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: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Chess book review, Making My Move, Victor Bologan
  • Making My Move
  • Victor Bologan
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Chess book review, Defend Like Petrosian, Alexey Bezgodov
  • Defend Like Petrosian
  • Alexey Bezgodov
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Korchnoi's 400 Best Games by Viktor Korchnoi, Robert Graham Wade, L. S. Blackstock, chess book review
  • Korchnoi’s 400 Best Games
  • L. S. Blackstock, Robert Graham Wade, Viktor Korchnoi
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  • ELO: -800
  • -
  • 1000
1 review
Chess book review, Super Chess Kids, Franco Zaninotto
  • Super Chess Kids
  • Franco Zaninotto
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
1 review
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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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
1 review
Book cover of 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate by Fred Reinfeld, chess book review
  • 1001 Brilliant Ways to Checkmate
  • Fred Reinfeld
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Opening For White According To Kramnik 1.Nf3, Volume 5 by Alexander Khalifman, chess book review
  • Opening For White According To Kramnik 1.Nf3, Volume 5
  • Alexander Khalifman
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
0 reviews
Book cover of First Steps: The Scandinavian by Cyrus Lakdawala, chess book review
  • First Steps: The Scandinavian
  • Cyrus Lakdawala
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Lasker: Move by Move by Zenon Franco, chess book review
  • Lasker: Move by Move
  • Zenon Franco
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  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1000
1 review
Chess book review, Power Chess for Kids, Charles Hertan
  • Power Chess for Kids
  • Charles Hertan
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
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  • 600 Chess Bots
  • IM John Bartholomew
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Opening Repertoire: Strategic Play with 1.d4 by Milos Pavlovic, chess book review
  • Opening Repertoire: Strategic Play with 1.d4
  • Milos Pavlovic
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of San Antonio, 1972 by Bent Larsen, chess book review
  • San Antonio, 1972
  • Bent Larsen
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Greatest 501 Puzzles, Part 2, From Practical Games of 2012 by Balogh Csaba, chess book review
  • Greatest 501 Puzzles, Part 2, From Practical Games of 2012
  • Balogh Csaba
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  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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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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Openings
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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.

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