How a King Plays: 64 Chess Tips from a Kid Champion

by Oliver Boydell

For fans of The Queen's Gambit comes a brand-new book from 11-year-old chess champion Oliver Boydell. How a King Plays features 64 of Boydell's tips, strategies, and ideas to help chess enthusiasts of all ages sharpen their game skills.

Whether you're new to chess or a Grandmaster, there's something for everyone in chess phenom Oliver Boydell's new book of 64 chess tips, How a King Plays .

At only 11-years-old, Boydell has already been both a National Chess Champion and a New York City Chess Champion who's competed at numerous major scholastic chess events since he started playing at the age of 5.

Now, Boydell is lending his talents to the page as he shares some of his best tips that helped him become a star. Written in his signature concise and witty voice, Boydell offers players of all levels—from beginners to advanced—a different, creative tip on every page. An introduction from the author, inspirational quotes from chess greats, and a glossary of terms help round out this comprehensive and informative, fun guide.

Jam-packed with wisdom and imaginative gameplay, this compact and portable reference book can easily be taken on the go to a tournament, to the park, or anywhere you're traveling. How a King Plays is the ideal companion for anyone whose passion for chess can't be contained.

Genres: Chess, Self Help

96 pages, Hardcover

Published November 9, 2021

Reviews

[Chan Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid advice and well explained. Probably best for novices just past the beginner stage. (It would have been a huge help to me six months or a year ago, but I managed to learn much of this from other sources in the meantime.) Still, good reminders, packaged in a quick and easy format.

[Kristin Harley · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a relatively new chess player, THIS is the book I was looking for. Short chapters devoted to one concept each, explaining what other strategy books did not as clearly nor concisely - what a big help. I realized what I was doing wrong, what I was not even considering or mistaking as a bad strategy, and what I had already deduced through intuition and trial-and-error. Now I feel confident I will get more out of the other books I'm reading, after working through this helpful, unassuming little book chock full of wisdom.

[DW · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding a good chess book is surprisingly difficult. The biggest challenge is finding one where the ego is not at play and the author genuinely wishes to impart strategic wisdom. I got tired of the masters, watching them work the pommel horse of abstract thinking, trying to impress and intimidate instead of actually instructing. This book delivers and is approachable to a novice. I don't always give a five star review for a book to have merely succeeded in its goal, but apparently in chess that's remarkably rare. Thank you for helping me improve my game.

[Colin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book by a young author has sixty-four tips on playing better chess. It is a quick read; I read it in less than a couple of hours. It is probably most helpful for beginning or intermediate chess players. It may not be helpful for experienced chess players. There wasn't very much in the book that I didn't already know. The tips were not accompanied by diagrams. The book includes a glossary and a few quotations from famous chess. It can be considered a simplified version of Lev Alburt's Chess Rules of Thumb or Andrew Soltis's The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess.

[Roz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was perfect for me. I needed to get my head back in this game and needed an overview, not too long. There are 64 tips, a nod to the 64 squares on the board. The tips are good! I listened to the audio version in about 1.5hrs, and I was impressed with this young man who wrote and read this awesome little book.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good little book with 64 lessons that covers the basics that everyone should know and understand about chess. Filled with uncomplicated common sense knowledge appropriate for beginning players and also an excellent primer for the more experienced player to occasionally review.

[Igy The Book Hermit · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a "how to" book, it is a book from a champion giving his advice on playing the game. The book is good, but you will learn the same things on YouTube or Chess.com. It is a quick read and not a lot of details.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, easily digestible tips that are denser than they seem.

I'm just barely past the basics and this was both fun and provides principles that stick in my mind. I enjoyed reading it with my kids (even when skipping to pages randomly).

[James Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good beginners guide to chess, would have liked to see some more intermediate and specific advice on openings and endings but it's a nice short read with lots of general advice for anyone looking to get into chess.

[Tré · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the short lessons and easy to digest format.

It's been decades since I was on a chess team. My daughter is six years old and I am learning so that I can teach and help her.

These little lessons are a great compliment to the other resources we are using.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief book with a list of lessons and tips about how to play chess. This book goes straight into chess and omits all other background details.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My score doubled upon completion of.