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: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Chess book review, My Great Predecessors Part 3, Garry Kasparov
  • My Great Predecessors Part 3
  • Garry Kasparov
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The English Opening, Volume 1 by Mihail Marin, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The English Opening, Volume 1
  • Mihail Marin
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
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  • Chess DNA Test
  • Chessiverse
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess Part Three: Kasparov vs. Karpov 1986-1987 by Garry Kasparov, chess book review
  • Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess Part Three: Kasparov vs. Karpov 1986-1987
  • Garry Kasparov
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
0 reviews
Chess book review, Excelling at Technical Chess, Jacob Aagaard
  • Excelling at Technical Chess
  • Jacob Aagaard
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
3 reviews
Chess book review, Logical Chess - Move By Move, Irving Chernev
  • Logical Chess – Move By Move
  • Irving Chernev
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  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
0 reviews
Book cover of Chess Tactics for Students by John A. Bain, chess book review
  • Chess Tactics for Students
  • John A. Bain
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Book cover of Road to Chess Mastery by Max Euwe, Walter Meiden, chess book review
  • Road to Chess Mastery
  • Max Euwe, Walter Meiden
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  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Chess book review, Modern Chess Preparation, Vladimir Tukmakov
  • Modern Chess Preparation
  • Vladimir Tukmakov
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Chess book review, Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games, Victor Bologan
  • Bologan’s Black Weapons in the Open Games
  • Victor Bologan
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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: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
1 review
Chess book review, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations, Fred Reinfeld
  • 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations
  • Fred Reinfeld
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  • For any rating
0 reviews
Chess book review, Smart Chip from St.Petersburg, Genna Sosonko
  • Smart Chip from St.Petersburg
  • Genna Sosonko
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Chess book review, Improve your Endgame Play, Glenn Flear
  • Improve your Endgame Play
  • Glenn Flear
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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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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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