Chess Fundamentals

Chess Fundamentals is an instructional book by José Raúl Capablanca, first published in 1921. It does not try to list every opening or every possible combination. Instead, Capablanca selects principles he considered fundamental and develops them through compact positions, explanations, and complete games.

What it teaches

• Simple checkmates and pawn promotion, the conversion of a pawn reaching the last rank into another piece.
• Basic endgames, where fewer pieces remain and active king play becomes especially important.
• Opening principles for the first phase of the game, such as developing pieces and contesting the center, the central area of the board.
• Middlegame plans for the phase between the opening and endgame; relative piece values; and initiative, the ability to create threats that force a response.

The selection reflects the author's clear, technical style. Capablanca later defended his title in Capablanca-Alekhine 1927. Some older editions use descriptive notation, a historical system that names squares from each side's viewpoint. A modern edition or a board makes those passages easier to follow. For much broader endgame coverage, Basic Chess Endings serves a different reference purpose.