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

  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Tiger's Chaos Theory, Tiger Hillarp Persson
  • Tiger’s Chaos Theory
  • Tiger Hillarp Persson
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: 1.d4 Volume One by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: 1.d4 Volume One
  • Boris Avrukh
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Benko Bible Volume 1: The Gambit Accepted by Vassilios Kotronias, Mikhail Ivanov, chess book review
  • Benko Bible Volume 1: The Gambit Accepted
  • Vassilios Kotronias, Mikhail Ivanov
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
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 Review
  • For any rating
Book cover of The Chess Artist: Genius, Obsession, and the World's Oldest Game by J.C. Hallman, chess book review
  • The Chess Artist: Genius, Obsession, and the World’s Oldest Game
  • J.C. Hallman
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Edgard Colle – Caissa's Wounded Warrior by Taylor Kingston, chess book review
  • Edgard Colle – Caissa’s Wounded Warrior
  • Taylor Kingston
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Opening Repertoire 1.e4, Cyrus Lakdawala
  • Opening Repertoire 1.e4
  • Cyrus Lakdawala
Read Review
  • ELO: -800
  • -
  • 1000
Chess book review, Super Chess Kids, Franco Zaninotto
  • Super Chess Kids
  • Franco Zaninotto
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Greatest 365 Puzzles, Part 1, From Practical Games of 2012 by Balogh Csaba, chess book review
  • Greatest 365 Puzzles, Part 1, From Practical Games of 2012
  • Balogh Csaba
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, Excelling at Chess, Jacob Aagaard
  • Excelling at Chess
  • Jacob Aagaard
Read Review
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Games and Goals, Atle Grønn
  • Games and Goals
  • Atle Grønn
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Livonian Knight: Selected Games of Alvis Vitolins by Zigurds Lanka, Edvins Kengis, Janis Klovans, Janis Vitomskis, chess book review
  • The Livonian Knight: Selected Games of Alvis Vitolins
  • Zigurds Lanka, Edvins Kengis, Janis Klovans, Janis Vitomskis
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Lessons with a Grandmaster, Enhance Your Chess Strategy And Psychology With Boris Gulko, Boris Gulko
  • Lessons with a Grandmaster, Enhance Your Chess Strategy And Psychology With Boris Gulko
  • Boris Gulko, Joel Sneed
Read Review
  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
Chess book review, Keep it Simple for Black, Christof Sielecki
  • Keep it Simple for Black
  • Christof Sielecki
Read Review
  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
Book cover of Beginners Guide - How to Learn Chess in 60 Minutes by Graham Thompson, chess book review
  • Beginners Guide – How to Learn Chess in 60 Minutes
  • Graham Thompson
Read Review
  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
Book cover of Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern by Joe Gallagher, chess book review
  • Starting Out: The Pirc/Modern
  • Joe Gallagher
Read Review

Latest reviews

  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of First Grandmaster of the Soviet Union: A Chess Biography of Boris Verlinsky by Sergei Tkachenko, chess book review
  • First Grandmaster of the Soviet Union: A Chess Biography of Boris Verlinsky
  • Sergei Tkachenko
Read Review
  • For any rating
Book cover of Critical Theory: A Chess Biography of Isaak Lipnitsky by Mykola Fuzik, Alexei Radchenko, chess book review
  • Critical Theory: A Chess Biography of Isaak Lipnitsky
  • Mykola Fuzik, Alexei Radchenko
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Sofia Polgar, Amazing Artist – Dangerous Tactician by Sofia Polgar, chess book review
  • Sofia Polgar, Amazing Artist – Dangerous Tactician
  • Sofia Polgar
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of New York 1927 by Alexander Alekhine, chess book review
  • New York 1927
  • Alexander Alekhine
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Cambridge Springs 1904 by Robert Sherwood, chess book review
  • Cambridge Springs 1904
  • Robert Sherwood
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Hübner Year by Year: Volume I (1959-1979) by Tibor Karolyi, Hans Renette, chess book review
  • Hübner Year by Year: Volume I (1959-1979)
  • Tibor Karolyi, Hans Renette
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
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 Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Nottingham 1936 by Alexander Alekhine, chess book review
  • Nottingham 1936
  • Alexander Alekhine
Read Review

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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.