A vibrant red book cover titled "become a chess champion" featuring colorful, stylized chess pieces including a king, queen, and knight, with rays of light emanating from the central pawn.
Format: Hardcover
Age Range: 8–10
Book Size: 8 1/8" x 11"
ISBN: 9781684493876
Pages: 128
Publication Date: September 3, 2024
Price: US $19.99 / CAN $26.99

Become a Chess Champion

Learn the Basics from a Pro

Kids will learn how to master the basics of the classic board game in this fun beginner’s guide from professional chess player James Canty III.

Become a Chess Champion is structured like a chess course, with knowledge carefully introduced as readers turn the pages – assisted by hilarious chess pieces illustrated by Brian Lambert. The emphasis is on fun: James Canty III uses mini games and chess puzzles to teach important concepts and avoid overwhelming beginners. Kids will learn key skills like how to play the perfect opening and trick their opponents to bring about checkmate. By the end of the book readers should be able to confidently take on their parents, guardians, or grandparents in a competitive game of chess!

Become a Chess Champion also introduces kids to the wonderful world of chess. They’ll meet the chess player who didn’t lose a game for 30 years, the priest who invented the folding chessboard, and the astronauts on the International Space station who had a chess match with people back on Earth!

As well as being great fun, chess also helps kids develop key skills such as strategising, patience, and logic, and helps them excel in school subjects such as mathematics.

The cover features gold foil, making this book the perfect gift. Check it out!

Buy Become a Chess Champion from:

Look Inside

Author & Illustrator

James Canty III is a professional chess player, coach, commentator, and content creator for Chess.com. Canty became a national master at 17 after winning the first Harold Steen Memorial Cup, which happened a year after his coach passed away. After such a meteoric rise Canty quickly became a legend in Detroit’s chess scene. Canty is also a popular chess streamer—his fans can watch Canty playing chess, analyzing games, and studying to become a Grandmaster on Twitch and YouTube.

Brian Lambert creates art that is bright, vibrant, and versatile with a unique and warm-hearted feel. Brian enjoys working on illustrations from his home in the beautiful Inland Northwest. He spends his spare time drawing, dreaming, and hanging out with his wife and cat.

The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.