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: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of A Matter of Endgame Technique by Jacob Aagaard, chess book review
  • A Matter of Endgame Technique
  • Jacob Aagaard
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, Secrets of Queen Endgames, Ferenc Berkes
  • Secrets of Queen Endgames
  • Ferenc Berkes, Tibor Karolyi
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Play the Classical Dutch by Simon Williams, chess book review
  • Play the Classical Dutch
  • Simon Williams
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Play the Budapest Gambit by Andrew Martin, chess book review
  • Play the Budapest Gambit
  • Andrew Martin
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  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1200
Chess book review, Chess Pattern Recognition for Beginners, Arthur van de Oudeweetering
  • Chess Pattern Recognition for Beginners
  • Arthur van de Oudeweetering
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
Chess book review, The Most Exciting Chess Games Ever, Steve Giddins
  • The Most Exciting Chess Games Ever
  • Steve Giddins
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
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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  • For any rating
Chess book review, Kings, Queens and Rookies, The Tata Steel Chess Tournament, Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Erwin l'Ami, Peter Boel, Peter Doggers
  • Kings, Queens and Rookies, The Tata Steel Chess Tournament
  • Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam, Erwin l'Ami, Peter Boel, Peter Doggers
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  • ELO: -800
  • -
  • 1000
Book cover of Your Move, Grandpa! Chess for Kids by Alex Knight, chess book review
  • Your Move, Grandpa! Chess for Kids
  • Alex Knight
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, 50 Mistakes You Should Know, Jesus de la Villa
  • 50 Mistakes You Should Know
  • Jesus de la Villa
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Grandmaster Secrets: The Caro-Kann by Peter Wells, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Secrets: The Caro-Kann
  • Peter Wells
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Sicilian Warfare by Ilya Smirin, chess book review
  • Sicilian Warfare
  • Ilya Smirin
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Modernized Caro-Kann by Daniel Fernandez, chess book review
  • The Modernized Caro-Kann
  • Daniel Fernandez
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
Chess book review, Speed Demon, Dmitry Kryakvin
  • Speed Demon
  • Dmitry Kryakvin
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  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
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
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  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
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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Latest reviews

  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Opening Repertoire, The Caro-Kann by Jovanka Houska, chess book review
  • Opening Repertoire, The Caro-Kann
  • Jovanka Houska
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of First Steps: Caro-Kann Defence by Andrew Martin, chess book review
  • First Steps: Caro-Kann Defence
  • Andrew Martin
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
Book cover of Caro-Kann: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala, chess book review
  • Caro-Kann: Move by Move
  • Cyrus Lakdawala
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The Caro-Kann by Lars Schandorff, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The Caro-Kann
  • Lars Schandorff
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Playing the Caro-Kann: A Counter-attacking Repertoire by Lars Schandorff, chess book review
  • Playing the Caro-Kann: A Counter-attacking Repertoire
  • Lars Schandorff
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Bologan's Caro-Kann, Victor Bologan
  • Bologan’s Caro-Kann
  • Victor Bologan
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  • 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
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  • 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
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Openings
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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.