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

  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Capablanca's Endgame Technique, Alex Colovic
  • Capablanca’s Endgame Technique
  • Alex Colovic
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Chess Strategy for Club Players, Herman Grooten
  • Chess Strategy for Club Players
  • Herman Grooten
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, The French Advance, Sam Collins
  • The French Advance
  • Sam Collins
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Practical Knight Endings by Edmar Mednis, chess book review
  • Practical Knight Endings
  • Edmar Mednis
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Secret Ingredient by Jan Markos, David Navara, chess book review
  • The Secret Ingredient
  • Jan Markos, David Navara
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of King's Gambit by Nikolay Kalinichenko, chess book review
  • King’s Gambit
  • Nikolay Kalinichenko
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The Dragon Volume Two by Gawain Jones, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The Dragon Volume Two
  • Gawain Jones
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Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
Chess book review, The Soviet Chess Primer, Ilya Maizelis
  • The Soviet Chess Primer
  • Ilya Maizelis
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Mastering the French by Neil McDonald, Andrew Harley, chess book review
  • Mastering the French
  • Neil McDonald, Andrew Harley
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Opening For White According To Kramnik 1.Nf3, Volume 3 by Alexander Khalifman, chess book review
  • Opening For White According To Kramnik 1.Nf3, Volume 3
  • Alexander Khalifman
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Dynamic Chess Strategy, Mihai Suba
  • Dynamic Chess Strategy
  • Mihai Suba
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
Book cover of Multiple Choice Chess by Graeme Buckley, chess book review
  • Multiple Choice Chess
  • Graeme Buckley
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Opening Repertoire: The Modern Benoni by John Doknjas, chess book review
  • Opening Repertoire: The Modern Benoni
  • John Doknjas
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
Book cover of 1000 Checkmate Combinations by Viktor Henkin, chess book review
  • 1000 Checkmate Combinations
  • Viktor Henkin
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, In Black and White, Paul van der Sterren
  • In Black and White
  • Paul van der Sterren
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Latest reviews

  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez by John Shaw, chess book review
  • Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez
  • John Shaw
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzysztof Panczyk, chess book review
  • Ruy Lopez Exchange
  • Krzysztof Panczyk
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of A Spanish Repertoire for Black by Mihail Marin, chess book review
  • A Spanish Repertoire for Black
  • Mihail Marin
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Opening Repertoire, The Caro-Kann by Jovanka Houska, chess book review
  • Opening Repertoire, The Caro-Kann
  • Jovanka Houska
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of First Steps: Caro-Kann Defence by Andrew Martin, chess book review
  • First Steps: Caro-Kann Defence
  • Andrew Martin
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
Book cover of Caro-Kann: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala, chess book review
  • Caro-Kann: Move by Move
  • Cyrus Lakdawala
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The Caro-Kann by Lars Schandorff, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The Caro-Kann
  • Lars Schandorff
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Playing the Caro-Kann: A Counter-attacking Repertoire by Lars Schandorff, chess book review
  • Playing the Caro-Kann: A Counter-attacking Repertoire
  • Lars Schandorff
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Reviews in Alphabetical Order
All reviews
Rating: Below 800
Rating: 800-1000
Rating: 1000-1200
Rating: 1200-1400
Rating: 1400-1600
Rating: 1600-1800
Rating: 1800-2000
Rating: 2000-2200
Rating: Above 2200
Articles
Everything You Need to Know About Reading Chess Books
Christmas Gifts for Chess Players
Best Chess Books of 2025
Books for Ambitious Beginners

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.