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

4.69
13 ratings·5 reviews
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Table of Contents

  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Kotronias on the King's Indian, Volume 1, Fianchetto Systems by Vassilios Kotronias, chess book review
  • Kotronias on the King’s Indian, Volume 1, Fianchetto Systems
  • Vassilios Kotronias
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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: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of The Symmetrical English by Carsten Hansen, chess book review
  • The Symmetrical English
  • Carsten Hansen
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
Try for Free
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of The Iron English by Simon Williams, Richard Palliser, chess book review
  • The Iron English
  • Richard Palliser, Simon Williams
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  • For any rating
1 review
Book cover of A First Book of Morphy by Frisco Del Rosario, chess book review
  • A First Book of Morphy
  • Frisco Del Rosario
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Black and White Magic by Axel Smith, chess book review
  • Black and White Magic
  • Axel Smith
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  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
Try for Free
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of The Torre Attack: Move by Move by Richard Palliser, chess book review
  • The Torre Attack: Move by Move
  • Richard Palliser
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of A Game of Queens by Judit Polgar, chess book review
  • A Game of Queens
  • Judit Polgar
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Book cover of The Chess Opening for You: A Complete System for White and Black by Larry Evans, chess book review
  • The Chess Opening for You: A Complete System for White and Black
  • Larry Evans
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Chess book review, Play the French, John Watson
  • Play the French
  • John Watson
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
0 reviews
Chess book review, How To Out-Prepare Your Opponent, Jeroen Bosch
  • How To Out-Prepare Your Opponent
  • Jeroen Bosch
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
0 reviews
Chess book review, Chess Training for Candidate Masters, Alexander Kalinin
  • Chess Training for Candidate Masters
  • Alexander Kalinin
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
1 review
Chess book review, Soviet Chess 1917-1991, Andrew Soltis
  • Soviet Chess 1917-1991
  • Andrew Soltis
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Chess Calculation Training, Volume 2: Endgames by Romain Edouard, chess book review
  • Chess Calculation Training, Volume 2: Endgames
  • Romain Edouard
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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+
1 review
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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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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