7 Best Chess Books Every Chess-Player Should Read

The numerous books written about chess come in handy when chess players want to up their chess skills. You can learn chess basics with the help of various online sources or even by playing it online as you can now play it on the computer or your smartphone easily.

But books provide you with structured technical and strategic advice about chess which helps you in improving your game tremendously. The list of books featured below benefits beginners by improving their game to an advanced level.

#1 Learn Chess the Right Way by Susan Polgar

The award-winning chess coach and former world champion Susan Polgar’s five-volume chess puzzle book series introduce players to the several winning methods of the game.

Each book consists of 500 puzzles and the final volume is based on the knowledge acquired from the previous books. Polgar’s books are specifically targeted for improving the game of amateur, beginner and intermediate level players.

#2 Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess

This list would’ve been incomplete without mentioning one of the greatest chess players of all times, Bobby Fischer, whose books are still among the best-selling chess books ever.

Compared to all his books, Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess remains as an essential chess guide. It covers everything from the basic movement of chess pieces to attacking an opponent.

This book is so great that it’s regarded as a must-have in every chess player’s shelf even if they’re experts.

#3 Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov

As implied by the title, Kotov’s Think Like A Grandmaster emphasizes the importance of an organized thought process in chess. Kotov discusses the practical decision-making strategies of chess while offering tactical and positional growth tools.

This book, although a classic, is typically suitable for advanced players. However, intermediate players can benefit from Kotov’s informative material and smart advice in the book.

If you’re looking for strategy based books about chess, then add this one in your cart immediately.

#4 Silman’s Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman

The American international chess master and an award-winning coach talks about the importance of studying the endgame in his book, Silman’s Complete Endgame Course.

He teaches the players chess essentials based on their existing skill level and builds on that information for each level of the player’s growth.

Learning the strategies of the endgame in chess is crucial and is disregarded by beginners. Silman’s book helps in strengthening your endgame skills, leading you towards excellence.

#5 Play Winning Chess by Yasser Seirawan

This book offers the players instructive examples, fundamentals of the game while introducing the philosophy and strategies in the game of chess. American chess grandmaster, Yasser Seirawan is also a four-time United States champion.

Play Winning Chess is Seirawan’s first book in the Winning Chess series and outlines the basics of chess, suitable for chess dummies and therefore may seem too basic for intermediate players. Intermediate players should check out other books in this series to advance their level.

#6 Logical Chess Move By Move by Irving Chernev

Another classic on the list, Logical Chess is ideal for players who want to learn the thought process behind moves made by strong chess players.

Irving Chernev was a great chess player and a Russian-American chess author, his book Logical Chess is regarded as one of the most important and easiest chess reads.

His book explains 33 games in detail, move by move along with explanations of each move and is a great choice for players who want to improve their game effectively.

#7 My System by Aron Nimzowitsch

Aron Nimzovich wrote the classic book, My System which continues to remain one of the best-selling chess books of all time and is recommended by several grandmasters and coaches.

His book explains chess theories which are regarded as a manual for positional chess. Understanding these theories are crucial to chess players who want to get better at their game.