Who Is Daniel King and What Can Chess Players Learn From His Books and Videos?
Daniel King is a British chess grandmaster, a professional player for more than two decades, and one of the most recognisable voices in chess broadcasting. If you have watched tournament coverage, heard commentary on a major event, or picked up a chess book with his name on the cover, you have already met part of his work. For players who want to improve, his main value lies in three areas: clear explanatory writing, the Power Play video series, and live or recorded commentary that turns complex positions into understandable plans.
Background: player, broadcaster, author
Daniel King has been a professional chess-player for over 20 years. He is also a games consultant, television presenter, freelance journalist, and an award-winning author of 14 books. He speaks German as well as English, which matters if you are looking for chess content in either language.
What this background means for a learner is straightforward. He is not only a strong player but someone who has spent years explaining chess to a general audience. That combination is rarer than it sounds. Many strong players can play well but struggle to teach; many teachers can explain but have not competed at a high level. King sits in the overlap.
The main strands of his teaching work
Books
With 14 books to his name, his written output covers openings, general improvement, and practical play. The style tends to be accessible rather than encyclopaedic: ideas are introduced with words first, variations second. That makes his books a reasonable fit for club players who want to understand why a move works, not just memorise it.
Power Play DVDs and video series
The Power Play series is probably the best-known part of his instructional catalogue. These are video lessons built around themes rather than a single opening. The format suits players who learn better by watching and listening than by reading notation. Because the material is presented in themed chunks, you can work through one idea at a time instead of committing to a long course.
Commentary and presenting
His work as a television presenter and commentator is where many players first encounter him. Live commentary demands a particular skill: explaining a position quickly, to viewers of mixed strength, without dumbing it down. That same skill carries over into his teaching — he tends to describe plans and candidate moves in plain language.
What level is his material aimed at?
Broadly, his instructional content sits in the improver-to-club-player range, with some material that stronger players will still find useful.
| Your level | How useful is his material? |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Useful for ideas and vocabulary, but you may want a basic tactics course first |
| Improver / club player | The sweet spot — themes, plans and practical decision-making |
| Strong club / tournament player | Still valuable for clear explanations of strategy and attacking play |
| Expert | Better as a refresher or for commentary than as deep opening theory |
This is a general guide, not a rule. A strong player can still enjoy a well-explained video on attacking ideas, and a beginner can pick up a lot from watching commentary even if some lines go over their head.
Recurring themes in his teaching
Across books, videos and commentary, a few ideas come up again and again:
- Practical decision-making. What to do when there is no forced win, how to choose between two reasonable moves, and how to handle positions where you are slightly worse.
- Attacking play. How to build an attack, when to sacrifice, and how to judge whether an attack is justified.
- Explaining ideas clearly. He tends to prioritise understanding over memorisation, which is why his material works well for players who want to think for themselves at the board.
How to choose a first book or video
The right starting point depends on your goal, not on what is newest or most popular.
- If you want to improve your overall play, start with a general improvement book or a themed Power Play video on strategy or attacking ideas.
- If you struggle with openings, look for his opening-focused writing, but treat it as a guide to ideas rather than a memorisation list.
- If you learn best by watching, go straight to the video series. Watch one theme, then play a few games trying to apply it.
- If you mainly want entertainment and insight, his commentary is the easiest entry point — you get chess understanding without homework.
A simple rule: pick the format you will actually finish. A half-watched video teaches less than a fully read short book.
Why his wider roles shape the material
His work as a games consultant, journalist and presenter explains a lot about how his chess content is built. Journalism trains you to be clear and concise. Presenting trains you to hold an audience. Consulting trains you to solve practical problems rather than chase theoretical perfection. The result is teaching material that is approachable, well-structured, and focused on what helps you at the board.
A practical way to start
If you are new to his work, try this sequence:
- Watch one Power Play video on a theme you find difficult, such as attacking play or positional decisions.
- Play three or four games and note where that theme appeared.
- Pick up one of his books and read the chapters that match those games.
- Use his commentary as background listening to absorb how a grandmaster talks through a position.
That loop — watch, play, read, listen — turns passive viewing into actual improvement. It also lets you judge for yourself whether his style suits you, which is ultimately the only test that matters.