Chess Books

If you’re under 1000 you don’t actually need to buy any book. YouTube videos are enough.

In my opinion, pretty much anything by IM Jeremy Silman is pretty good.

- "How to Reassess Your Chess"

- "The Amateur's Mind"

Both of these books (by Silman) offer a good overview of fundamental positional ideas and concepts for intermediate players seeking to become more advanced. They both provide pretty much the same information overall, just the key difference is that "Reassess Your Chess" is a more in-depth version of Silman's overview of positional fundamentals, while "Amateur's Mind" is a more abridged version of that same overview.

Some other books I like:

- Silman's Complete Endgame Course (good for mastering all fundamental endgame concepts, ideas, and techniques)

- Silman's "Complete Book of Chess Strategy" (good for filling in any gaps in one's general chess knowledge to help reach advanced amateur level)

- Vukovic's "The Art of Attack In Chess" (good for improving attacking skills)

- Chernev's "Logical Chess: Move By Move" (good for improving one's skills in various aspects of the game)

The Complete Chess Swindler is good

yea, it sucks for u cuz ur advanced, his book is mostly for beginners and early intermediates

"how to reasses your chess" by Jeremy silman is a must read book

I'm sure this has been asked before, but what is a good book to learn endgames? It doesn't have to be advanced or anything. I just want to know the King and pawn endgames by heart. I saw that Silman has an endgame manual, but I'd love to hear other suggestions as well.

basic endgames dont need books

basic endgames are learnable by just watching vids and doing internet exercises

Not really a real "chess book" but a book in which chess plays a central role (I hope this post is allowed) - I just read "Schachnovelle" or "The Royal Game", as it's called in English, by Stefan Zweig.

Zweig wrote this book in 1941 while being in exile in Brazil as he fled from the Nazis who occupied his country of Austria in 1938. While the books plot revolves around Chess, one doesn't really have to understand the rules of Chess to understand the book because the main thing that's interesting is how the book explores the psychological aspects of Chess - how it can, on the one hand, help keep you sane in hopeless situations (One of the books main Characters describes how he tried to endure solitary confinement that he was being put under by Gestapo by playing blind chess against himself) while on the other hand can become obsessive and devolve into madness. The latter we have unfortunately seen in a lot of real historical examples.

The book is written really well so I can recommend it to everyone that wants to read some chess themed World-literature.

I've just picked up Silman's endgame book so can't comment on the quality but one of the good things about it is that it is chaptered by rating level. So there is a 0-1000 (i think, don't have it to hand right now) opening chapter and then it goes in bands of 200 rating points. This is the whole reason that I've brought it to be fair to check my understanding levels against where it should be. Quick Google gave the chapter list so should give you an idea of the content.

A nice little book that I'm just finishing is Improve your Chess (Teach Yourself) - William Hartston. Found this quite useful, its more of a light reading but does a rather good job at presenting 75 very short 2 page lessons with a clear idea in each that is simplified in a sentence or two, also not too heavy for carrying around!

Example from the book - 21 weak squares. With the summary being: A weakness that cannot be exploited is not a weakness at all.

'How to win at chess' by Levy Rozman (Gotham Chess)

Is simply the best chess book ever, but it is for absolute beginners up 800 maybe. The colour layout and the QR codes at the end of each chapter to practice the principles in the chapter on a phone or computer. Game changer. Who reads a book now with a board in front of them to learn lines or practice principles, no one below 2000.

How to win at chess 2 is on its way and aimed at a more advanced player.

I can guarantee the future of all chess book will have an online support feature.

Levy deserves an award because he has changed the whole idea of a chess book.

From Coach Dane's own words (in one of his private lessons with me): "everything I learnt about endgames, I learnt from Silman's (Complete Endgame Manual). Get Silman's, the rest, you don't need it, that book will set you for life." And I honestly agree. Silman's book is so well organized and it's very beautifully structured, not to mention anything from Silman is a guarantee 8/10 minimum.
Obviously feel free to pick up any other books you like. I started by reading Endgame Strategy by Shereshevsky. Some other books which I've also taken a look of and was thoroughly satisified (albeit never finished), are Master Endgame Strategy by Johan Hellsten (side note, Hellsten's books are extremely instructive, and he takes a lot of examples, a stupid lot) and Fundamental Chess Endings by Karlsten Muller. But just get Silman's honestly, I don't see why the hell not, the other books won't be that necessary.

Oh, before you ask, "b-but Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual?". NO. Yes it is the best endgame book ever created. Yes it was written by one of the best chess authors in history, Mark Dvoretsky. But you will not be able to absorb any of it: it is simply way too dense, it will make you burn out, and none of it will even begin to make sense. It doesn't matter if that chess book is the best in the market, if you can't digest it. And yes, I read it. Contemplated my life afterwards XD.

Single most helpful article I have ever read on this issue. Most of the recommendations from this article have been gold:

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Hey guys ! Here are somes books you should read !

The Inproving Chess Thinker, Dan Heissman, - Perfect for Middlegames
Modern Chess Openings, Nick de Firmian, - 768 pages of absolute Opennings theory !
Chess Fundamentals, Jose Capablanca, - Of Course READ IT
Excelling at Chess Vol. 1, Jacob Aagard,, - Learn how to learn

And if you are French I recommend : Gagner même quand on débute (Kevin Bordi / Blitzstream)

Thank you so much for reading that and thanks to the admin that do their best everydays to make Improvers a perfect club !

Reasses is a fat book i think according to my memory it says about how to play positionaly right

i would recommend GARRY KASPAROV GAMES BOOK 1987-1995 that book is good for improving gameplay

How to Reassess Your Chess, The Complete Book of Chess Strategy, or any other book by IM Jeremy Silman would be good for late intermediate and advanced players. (1200 - 1600 elo).

How To Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman. Haven't finished it yet, but this stuff is helping me improve meteorically!

I once suggested "My System", by Aron Nimzowitch. But it is somewhat outdated. And unthinkably boring.

I’m working through steps method books for paper tactics along with online work but picked up Chess tactics for champions as this book has been recommended a lot to me. So far enjoy the format and looks like a book will be a plus to work through.