Which chess books should you read?

Current rating?
Current rating? Any Below 800 800 - 1000 1000 - 1200 1200 - 1400 1400 - 1600 1600 - 1800 1800 - 2000 2000 - 2200 Above 2200
Playing style?
Playing style? any positional dynamic tactical theoretical
Biggest weakness?
Biggest weakness? any openings strategy tactics and calculation endgames
Target rating?
Target rating? Any 800 - 1000 1000 - 1200 1200 - 1400 1400 - 1600 1600 - 1800 1800 - 2000 2000 - 2200 Above 2200

Table of Contents

Rating:
  • -800
  • -
  • 1000
Chess book review, Chess for Kids, Michael Basman
  • Chess for Kids
  • Michael Basman
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1800
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of "Grandmaster Repertoire Grandmaster Repertoire 1A: The Catalan" by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire 1A: The Catalan
  • Boris Avrukh
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Triangle System, Noteboom, Marshall Gambit and other Semi-Slav Triangle lines, Ruslan Scherbakov
  • The Triangle System, Noteboom, Marshall Gambit and other Semi-Slav Triangle lines
  • Ruslan Scherbakov
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2000
Cover image of the book "The Ultimate King's Indian Attack" by Angus Dunnington, reviewed on Chessreads.
  • The Ultimate King’s Indian Attack
  • Angus Dunnington
Read Review
Rating:
  • -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of "Birth of the Chess Queen: A History" by Marilyn Yalom, chess book review
  • Birth of the Chess Queen: A History
  • Marilyn Yalom
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, Tal-Botvinnik, 1960, Mikhail Tal
  • Tal-Botvinnik, 1960
  • Mikhail Tal
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of "Edgard Colle – Caissa's Wounded Warrior" by Taylor Kingston, chess book review
  • Edgard Colle – Caissa’s Wounded Warrior
  • Taylor Kingston
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of "Alekhine’s Odessa Secrets: Chess, War and Revolution " by Sergei Tkachenko, chess book review
  • Alekhine’s Odessa Secrets: Chess, War and Revolution
  • Sergei Tkachenko
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of "The Livonian Knight: Selected Games of Alvis Vitolins" by Zigurds Lanka, Edvins Kengis, Janis Klovans, Janis Vitomskis, chess book review
  • The Livonian Knight: Selected Games of Alvis Vitolins
  • Zigurds Lanka, Edvins Kengis, Janis Klovans, Janis Vitomskis
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of
  • New York 1924
  • Alexander Alekhine
Read Review
Rating:
  • 800
  • -
  • 1400
Book cover of "Play Chess with a Plan " by Pierre Chakalov, chess book review
  • Play Chess with a Plan
  • Pierre Chakalov
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2200
Chess book review, Learn from the Legends, Chess Champions at their Best, Mihail Marin
  • Learn From the Legends, Chess Champions at Their Best (10th Anniversary Edition)
  • Mihail Marin
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide, Mauricio Flores Rios
  • Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of
  • Chess Imbalances: A Grandmaster Guide
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of
  • Playing the Stonewall Dutch
  • Nikola Sedlak
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1600
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of
  • The Killer Dutch Rebooted
  • Simon Williams
Read Review

Latest reviews

Rating:
  • -800
  • -
  • 1000
Chess book review, Chess for Kids, Michael Basman
  • Chess for Kids
  • Michael Basman
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1800
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of "Grandmaster Repertoire Grandmaster Repertoire 1A: The Catalan" by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire 1A: The Catalan
  • Boris Avrukh
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Triangle System, Noteboom, Marshall Gambit and other Semi-Slav Triangle lines, Ruslan Scherbakov
  • The Triangle System, Noteboom, Marshall Gambit and other Semi-Slav Triangle lines
  • Ruslan Scherbakov
Read Review
Rating:
  • 1400
  • -
  • 2000
Cover image of the book "The Ultimate King's Indian Attack" by Angus Dunnington, reviewed on Chessreads.
  • The Ultimate King’s Indian Attack
  • Angus Dunnington
Read Review

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Everything You Need to Know About Reading Chess Books
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Best Chess Books of 2025
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Chessreads is a collection of chess book reviews written by chess players of varying strength, from beginner to master. Our goal is to help every chess player find out which books they should read based on their rating, weaknesses and ambition.

Chessreads is accompanied by a YouTube channel where we post reviews in video format, interviewing authors, and recommending reading lists for players of different ratings.