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: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of The Giuoco Piano by Eduard Gufeld, Oleg Stetsko, chess book review
  • The Giuoco Piano
  • Eduard Gufeld, Oleg Stetsko
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  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
Try for Free
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Chess book review, The Most Exciting Chess Games Ever, Steve Giddins
  • The Most Exciting Chess Games Ever
  • Steve Giddins
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
600 of the world's most realistc chess bots
  • 600 Chess Bots
  • IM John Bartholomew
Play for free
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
1 review
Book cover of Opening Repertoire, The Ruy Lopez by Joshua Doknjas, chess book review
  • Opening Repertoire, The Ruy Lopez
  • Joshua Doknjas
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
0 reviews
Book cover of Starting Out: The Scandinavian by Jovanka Houska, chess book review
  • Starting Out: The Scandinavian
  • Jovanka Houska
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
1 review
Chess book review, Beating the Queen's Gambit - Indian Style!, Renier Castellanos
  • Beating the Queen’s Gambit – Indian Style!
  • Renier Castellanos
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Book cover of Nunn's Chess Endings Volume 1 by John Nunn, chess book review
  • Nunn’s Chess Endings Volume 1
  • John Nunn
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part 2: 1985-1993 by Garry Kasparov, chess book review
  • Garry Kasparov on Garry Kasparov, Part 2: 1985-1993
  • Garry Kasparov
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of How to Win in the Chess Endings by I.A. Horowitz, chess book review
  • How to Win in the Chess Endings
  • I.A. Horowitz
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  • ELO: 2200
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Calculation! by Sam Shankland, chess book review
  • Calculation!
  • Sam Shankland
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  • For any rating
0 reviews
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: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The French Defence, Volume 3 by Emanuel Berg, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The French Defence, Volume 3
  • Emanuel Berg
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  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1200
1 review
Chess book review, The 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know Workbook, Frank Erwich
  • The 100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know Workbook
  • Frank Erwich
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
0 reviews
Chess book review, Chess Evolution 2, Beyond the basics, Artur Yusupov
  • Chess Evolution 2, Beyond the basics
  • Artur Yusupov
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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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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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