutch Chess Problem Society.

Meta-Chess

Meta-Chess is a book, written by John-William Brown, scheduled to appear in January 1997.

Schach mal anders

The Deutschen Schachjugend (a German organization for young chessplayers) has produced a booklet with several chess variants, written in German. You can find most of the variants from this booklet also on the Chess Variant pages. The booklet is sold for DM 5. For more information, see the WWW-page of the DSJ on this booklet:

David Moeser, Neue Chess

Neue Chess: The Book is a compilation of articles published in Cincinnati chess periodicals on the subject of chess variants. This compilation is available for US $5 to addresses in the U.S. only. (Variants enthusiasts outside the U.S. should contact the publisher for snailmail shipping cost.) Orders may be sent to David Moeser. Inform by email: erasmus at iglou dot com.

David Moeser, Lotus Chess: the Book

A hardcopy printout of the four main files dealing with Lotus Chess is available from the author for US $14.95 (includes shipping cost to U.S. addresses only). "Lotus Chess: The Book" is spiral-bound and also contains a full-sized, full-color board for use in playing the game. For address information, contact inventor David Moeser by e-mail at: erasmus at iglou dot com. (Read also the news release.

Tony Hosking, The Art of Shogi

This is a book on shogi, written by Tony Hosking, 288 pages, UKP 14.99. For more info, see information of publisher.

Publications of the Chinese Chess Institute

The Chinese Chess Institute publishes several books and booklets on Chinese Chess, both in English as in Chinese; and publishes a regular journal on Xiangqi.

Laszlo Polgar, Reform chess

Reform chess, by Laszlo Polgar, coach and father of the Polgar sisters (well known and strong chess players), is a book where Polgar gives non-standard carton boards (of sizes 8 by 6, 9 by 6, etc.), and carton pieces, and more than 2500 problems on these boards. The book has large A4 format and very good quality printing.

Buying books

There are several bookshops that sell these books. Below, you find some addresses where you can look around (only one so far).
  1. Chess and Go Shop Het Paard. (Link to their WWW site.)
  2. EDILÁN. They have available facsimile copies of King Alfonso X's book of Chess, along with facsimiles of many other remarkable medieval codices. (Link.)
  3. New, Used, Rare and Collectible Books and Games (Link.)
Information provided by several people, including Henri M. Pijls, Lex Kraaijeveld, Hans Bodlaender, Alfred Pfeiffer, Eli Bachmupsky, David Howe.
WWW page created: 1995.