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
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Spassky's Best Games, Alexey Bezgodov
  • Spassky’s Best Games
  • Alexey Bezgodov, Dmitry Oleynikov
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Caruana's Ruy Lopez, Fabiano Caruana
  • Caruana’s Ruy Lopez
  • Fabiano Caruana
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan, Victor Bologan
  • The Chebanenko Slav According to Bologan
  • Victor Bologan
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
Chess book review, GM Preparation: Positional Play, Jacob Aagaard
  • GM Preparation: Positional Play
  • Jacob Aagaard
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Hidden Laws of Chess, Nick Maatman
  • The Hidden Laws of Chess
  • Nick Maatman
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Associative Thinking: How to Connect Patterns and Creativity in Chess by Mikhail Shereshevsky, chess book review
  • Associative Thinking: How to Connect Patterns and Creativity in Chess
  • Mikhail Shereshevsky
Read Review
  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
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  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of Starting Out: the English by Neil McDonald, chess book review
  • Starting Out: the English
  • Neil McDonald
Read Review
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Lasker: Move by Move by Zenon Franco, chess book review
  • Lasker: Move by Move
  • Zenon Franco
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Enigma of Chess Intuition, Valeri Beim
  • The Enigma of Chess Intuition
  • Valeri Beim
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, How to Beat Magnus Carlsen, Cyrus Lakdawala
  • How to Beat Magnus Carlsen
  • Cyrus Lakdawala
Read Review
  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of Chess Tactics for Students by John A. Bain, chess book review
  • Chess Tactics for Students
  • John A. Bain
Read Review
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
Chess book review, A complete Opening Repertoire for Black after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6! 2, Ragozin & Anti-Catalan, Dariusz Swiercz
  • A complete Opening Repertoire for Black after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6! 2, Ragozin & Anti-Catalan
  • Dariusz Swiercz
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Sicilian Attacks: Powerful Charges & Typical Tactics by Yuri Yakovich, chess book review
  • Sicilian Attacks: Powerful Charges & Typical Tactics
  • Yuri Yakovich
Read Review

Latest reviews

  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Zaitsev System, Alexey Kuzmin
  • The Zaitsev System
  • Alexey Kuzmin
Read Review
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Chess Fundamentals, Jose Capablanca
  • Chess Fundamentals
  • Jose Capablanca
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Original Arkhangelsk by Tibor Karolyi, chess book review
  • The Original Arkhangelsk
  • Tibor Karolyi
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Archangel and New Archangel by Krzysztof Panczyk and John Emms, chess book review
  • Archangel and New Archangel
  • John Emms, Krzysztof Panczyk
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Bobby Fischer's Endgame Technique by Alex Colovic, chess book review
  • Bobby Fischer’s Endgame Technique
  • Alex Colovic
Read Review
  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez by John Shaw, chess book review
  • Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez
  • John Shaw
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzysztof Panczyk, chess book review
  • Ruy Lopez Exchange
  • Krzysztof Panczyk
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of A Spanish Repertoire for Black by Mihail Marin, chess book review
  • A Spanish Repertoire for Black
  • Mihail Marin
Read Review

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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.

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