Chess books
The classics that still teach best.
Apps teach tactics quickly, but books still teach understanding best. These are the titles stronger players keep recommending, one generation after another. Read with a board beside you and play through every move.
- Picks
- 19
- Typical price
- $15 to $40
- Prices checked
- November 2026
All chess books
19 products
First stepsBobby Fischer Teaches ChessBobby Fischer, Stuart Margulies and Donn MosenfelderA programmed course of hundreds of one-step questions that trains you to spot checkmates, especially on the back rank.Under $25Under $50
For kidsChess for ChildrenMurray Chandler and Helen MilliganA colourful, friendly introduction written for young children, with cartoon diagrams and short chapters.Under $25Under $50
First stepsPlay Winning ChessYasser Seirawan and Jeremy SilmanA grandmaster’s friendly first course: the basic principles of force, time, space and pawn structure, explained with stories.Under $25Under $50- Puzzles1001 Chess Exercises for BeginnersFranco Masetti and Roberto MessaA thousand short tactics puzzles grouped by theme, from forks to mates, with a little teaching before each set.Under $25Under $50
The first book to readAnnotated gamesLogical Chess: Move by MoveIrving ChernevThirty-three master games with every single move explained in plain words. Many club players say this is the book that made chess click.Under $25Under $50
PrinciplesChess FundamentalsJosé Raúl CapablancaA world champion’s short course in how chess works, starting from simple endings and building up to strategy.Under $25Under $50
EndgamesSilman’s Complete Endgame CourseJeremy SilmanAn endgame book organised by rating, so you learn exactly the endings you need now and save the rest for later.$25 to $40$50 to $150
ThinkingThe Amateur’s MindJeremy SilmanReal students talk through their moves, and Silman shows where their thinking goes wrong and how to fix it.$25 to $40$50 to $150
PuzzlesChess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and GamesLászló PolgárThe huge puzzle book from the father who trained the Polgár sisters. Thousands of positions, mostly mates in one, two and three.$25 to $40$50 to $150
StrategyHow to Reassess Your ChessJeremy SilmanThe book that taught a generation to find plans by reading a position’s imbalances: bishops against knights, space, structure, development.$25 to $40$50 to $150
StrategyMy SystemAron NimzowitschThe book that named the ideas of positional chess: open files, outposts, prophylaxis, blockade and overprotection.Under $25Under $50
StrategyChess Structures: A Grandmaster GuideMauricio Flores RiosTwenty-eight pawn structures, each with model games, showing the plans that belong to each one.$25 to $40$50 to $150
Endgames100 Endgames You Must KnowJesús de la VillaThe hundred endgame positions that come up again and again, with tests to check that you really know them.$25 to $40$50 to $150
TacticsThe Woodpecker MethodAxel Smith and Hans TikkanenMore than a thousand tactics puzzles and a training plan: solve the set, then solve it again faster until the patterns are automatic.$25 to $40$50 to $150
Annotated gamesMy 60 Memorable GamesBobby FischerFischer’s own notes to sixty of his games, honest about his losses. One of the most admired games collections ever written.Under $25Under $50
Annotated gamesZurich International Chess Tournament 1953David BronsteinBronstein’s account of the great Candidates tournament, explaining the ideas behind every one of its 210 games.$25 to $40$50 to $150
CalculationThink Like a GrandmasterAlexander KotovThe book that introduced candidate moves and the tree of analysis: a method for calculating without going in circles.Under $25Under $50
EndgamesDvoretsky’s Endgame ManualMark DvoretskyThe standard reference on endgame theory by the most famous trainer of his era, with the essential positions printed in blue.$25 to $40$50 to $150
NovelThe Queen’s GambitWalter TevisThe novel about orphan prodigy Beth Harmon that became the 2020 Netflix series, and still the best novel about what chess feels like.Under $25Under $50
At a glance
Side by side.
The quick version of everything above. Select a name for the full details.
Questions
Asked often.
What is the best chess book for beginners?
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess for the basics of checkmate, then Logical Chess: Move by Move, which explains every move of 33 master games in plain language. For children, Chess for Children is the friendliest start.
Are chess books still useful with engines and apps?
Yes. Engines tell you the best move; good books teach you how to find it yourself. Read a game, then check the critical moments on an analysis board.
Chosen because players widely use and recommend them, not because a maker paid to be listed. We don’t earn commissions from these links. Prices are what the linked store charged in November 2026, in US dollars. About this guide