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
Read The Book
Read Reviews

Table of Contents

  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
1 review
Chess book review, The How to Study Chess on Your Own Workbook Volume 3, Davorin Kuljasevic
  • The How to Study Chess on Your Own Workbook Volume 3
  • Davorin Kuljasevic
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Bent Larsen's Good Move Guide by Bent Larsen, chess book review
  • Bent Larsen’s Good Move Guide
  • Bent Larsen
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
Try for Free
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Chess Exam: You vs. Bobby Fischer: Matches Against Chess Legends, You vs. Bobby Fischer by Igor Khmelnitsky, chess book review
  • Chess Exam: You vs. Bobby Fischer: Matches Against Chess Legends, You vs. Bobby Fischer
  • Igor Khmelnitsky
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Greatest 551 Puzzles From Practical Games of 2016 by Balogh Csaba, chess book review
  • Greatest 551 Puzzles From Practical Games of 2016
  • Balogh Csaba
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Book cover of Better Chess for Average Players by Tim Harding, chess book review
  • Better Chess for Average Players
  • Tim Harding
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • For any rating
1 review
Chess book review, Chess Opening Names Volume One, Nathan Rose
  • Chess Opening Names Volume One
  • Nathan Rose
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
Try for Free
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
1 review
Chess book review, Keep It Simple: 1.d4, Christof Sielecki
  • Keep It Simple: 1.d4
  • Christof Sielecki
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
0 reviews
Chess book review, Attacking Manual 2, Jacob Aagaard
  • Attacking Manual 2
  • Jacob Aagaard
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
Discover your chss personality
  • Chess DNA Test
  • Chessiverse
Take the Test
  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
0 reviews
Book cover of How to Play Chess like a Champion by Fred Reinfeld, chess book review
  • How to Play Chess like a Champion
  • Fred Reinfeld
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
1 review
Book cover of The Schliemann Defence, Move by Move by Junior Tay, chess book review
  • The Schliemann Defence, Move by Move
  • Junior Tay
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1200
0 reviews
Chess book review, Winning Chess Tactics, Yasser Seirawan
  • Winning Chess Tactics
  • Yasser Seirawan
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
1 review
Book cover of My Best Games of Chess 1905-1954 by Savielly Tartakower, chess book review
  • My Best Games of Chess 1905-1954
  • Savielly Tartakower
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
0 reviews
Book cover of Starting out: The Dutch Defence by Neil McDonald, chess book review
  • Starting out: The Dutch Defence
  • Neil McDonald
Read Reviews
Read the Book

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
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2200+
1 review
Book cover of The Modern Scandinavian by Matthias Wahls, chess book review
  • The Modern Scandinavian
  • Matthias Wahls
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
2 reviews
Chess book review, The Zaitsev System, Alexey Kuzmin
  • The Zaitsev System
  • Alexey Kuzmin
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
1 review
Chess book review, Chess Fundamentals, Jose Capablanca
  • Chess Fundamentals
  • Jose Capablanca
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of The Original Arkhangelsk by Tibor Karolyi, chess book review
  • The Original Arkhangelsk
  • Tibor Karolyi
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • 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
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • 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
Read Reviews
Read the Book
  • 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
Read Reviews
Read the Book

Latest YouTube video

Browse Reviews

Openings
Strategy
Tactics and Calculation
Positional Play
Puzzle Books
Complex Endgames
Theoretical Endgames
Puzzles and Studies
Thinking Processes
Game Collections
Textbooks
Novels and Miscellaneous
Children's Books
Biographies and Players
Book Authors
Reviews in Alphabetical Order
All reviews
Rating: Below 800
Rating: 800-1000
Rating: 1000-1200
Rating: 1200-1400
Rating: 1400-1600
Rating: 1600-1800
Rating: 1800-2000
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.

Want to get notified when a new review is published?

Youtube X-twitter Instagram Discord Whatsapp Facebook