What's inside
- 504 chess puzzles, all from real games rather than composed positions
- Six large diagrams to a page — twice the size of a typical adult puzzle book
- Three graded sections: under 1200, then 1200 to 1500, then 1500 to 1800
- Forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks, double check and back-rank mates
- 155 one-move puzzles to begin with, including 72 mate-in-one
- Never more than two moves deep, with full solutions at the back — 110 pages
Children lose chess games for one reason far more than any other: they do not see that a piece is hanging. Tactics puzzles are the fix, and the format matters as much as the content — six diagrams to a page means the pieces are large enough to read across a table, and a two-move ceiling means a child can hold the whole solution in their head instead of giving up halfway. To see the format first, try ten free printable chess puzzles for kids, with the answers explained. Parents who want the patterns explained first can read our chess tactics guide for beginners.
Why kids and parents love it
It starts where they are
The first section is under 1200, so a child who has just learned the rules can solve from page one.
And it keeps going
The final section reaches 1800, which is a strong club player. The book does not become useless in a month.
Visible progress
Because every puzzle is rated, a child can see the difficulty they are clearing rise as they move through the book.
Good to know
- Trim size 8.5 × 11 inches, 110 pages, paperback
- Assumes a child already knows how the pieces move — it teaches tactics, not the rules
- Solutions are in algebraic notation, which is worth learning anyway
- Puzzle positions are CC0-licensed from the Lichess database
- An adult wanting the same thing with more puzzles should look at 1000+ Chess Puzzles for Beginners
Chess tactics questions
Does my child need to know how to play chess first?
Yes. The book teaches tactics, not the rules, so a child should already know how each piece moves and what checkmate means. Once they do, the first section, rated under 1200, is written for exactly that stage.
Which chess tactics should kids learn first?
Start with the ones that win or save material straight away: spotting a hanging piece, mate in one, and the fork. Pins and skewers come next. The book opens with 155 one-move puzzles, 72 of them mate in one, before any two-move combinations.
Is this a chess strategy book?
No. Tactics are short, forcing sequences that win something now, a piece or the game. Strategy is the longer-term planning around them. For children, tactics come first, because games at that level are usually decided by a missed tactic rather than by a plan.
Are the answers included?
Yes, every puzzle has its solution at the back, written in algebraic notation. A child who does not know notation yet can learn it from the solutions; it is the same system used in chess books and apps.
What is the difference between this and 1000+ Chess Puzzles for Beginners?
This book has 504 puzzles at six to a page, so the diagrams are large, and it runs up to a 1800 rating. The adult book has 1,008 puzzles at twelve to a page and stops at 1500. Both stay within two moves.
Start their chess journey. Get your copy on Amazon.