How To Choose The Right Chess Books For You
It has been said that more has been written about chess than all other games combined. Thanks to the ability to record chess games for posterity, we can still read chess books from as long ago as the 15th century!
However, the sheer volume of chess books can be overwhelming. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of titles on every aspect of the game: chess openings, the middlegame, endgames, chess biographies, historical accounts… where to begin?
This article is here to help you find the perfect next addition to your chess library:
- Chess books which entertain.
- Chess books which will help you improve your game.
- Chess books which match your level of ability.
Historical And Biographical Chess Books
The first question to ask yourself is what is: what do you want out of your next chess book?
Many chess enthusiasts want to prioritize improving their playing strength. If that sounds like you, then you should search for a chess book that promises to raise your standard of play. We will look at some options for ambitious chess improvers in the next section.
However, there is much more to chess than the quest for wins and rating points! There are some fabulous chess books which cover the history, culture, and lives of the great players. Books like these can deeply enrich your experience of chess.
Here are some of our top picks:
A History Of Chess
Even the most devoted chess history buff will be sure to learn plenty from Yuri Averbakh’s A History of Chess. It mostly covers the game’s earliest years as it evolved from “chaturanga”, the earliest recognizable ancestor of chess, into the modern-day rules that we recognize today. Based on meticulous research, the reader will be left with a much stronger understanding of the origins of our game.
Click here to check out A History of Chess.
The Match Of All Time
The amazing story of the 1972 World Chess Championship between Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky has been told many times, but if you haven’t read The Match of All Time by Gudmundur Thorarinsson, then you haven’t yet heard the ultimate insider’s account.
No other World Chess Championship has generated anywhere near the same level of public interest as the 1972 contest. Being staged at the height of the Cold War, the match between Fischer of the USA and Spassky of the USSR assumed enormous symbolic geopolitical importance. This page-turning book gives a unique take on the incredible events of Fischer-Spassky 1972.
Click here to check out The Match of All Time.
Chess Queens
Unfortunately, women are under-represented in chess. This means that their important contributions to the game are not as well-known as they ought to be.
Jennifer Shahade set out to fix that in her book Chess Queens. It is partly a memoir of Shahade’s own chess career as a two-time United States Women’s Champion, and partly an account of the greatest female chess players in history. Readers will learn about the lives and careers of the likes of Vera Menchik, Nona Gaprindashvili, and Judit Polgár.
Click here to check out Chess Queens.
Hopefully this list has whet your appetite for excellent chess books, beyond those which require serious study! For more:
Which Aspect Of The Game To Study?
If improving your playing strength is your goal, then you must make a choice between the enormous range of chess books which are dedicated to that.
The first step to narrowing down the options is to ask yourself: which area of your game requires the most attention? As Garry Kasparov once wrote: “The fastest way to improve overall is to work on your weak spots.”
Another way to frame the question is: “why do you lose most of your games?” If you pay attention, you should be able to notice whether it is insufficient opening preparation, a lack of middlegame understanding, or poor endgame technique that leads to most of your losses.
If you are still struggling with which aspect of chess you should prioritize, then working with a chess coach can help provide clarity.
Once you have the answer to this question clear in your mind, your search for your next chess book can continue.
Related: What You Can Do To Improve Your Chess Training
Find A Chess Book Appropriate For Your Level
It is vital to find a chess book which is right for your level of playing strength. If you are just getting started on your chess journey, then do not try to tackle a title written for more advanced chess players. On the other hand, if you are already a strong club-level player, then a beginner chess book will be too elementary for you to gain much benefit from.
A couple of quick tips when browsing the options:
- Read the book’s description about which level it is aimed at. Authors are usually very upfront about whether their book is for beginner, intermediate, or advanced players. Take note of this.
- Read the reviews from readers. Often, reviewers will mention their chess rating and how their experience of the book was. Try to find a reviewer who has a similar rating to your own who endorses the book you are considering.
Here are three of the best chess books that we think can help players at different levels improve their games. They all focus on improving chess understanding, which is invaluable when trying to reach the next level.
Beginners: Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess
This classic introductory guide to chess assumes no prior knowledge. It even takes the reader through how to set up the board, how the pieces move, and other rules of the game such as castling and checkmate. It then goes on to cover everything someone new to chess needs to know in order to play a good game!
One of the highlights of Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess is its teaching method. Readers are given positions and asked to think for themselves what they would do. Then, the book presents the answers for the student to compare with. This method ensures the information is properly absorbed by the reader. It is the perfect “all-in-one” chess book for beginners.
Click here to check out Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess.
Intermediate: Logical Chess - Move By Move
Once you have mastered the chess fundamentals, you need to bring your thinking closer to that of a stronger player. Irving Chernev’s Logical Chess - Move By Move achieves this with a unique approach: every move is explained.
By following along as the author expounds upon what the top players are doing and why, you can start to build that way of thinking into your own play. With 33 detailed games to learn from, there are few better choices than this book for intermediate chess players.
Click here to check out Logical Chess - Move By Move.
Advanced: My System
Aron Nimzowitsch’s My System is widely regarded as one of the best chess books of all time. First published in the 1920’s, it is still relevant today.
The book provides comprehensive coverage of concepts that every strong chess player should know, including:
- Prophylaxis
- Pawn structures
- Elements of endgame strategy
Additionally, the text is extremely readable. Nimzowitsch infused his work with a level of humor and emotion rarely found in instructional chess books. It all adds up to being an essential addition to every serious chess player’s library!
Click here to check out My System.
Summary: How To Find The Perfect Chess Book For You
This article has laid out a step-by-step process for discovering your next chess book.
- Decide on your goal. Do you want to learn more about chess history and culture, or is serious chess improvement your main priority?
- If you want to improve, identify what you need to prioritize. There are different books dedicated to different aspects of the game: chess openings, middlegames, and endgames. The busy chess improver should focus on just one at a time.
- Find a book that matches your current playing strength. Your new chess book should challenge you, but should not be so far beyond your level that it is too difficult to understand. Finding the right balance is key.
Good luck with your search! Click here to browse our full range of chess books.