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

4.73
11 ratings·5 reviews
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Table of Contents

  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
  • Promoted
600 of the world's most realistc chess bots
  • 600 Chess Bots
  • IM John Bartholomew
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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
0 reviews
Book cover of Test Your Endgame Thinking by Glenn Flear, chess book review
  • Test Your Endgame Thinking
  • Glenn Flear
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
0 reviews
Book cover of Learn Chess the Right Way: Book 2: Winning Material by Susan Polgar, Paul Truong, chess book review
  • Learn Chess the Right Way: Book 2: Winning Material
  • Paul Truong, Susan Polgar
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
1 review
Book cover of The Modernized Arkhangelsk Variation by Viktor Erdos, chess book review
  • The Modernized Arkhangelsk Variation
  • Viktor Erdos
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
0 reviews
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire 2A: 1.d4 King's Indian and Grünfeld by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire 2A: 1.d4 King’s Indian and Grünfeld
  • Boris Avrukh
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1600
0 reviews
Chess book review, Chessboard Combat, Joel Benjamin
  • Chessboard Combat
  • Joel Benjamin
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
Book cover of Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess Part Two: Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-1985 by Garry Kasparov, chess book review
  • Garry Kasparov on Modern Chess Part Two: Kasparov vs Karpov 1975-1985
  • Garry Kasparov
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
1 review
Book cover of The Meran and Anti-Meran Variations by Alexey Dreev, chess book review
  • The Meran and Anti-Meran Variations
  • Alexey Dreev
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
0 reviews
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
0 reviews
Book cover of Practical Rook Endings by Edmar Mednis, chess book review
  • Practical Rook Endings
  • Edmar Mednis
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
1 review
Chess book review, Opening Repertoire ...c6, Cyrus Lakdawala
  • Opening Repertoire …c6
  • Cyrus Lakdawala, Keaton Kiewra
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
1 review
Chess book review, Tal-Botvinnik, 1960, Mikhail Tal
  • Tal-Botvinnik, 1960
  • Mikhail Tal
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
2 reviews
Chess book review, My Best Games of Chess 1908-1937, Alexander Alekhine
  • My Best Games of Chess 1908-1937
  • Alexander Alekhine
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
1 review
Chess book review, 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations, Fred Reinfeld
  • 1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations
  • Fred Reinfeld
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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+
0 reviews
Book cover of The Modern Scandinavian by Matthias Wahls, chess book review
  • The Modern Scandinavian
  • Matthias Wahls
Read Reviews
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
2 reviews
Chess book review, The Zaitsev System, Alexey Kuzmin
  • The Zaitsev System
  • Alexey Kuzmin
Read Reviews
  • 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
Read Reviews
  • 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
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Best Chess Books of 2025
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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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