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, Taming Wild Chess Openings, John Watson
  • Taming Wild Chess Openings
  • Eric Schiller, John Watson
Read Review
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Dangerous Weapons: The King's Indian by Glenn Flear, Richard Palliser, Yelena Dembo, chess book review
  • Dangerous Weapons: The King’s Indian
  • Glenn Flear, Richard Palliser, Yelena Dembo
Read Review
  • ELO: 800
  • -
  • 1000
Chess book review, Tricks, Traps, and Tips in the Chess Opening, Dean Ippolito
  • Tricks, Traps, and Tips in the Chess Opening
  • Dean Ippolito
Read Review
  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of How to Be a Winner at Chess by Fred Reinfeld, chess book review
  • How to Be a Winner at Chess
  • Fred Reinfeld
Read Review
  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2000
Chess book review, Reimagining 1.e4, Nikolaos Ntirlis
  • Reimagining 1.e4
  • Nikolaos Ntirlis
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  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The Dragon Volume Two by Gawain Jones, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The Dragon Volume Two
  • Gawain Jones
Read Review
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
Chessbook is the fastest way to build a bulletproof repertoire.
  • Chessbook
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  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, On the Origin of Good Moves, Willy Hendriks
  • On the Origin of Good Moves
  • Willy Hendriks
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  • ELO: 1200
  • -
  • 1400
Chess book review, Learn Chess Tactics, John Nunn
  • Learn Chess Tactics
  • John Nunn
Read Review
  • Elo: 800
  • -
  • 2200
chessmind grid image 1
  • Mauricio Flores Rios
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Play Like A Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov, chess book review
  • Play Like A Grandmaster
  • Alexander Kotov
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of The United States Chess Championship, 1845-1996 by Andrew Soltis, Gene H. McCormick, chess book review
  • The United States Chess Championship, 1845-1996
  • Andrew Soltis, Gene H. McCormick
Read Review
  • Elo: -800
  • -
  • 2200+
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  • ELO: 1800
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of King's Indian Warfare by Ilya Smirin, chess book review
  • King’s Indian Warfare
  • Ilya Smirin
Read Review
  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Book cover of Bobby Fischer: Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion by Lou Hays, chess book review
  • Bobby Fischer: Complete Games of the American World Chess Champion
  • Lou Hays
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of Grandmaster Repertoire: The Grünfeld Defence Volume Two by Boris Avrukh, chess book review
  • Grandmaster Repertoire: The Grünfeld Defence Volume Two
  • Boris Avrukh
Read Review

Latest reviews

  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Chess book review, The Zaitsev System, Alexey Kuzmin
  • The Zaitsev System
  • Alexey Kuzmin
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  • ELO: 1400
  • -
  • 1800
Chess book review, Chess Fundamentals, Jose Capablanca
  • Chess Fundamentals
  • Jose Capablanca
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of The Original Arkhangelsk by Tibor Karolyi, chess book review
  • The Original Arkhangelsk
  • Tibor Karolyi
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Archangel and New Archangel by Krzysztof Panczyk and John Emms, chess book review
  • Archangel and New Archangel
  • John Emms, Krzysztof Panczyk
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200
Book cover of Bobby Fischer's Endgame Technique by Alex Colovic, chess book review
  • Bobby Fischer’s Endgame Technique
  • Alex Colovic
Read Review
  • ELO: 1000
  • -
  • 1200
Book cover of Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez by John Shaw, chess book review
  • Starting Out: The Ruy Lopez
  • John Shaw
Read Review
  • ELO: 1600
  • -
  • 2000
Book cover of Ruy Lopez Exchange by Krzysztof Panczyk, chess book review
  • Ruy Lopez Exchange
  • Krzysztof Panczyk
Read Review
  • ELO: 2000
  • -
  • 2200+
Book cover of A Spanish Repertoire for Black by Mihail Marin, chess book review
  • A Spanish Repertoire for Black
  • Mihail Marin
Read Review

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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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