Sometimes one thing leads to another. Say you purchase a Kindle for convenient reading on-the-go. But wait, it has apps too! And some aren't too bad. There are apps both for the standard Kindles and for the Kindle Fire and some of the best of the bunch - especially if you have a Fire - are chess games. If you're a chess novice interested in learning and/or playing the game on your Kindle, start here:
Kindle Chess Apps:
Chess (A Classic Game for Kindle), by Oak Systems Leisure Software. Platform: Kindle.
Compatible with: Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DX and Kindle (2nd Generation). Amazon customer rating: 3 stars (51 reviews). Price: $2.99. Ad-supported? No.
"In Chess you go head-to-head in a bid to capture your opponent's King. Play against Kindle or challenge a friend with Pass 'N Play mode. Choose between 10 levels of difficulty and choose whether you want to play with an optional time limit to increase the challenge. You can also take back a move if you have made a mistake, as well as save your game at any time." - Oak Systems.
Chess Genius, by Lang Software Limited. Platform: Android.
Compatible with: Kindle Fire. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (5 reviews). Price: $4.99. Ad-supported? No.

"Chess players of all skill levels will love ChessGenius, an award-winning chess program with 33 engaging playing levels. Save and load games to PGN databases, copy and paste PGN games to clipboard, and enjoy a simple, elegant user interface. ChessGenius gives you features like Tutor, Hints, and Chess Clocks for tournament-style play. Improve your chess skill and enjoy a user-friendly chess app for your Android device to take with you on the go." - Lang Software.
Chess Free, by AI Factory Limited. Platform: Android.
Compatible with: Kindle Fire. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (16 reviews). Price: $0.00. Ad-supported? Yes.

"Based on the company's innovative Treebeard gaming engine, the app allows you to play chess against a computer opponent with a more human style. It's a trait not found on typical chess programs and represents a modern approach that pays homage to the grandmasters of this ancient board game. Featuring ten levels of difficulty,
Chess Free is suitable for novice and expert players alike. Treebeard employs intelligent weakening for the lower levels, which makes this app perfect for beginning players, too. There's also a complete chess-move manual included for those completely unfamiliar with the game. If you want to try your moves against a person rather than a machine, the app also has a two-player mode. Just like when you play against the computer, the manual mode allows you to use a game clock that limits play from 5 minutes up to 60 minutes, and moves from 5 seconds up to 60 seconds. While there are many unique aspects of the app, one in particular proves helpful in improving your game at any level: the Show CPU Thinking option. Once activated, Chess Free reveals which move Treebeard is considering next by placing a blue border around the piece the computer wants to move and another around its targeted square." - AI Factory Limited.
Chess Premium, by Optime Software. Platform: Android.
Compatible with: Kindle Fire. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (35 reviews). Price: $0.99. Ad-supported? No.

"Tired of playing chess games that look like they were designed for a Commodore 64?
Chess Premium features great-looking chess gameplay for Android-powered devices. It supports both one-player and two-player gameplay - play against friends or test your skills against a challenging computer opponent. Get stunning graphics, exciting sounds effects, configurable player names, and score tracking. Stay challenged with a configurable AI engine. Undo moves if you move to the wrong square, and get automatic saves for your game." - Optime Software.
iChess for Android, by Asim Pereira. Paltform: Android.
Compatible with: Kindle Fire. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (3 reviews). Price: $0.00. Ad-Supported? Yes.

"
iChess for Android presents over 1100 puzzles for players of all skill levels to solve. With three levels of difficulty, it won't be hard to find puzzles suited to your abilities. Try to figure out how to checkmate the opponent (although some puzzles don't end in checkmate!). If you're stuck, you can ask for a hint. You can also analyze puzzles you've already solved to remind yourself of what you've already learned. Or, copy it in FEN format to analyze with an external engine such as Chess for Android. Take a Bird View to view solved, failed, and unseen puzzles. A scorecard keeps track of your progress, including number of solved puzzles and hints used. Some puzzles are positions from actual Grandmaster chess tournaments. Can you match wits against the best" - Asim Pereira.
Learn Chess:
Chess for Dummies, by James Eade. For Dummies, 2011. 3rd ed. Print Length: 484 p. This title has complex layouts and has been optimized for reading on devices with larger screens. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (14 reviews). Kindle edition $12.64. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Lending: Enabled.

"Offering easily-understood explanations of the game and its components, this book is a must have for those developing an interest or looking for an extra edge in chess. Offers easily-understood explanations of the game and its components. Provides introductory chapters and then introduces readers to different perspectives on chess from strategy and etiquette, to winning defensive and offensive secrets. Contains approximately 25% new material, including updated chapters on computer chess games, playing chess online, new tournament rules and much more. James Eade became a United States Chess Federation chess master in 1981. International organizations awarded him the master title in 1990 (for correspondence) and in 1993 (for regular tournament play). Today, he writes about and teaches chess." - Publisher.
The Everything Chess Basics Book, the U.S. Chess Federation and Peter Kurzdorfer. Adams Media, 2012. Print Length: 304 p. This title has complex layouts and has been optimized for reading on devices with larger screens. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (4 reviews). Kindle edition $8.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Lending: Enabled.

"...an authoritative guide that appeals to chess players of all ages and skill. From understanding the chess pieces to learning the basic moves to forming a winning strategy,
The Everything Chess Basics Book teaches readers all they need to know to sharpen their skills and pick up a few advanced techniques and tricks along the way. ...also features information on: special moves; threats; types of chess; chess ethics and sportsmanship; notation, scoring, and timing; and more! Packed with hundreds of clear diagrams..." - Publisher.
Learn Chess, by John Nunn. Gambit Publications, 2000. Print Length: 192 p. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (12 reviews). Paperback edition: $9.46. Not yet available in a Kindle edition. I included this because it is still one of the best introductions to chess available for the novice and because the two books listed above are not easy to read on the smaller-screen Kindles.

"Starting with the very basics, this book tells you everything you need to know to become a successful chess-player. No prior knowledge is assumed. The reader learns step-by-step, with each new point illustrated by clear examples. By the end of the book, the reader will be fully ready to take on opponents across the board, or on the Internet, and start winning. Dr John Nunn has built up a world-wide reputation for the outstanding clarity of his writings on a wide range of chess topics. This is his first book to tackle the fundamentals of chess." - Publisher.
Improve Your Chess:
The Mammoth Book of Chess, by Graham Burgess. Robinson, 2009. Print Length: 576 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (16 reviews). Kindle edition $6.39. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Please note: one Amazon reviewer reported that the Kindle edition is difficult to use due to small illustrations and difficulty moving back and forth on the Kindle between chess problems and solutions. You might want to consider the
paperback edition of this book.

"Comprehensive, up to date, and clear, this invaluable guide will help even less experienced players to progress to good club level and better. It offers a complete guide to the main opening gambits along with hundreds of test positions for players at every level. Graham Burgess, FIDE Master, shows you all you need to know, from entering the world of chess, through Internet games, to major international tournaments. Features include: Entirely new and expanded sections on online chess, computers and openings. A complete guide to all the main opening gambits. Hundreds of test positions for players of all standards.Courses in tactics and attacking strategy. Analysis of some of the greatest games ever played. Information and advice on club, national, and international tournaments. Glossary of terminology. Practical advice and information for further study." - Publisher.
A Guide to Chess Improvement: The Best of Novice Nook, by Dan Heisman. Everyman Chess, 2011. Print Length: 386 p. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (5 reviews). Kindle edition $19.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"...features the very best of Dan Heisman’s multi-award winning chess column
Novice Nook, which has run for the past ten years at the popular website ChessCafe.com. This book is full of valuable instruction, insight and practical advice on a wide range of key subjects: general improvement, thought processes, planning and strategy, tactics, endgame play, technique, time management and much more besides. Dan Heisman is a USCF National Master, a FIDE Candidate Master, a full-time chess teacher and the author of many chess books." - Publisher.
Practical Chess Exercises: 600 Lessons from Tactics to Strategy, by Ray Cheng. Wheatmark, 2008. Print Length: 216 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (69 reviews). Kindle edition $9.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled. Lending: Enabled.

"Raise your chess to the next level with this program of 600 instructive and challenging exercises covering all aspects of the game. This book will sharpen your tactical vision, deepen your positional understanding, and enrich your knowledge of theoretical positions. It will also strengthen your analytical skills, and instill a sound move selection process. Win more games and increase your enjoyment of chess!" - Publisher.
1001 Deadly Checkmates, by John Nunn. Gambit Publications, 2011. Print Length: 304 p. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (2 reviews). Kindle edition $14.95. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"...delivering checkmate is the greatest thrill the game has to offer. The ability to spot checkmates is a vital skill – and this easy-to-use book shows you how it is done. By focusing exclusively on positions from real games, ranging from junior events to grandmaster encounters, Nunn ensures that the mates featured are those which arise most often in real life.
All 1001 puzzle positions have been carefully checked, and are graded by theme and difficulty. Most of the puzzles are suitable for novice and junior players. The last chapter challenges you with ‘extreme checkmates’, but don’t worry: you’ll be ready for them! The Kindle edition of this book has been specially reorganised for easy use. The solution to each puzzle is always on the page following the puzzle itself, and the puzzle diagram is repeated there, so it is not necessary to flip backwards and forwards when viewing the solution." - Publisher.
Lessons with a Grandmaster, by Joel Sneed and Boris Gulko. Everyman Chess, 2011. Print Length: 298 p. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (7 reviews). Kindle edition $17.53. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"Imagine you are a club player who has been given the opportunity to talk at length with a famous grandmaster. How would you make the most of this opportunity? Club players are unaware of the subtleties in Grandmaster chess. Great players can analyze chess at a depth that is unfathomable to amateurs. However, having reached such a high level can make it difficult to understand what is lacking in the mind of the amateur.
Lessons with a Grandmaster bridges this gap between grandmaster and amateur through a series of conversations between teacher, the renowned Grandmaster Boris Gulko, and student Dr. Joel R. Sneed, a professor of psychology and amateur chess player. The lessons are based on Gulko's own battles against fellow grandmasters, and there is particular focus on strategy, tactics and the role of psychology in chess competition." - Publisher.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chess Openings, by William Aramil. Alpha, 2008. Print Length: 212 p. This title has complex layouts and has been optimized for reading on devices with larger screens. Amazon customer rating: 4 stars (5 reviews). Kindle edition $11.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"...provides all readers need to know to solidify their opening game and get on the road to victory. In it, the authors provide a step-by-step walk-through of 100 of the most effective opening moves. Each opening strategy is clearly and succinctly explained, with numerous illustrations that bolster the reader's understanding." - Publisher
Back to Basics: Tactics, by Dan Heisman. Russell Enterprises, 2011. Print Length: 192 p. This title has complex layouts and has been optimized for reading on devices with larger screens. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (11 reviews). Kindle edition $12.62. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"Tactics are usually why most people find chess fun! This book will greatly enhance your enjoyment learning about - and benefiting from - the recurring patterns of tactics. In chess, if you lose all your pieces you can't win! And if you capture each of your opponent's pieces, winning should be easy. Even if you just get ahead by a small amount of material, your chances of winning soar. The way to win your opponent's pieces is through the use of tactics. This book is about all types of beginning tactics. The author covers comprehensively the subject with basic instructional material, examples, and problems of all types - about 500 examples and problems ranging from too easy to very difficult!" - Publisher.
Chess History and Chess Masters:
The Immortal Game: A History of Chess, by David Shenk. Anchor, 2007. Print Length: 352 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (58 reviews). Kindle edition $11.99. Text-to-Speech: Disabled.

"Chess is the most enduring and universal game in history. Here, bestselling author David Shenk chronicles its intriguing saga, from ancient Persia to medieval Europe to the dens of Benjamin Franklin and Norman Schwarzkopf. Along the way, he examines a single legendary game that took place in London in 1851 between two masters of the time, and relays his own attempts to become as skilled as his Polish ancestor Samuel Rosenthal, a nineteenth-century champion. With its blend of cultural history and Shenk’s personal interest,
The Immortal Game is a compelling guide for novices and aficionados alike." - from the trade paperback edition.
Chess Duels: My Games with the World Champions, by Yasser Seirawan. Everyman Chess, 2011. Print Length: 434 p. Amazon customer rating: 5 stars (12 reviews). Kindle edition $25.00. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"Four-time US Champion Yasser Seirawan provides a fascinating and highly entertaining account of his games and encounters with the world champions of chess including Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Bobby Fischer, Boris Spassky, Tigran Petrosian, Mikhail Tal, Vassily Smyslov, Mikhail Botvinnik and Max Euwe. Having been involved in frequent battles against world champions over a 25-year period, Seirawan is in an ideal position to reveal how it really feels to be facing the legends of the game. He describes and analyses, in depth, his most memorable encounters – both famous victories and painful defeats, against the best chessplayers of the last 50 years. Seirawan recounts many stories involving these giants of the game - giving an intriguing insight into their personalities away from the board." - from the back cover.
Endgame: Bobby Fischer's Remarkable Rise and Fall - from America's Brightest Prodigy to the Edge of Madness, by Frank Brady. Random House, 2011. Print Length: 418 p. Amazon customer rating: 4 1/2 stars (124 reviews). Kindle edition $11.99. Text-to-Speech: Enabled.

"
Endgame is acclaimed biographer Frank Brady’s decades-in-the-making tracing of the meteoric ascent—and confounding descent—of enigmatic genius Bobby Fischer. Only Brady, who met Fischer when the prodigy was only 10 and shared with him some of his most dramatic triumphs, could have written this book, which has much to say about the nature of American celebrity and the distorting effects of fame. Drawing from Fischer family archives, recently released FBI files, and Bobby’s own emails, this account is unique in that it limns Fischer’s entire life—an odyssey that took the Brooklyn-raised chess champion from an impoverished childhood to the covers of Time, Life and Newsweek to recognition as “the most famous man in the world” to notorious recluse." - Publisher.
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Note to readers: The book prices quoted here are the Amazon.com prices in effect at the time of the blog posting. Please follow the links to the individual book to check the current price.

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