Chess

John Loughran

Chess Resources: Books, Websites, Magazines

Chess Rules, Pieces, History, Games

Encyclopaedia Brittanica, various articles
The Chess Compeditor's Handbook, Bozidar Kazic - does all the rules, explains the rating system, the Swiss pairing system, round robin tables, organising events etc.

History of Chess, Laws, Variants

The Oxford Companion to Chess, David Hooper and Kenneth Whydd, 1984
Chess History at chess.about.com 
http://misc.traveller.com/chess/history/- Bill Wall's summary, interesting snippets.

History of World Champions

Encyclopaedia Brittanica
World Chess Champions at http://www.academicchess.com/ratings/Worldchamionlist.shtml
List of chess world championship matches at http://chess-guide.fateback.com/players/world_champions/

Chess Websites in Ireland

Irish Chess Online. See links section.
The Irish Chess Archive
Irish Chess Calendar
Elm Mount Chess Club

International Websites

The Week in Chess
FIDÉ
Chessbase
London Chess Centre, Chess MAgazine

Chess Coaching

Exeter Chess Club Coaching Page

Chess Programs

Look up ChessBase at chessbase.com, a program to allow you input and play through your own and others' games, including ones downloaded from master tournaments.  You can download Chessbase Light for free. Look for it in Google, then visit "The Week in Chess" above.
Fritz, one of the strongest programs to play against.  Too strong.

Playing Chess Online

There are lots of good, many free, places to play chess online.  One I like is at freechess.org.  I have gone off Yahoo games chess as people there like 1 minute games.

Chess Books I Reccommend

Openings

Stewart Reuben, Chess Openings Your Choice - Excellent, comprehensive, readable
Batsford Chess Openings - for those ones Stewart leaves out
Fritz chess playing program, see its openings book

Middlegame, Tactics

Irving Chernev, Winning Chess, tactical ideas explained in an entertaining way
Irving Chernev, Logical Chess, whole games analysed move by move, with the underlying ideas explained
Any book on tactics, problems, "test yourself", "Choose your move"
The Irish Times problems (Its often a Queen sacrifice")
Florian, Defence and Counterattack

Endgame

Winning Endgames, Kosten
Hall, Endgame Challenge

General

In general, choose a book you will enjoy reading, not too dry, whatever motivates you to study.  Interactive books are best.  Try to undestand the openings rather than learn off a list of variations which are unkiley to occur.  At the same time be familiar with common traps in your opening repertoire.  Study endgames first as this id how to learn how the pieces work best.