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

Book of the week

silman's complete endgame course chessreads

Silman’s Complete Endgame Course

4.73
11 ratings·5 reviews
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Table of Contents

  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Chess book review, The Unstoppable American, Jan Timman
  • The Unstoppable American
  • Jan Timman
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Scotch Game by Yelena Dembo, Richard Palliser, chess book review
  • Scotch Game
  • Richard Palliser, Yelena Dembo
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
600 of the world's most realistc chess bots
  • 600 Chess Bots
  • IM John Bartholomew
Play for free
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
2 reviews
Book cover of The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, Volume 1: The Early Years 1921-1948 by Andrey Terekhov, chess book review
  • The Life and Games of Vasily Smyslov, Volume 1: The Early Years 1921-1948
  • Andrey Terekhov
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Chess book review, The Agile London System, Alfonso Romero
  • The Agile London System
  • Alfonso Romero, Oscar de Prado
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Combination Challenge by Lou Hays – Chess Book Review
  • Combination Challenge
  • Lou Hays
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  • For any rating
0 reviews
Chess book review, Kings, Queens and Rookies, The Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Erwin l'Ami, Peter Boel, Peter Doggers
  • Kings, Queens and Rookies, The Tata Steel Chess Tournament
  • Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Erwin l'Ami, Peter Boel, Peter Doggers
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Chess book review, The Complete French Advance, Evgeny and Vladimir Sveshnikov
  • The Complete French Advance
  • Evgeny Sveshnikov, Vladimir Sveshnikov
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  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1200
2 reviews
Chess book review, The Checkmate Patterns Manual, Raf Mesotten
  • The Checkmate Patterns Manual
  • Raf Mesotten
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  • ELO: -800
  • -
  • 1000
1 review
Book cover of Your Move, Grandpa! Chess for Kids by Alex Knight, chess book review
  • Your Move, Grandpa! Chess for Kids
  • Alex Knight
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
1 review
Book cover of Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzysztof Panczyk, chess book review
  • Ruy Lopez Exchange
  • Krzysztof Panczyk
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  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
1 review
Book cover of Cambridge Springs 1904 by Robert Sherwood, chess book review
  • Cambridge Springs 1904
  • Robert Sherwood
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Dynamics of Chess Strategy by Vlastimil Jansa, chess book review
  • Dynamics of Chess Strategy
  • Vlastimil Jansa
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Chess book review, Technical Decision Making in Chess, Boris Gelfand
  • Technical Decision Making in Chess
  • Boris Gelfand
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Latest reviews

  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2200
0 reviews
Book cover of The 3...Qd8 Scandinavian: Simple and Strong by Daniel Lowinger, chess book review
  • The 3…Qd8 Scandinavian: Simple and Strong
  • Daniel Lowinger
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of The Modern Scandinavian by Matthias Wahls, chess book review
  • The Modern Scandinavian
  • Matthias Wahls
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
2 reviews
Chess book review, The Zaitsev System, Alexey Kuzmin
  • The Zaitsev System
  • Alexey Kuzmin
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
1 review
Chess book review, Chess Fundamentals, Jose Capablanca
  • Chess Fundamentals
  • Jose Capablanca
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of The Original Arkhangelsk by Tibor Karolyi, chess book review
  • The Original Arkhangelsk
  • Tibor Karolyi
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Archangel and New Archangel by Krzysztof Panczyk and John Emms, chess book review
  • Archangel and New Archangel
  • John Emms, Krzysztof Panczyk
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
2 reviews
Book cover of Bobby Fischer's Endgame Technique by Alex Colovic, chess book review
  • Bobby Fischer’s Endgame Technique
  • Alex Colovic
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  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
1 review
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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Openings
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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.

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