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

  • For any rating
Chess book review, Bobby Fischer Comes Home, Helgi Olafsson
  • Bobby Fischer Comes Home
  • Helgi Olafsson
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Kramnik: My Life & Games by Vladimir Kramnik, chess book review
  • Kramnik: My Life & Games
  • Iakov Damsky, Vladimir Kramnik
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Chess Self-Improvement by Zenon Franco, chess book review
  • Chess Self-Improvement
  • Zenon Franco
Read Review
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Secrets of Rook Endings by John Nunn, chess book review
  • Secrets of Rook Endings
  • John Nunn
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Chess Champion from China by Xie Jun, chess book review
  • Chess Champion from China
  • Xie Jun
Read Review
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire 1B: 1.d4, The Queen's Gambit by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire 1B: 1.d4, The Queen’s Gambit
  • Boris Avrukh
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship by Miguel Najdorf, chess book review
  • Zurich 1953: 15 Contenders for the World Chess Championship
  • Miguel Najdorf
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: 1.e4 vs The Sicilian 3 by Parimarjan Negi, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: 1.e4 vs The Sicilian 3
  • Parimarjan Negi
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Hippopotamus Rises: The Re-Emergence of a Chess Opening by Andrew Martin, chess book review
  • The Hippopotamus Rises: The Re-Emergence of a Chess Opening
  • Andrew Martin
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Bent Larsen's Best Games, Bent Larsen
  • Bent Larsen’s Best Games
  • Bent Larsen
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Curaçao 1962, Jan Timman
  • Curaçao 1962
  • Jan Timman
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games by Graham Burgess, John Nunn, Wesley So, John Emms, Michael Adams, chess book review
  • The Mammoth Book of the World’s Greatest Chess Games
  • Graham Burgess, John Emms, John Nunn, Michael Adams, Wesley So
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The King’s Gambit for the Creative Aggressor by Thomas Johansson, chess book review
  • The King’s Gambit for the Creative Aggressor
  • Thomas Johansson
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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