The record-breaking success of Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit has revitalized global interest in chess, with significant spikes in sales of chess sets and “how to play chess” searches.

However, as people set up their new boards and seek out the best strategies for winning, they may encounter difficulties in finding comprehensive, digestible guides that cater to the unique needs of novice players.

To assist those at the beginning of their chess journeys, Karthik Murugan, a freshman at Downingtown East High School and two-time Greater Mid-Atlantic Elementary Champion, has released Legal Attack: Chess – An Intellectual Board War.

The book contains 30 powerful chess tactics, each with 10 puzzles for readers to practice and solve. Organized from simple to complex, the puzzles allow readers to gradually move through the most important aspects of the game; review common tactics, mates, and traps; and advance their technique.

Murugan, who began playing chess in 2014, was inspired to write Legal Attack after struggling to find a chess guide that was both tailored toward beginners and expansive in scope. Combining lessons, notes, and strategies gleaned from tournaments and coaching, the book streamlines the information most valuable to beginners and moderate players and focuses on teaching the puzzles and pattern recognition necessary to be successful and win games.

“I have read hundreds of chess books,” said Murugan, who has played more than 800 games in 170 United States Chess Federation-rated tournaments. “Not many books are out there that are crisp enough to inspire a beginner or a moderate player and advise them of the powerful techniques needed to win the games. Chess is all about attacking and defending. It’s a war, and you need to win.”

Click here to learn more about Karthik Murugan.