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.

If you have any feedback or suggestions ask on Discord or contact us via email [email protected]

FAQ

How are reviews organized?

They are organized into categories; opening, middlegame, endgame, etc., by author, and by rating, in ranges of 200 points. Soon you will have the option to include additional filters and combine existing ones, such as readability and rating, etc.

How do I know which reviews and which books to read?

The filter on the home page allows you to input your rating, weakness and style. It will automatically recommend books once you fill it out. Alternatively, you can sort the books by category or rating to find out which would suit you.

Do you sell books?

We don’t.

When do new reviews get published?

New reviews come out every week, mostly on Saturdays.

When do you publish new videos on the channel?

Every Saturday at 3PM CET.

Can anyone write reviews?

Technically, yes, but there are requirements for the reviews to be published on Chessreads. Firstly, you mustn’t use AI for writing the review, and you must be civil. Secondly, each review should answer key questions a potential reader may have, such as difficulty and quality of annotations. The rest is up to you.

How do I submit a review?

Email us at [email protected]. Make sure to include the following:

• A short biography, a couple of sentences about yourself
• A photo we can use for your profile as a guest reviewer
• The review itself divided into chapters; including an introduction and a conclusion
• A short excerpt where you summarize the most important points covered in the review
• A link to your FIDE/chess com/lichess/USCF or any equivalent rating page, so that the readers know you’re trustworthy.

How will you use the information I provide when sending the review?

The information provided will only be used to create a short bio section about the author on the review page and by sending us the required information you give us consent to display it publicly on Chessreads and store it as long as the review stays online. For more information about how we store data, visit our Privacy Policy.

How can I get my review published on Chessreads?

If you send all the required information, we will get back to you and publish the review. If anything needs to be added, we will let you know.

I wrote a chess book. Can you review it?

Yes! Email us at [email protected]. Make sure to include your name, short bio, name of the book, when it was published, and who the publisher was. If we need any additional info, we will let you know.

A book I like isn’t on Chessreads. How can I ask you to add it?

Email us at [email protected] or write on Discord. We will add the book!

Are the ratings on Chessreads FIDE, lichess, chess.com?

The ratings above 1400 refer to classical FIDE ratings. Those below 1400 refer to chess.com ratings.

I found a bug, can you fix it?

We’re constantly working on improving Chessreads, adding new features and improving existing ones. If you have a suggestion or if there’s something you think should be fixed, email us at [email protected] or write on Discord. We will get back to you and fix it.

I don’t understand the readability score

Readability signifies how difficult it is to read the book without using a board. A book with 10/10 readability is a bedtime story, a book with 1/10 is a puzzle book full of variations. Readability doesn’t represent the quality of the book.

What is the usefulness score each book has assigned?

Usefulness is a measure of how useful the book is for chess improvement within the topic it covers. Books with a high usefulness score should help you improve quicker than those with a low score.

I have a question you haven’t answered

Contact us via email or on Discord. We will answer it and add it to the FAQ list!