The second one is fine, but the first one is extremely optional. I suggest '100 endgames you must know' by Jesus Da Villa, '1001 Deadly Checkmates' by John Nunn, 'Woodpecker method' by idk, and 'How to Beat your Dad at Chess' by Murray Chandler. When you up your rating, you may want to consider chess calculation books by Ramesh, or other noted GMs. Also optional is 'The life and games of Mikhail Tal' which helps with sharpness and understanding the mind of your opponent. I would prioritize #1, #2, and #5. That is all from me.
Are these good chess books? Help!
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Dec 13, 2025
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#3
Thank you so much! I definitely want to get books for around my rating (~1250) and make sure that there solid material. Based on your assessment, I'll probably pass on those two.
My neighbor also had a few other books. I can't quite remember which ones they are, but, I'll ask you here tomorrow. Thanks for the advice!
Dec 14, 2025
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#5
Oh, not much. I just don't have any income at present, so, I need spend sparingly.
Dec 14, 2025
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#6
The other books are:
- Tips for Young Players - Matthew Sadler
- Starting out in Chess -
- Pandolfini's Complete Endgame Course - Bruce Pandolfini
I'm not so keen on the first two given my rating, but, who knows? I definitely like the last one best... is it any good?
Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond
Dec 14, 2025
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#8
King_Red_A wrote:
Oh, not much. I just don't have any income at present, so, I need spend sparingly.
You might want to get one or two books then, and get the rest of what you need in pdf
I haven't read any of these specific books. That said, if these are your cheapest options (also check libraries and used bookstores in your area) then I would probably choose Pandolfini's endgame book. From online reviews, you may wish to consult the Internet for errata since this book reportedly has typos, but the reviews are otherwise good and much can be learned from studying endgames.
Dec 15, 2025
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#14
Keene on Chess is a complete waste of money, you shouldn’t pay anything for it. Keene wrote a handful of excellent books, but then started churning out complete junk.
Dec 15, 2025
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#15
I'm still the "Everyman Chess" Collection by Yaseer Seirawan. So far I've read How to play winning chess, tactics, and openings. Im currently midway through strategies. And waiting to finish off with combinations and brillances. I even put it on my bio on my chess.com profile. So far I think it's great, because I've reached my all-time best at everything. He is basically pointing out everything that a beginners brain is wandering about. Therefore making you more sharp and dangerous. I've gotten over a 900 rating from a 357 rating for 3 years with 3k games. After that I declined, so I started reading more and taking courses. I have to say if it wasn't for this collection I wouldn't love this game the way that I want to.
Dec 15, 2025
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#16
Thank you so much everyone for all your input! 🙌🏻 🙏🏻 I'll let you guys know if I get any of them...
It really depends on which chess books you’re looking at and whether they match your current level. Some books are great for beginners, while others are better for advanced strategy and deeper understanding. It’s a bit like checking a 7 Brew calorie menu https://7-brewmenu.net/ having the right information helps you choose what fits your needs best.
Apr 10, 2026
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#20
- Keene On Chess: A Complete Step-by-step Course Shows You How to Play and Deepen Your Understanding of Chess by Raymond Keene is too basic for someone rated around 1250.
- Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan is one I would get immediately if I didn't have any other books on openings. Should be fine for your level.
- Tips for Young Players by Matthew Sadler. The description I found goes as follows: "Britain’s number three Grandmaster Matthew Sadler, answers key questions such as: Which openings should I play? How do I learn to spot tactics? What do I need to know about the endgame? This book is aimed at young players looking to improve their play and practical results. Packed with advice on every area of the game." Possibly too basic for someone around 1250, unless you think you missed some of the basics while improving by playing.
- Starting out in Chess by Byron Jacobs. This is for beginners, like Keene's book, so it's too basic.
- Pandolfini's Complete Endgame Course by Bruce Pandolfini. This should be good as a first book on endgames (even at the 1250 rating level), but you need to find the list of the book's errata (assuming one exists). See Good endgame book (Silman vs Pandolfini vs Nunn).
I was thinking about buying a few books a neighbor is selling. But, I want to ensure that my precious few dollars are well spent. What can you guys tell me about the following books? Are they good, great, okay, sub par...? And, how do they compare with the esteemed books of Silman?