Recommended resources
These are my recommended resources (books, courses, etc.) that have helped me improve my chess, and will help you improve yours!
*Ratings are based on USCF Regular (Classical) ratings. If you prefer to use a different rating system (FIDE, chess.com, lichess, etc.), use this rating converter to convert your rating to USCF.
Openings
Winning Chess Openings by Yasser Seirawan (0-1200)
The first opening book I ever read…it goes over the fundamentals and gives an overview of the most important opening variations.
Starting Out Series by Everyman Chess (1200-1800)
If you want to get started on a specific opening, this series of books is the first place to start, but only if you really mastered opening principles. Each book talks about all of the variations, strategies, and nuances of a certain opening by showing model games, which is so important in order to learn an opening as you can see ideas in action.
Move by Move Series by Everyman Chess (1400-2000)
This series builds upon the Starting Out books, as it goes more in-depth with certain variations, covers more lines, and showcases modern theory with more current examples. This makes this series a great start for building a complete repertoire.
Keep it Simple - 1.e4 2.0 by Christof Sielecki (Chessable Course) (1600+)
Sielecki centers his repertoire around the Ruy Lopez, Bb5 Sicilians and Delayed Alapin, French Tarrasch, and Exchange Caro-Kann. He focuses on simple plans that try exploit simple factors like a better pawn structure, more space, quicker development, and strong squares. I’ve used his Anti-Berlin lines in a tournament to defeat a 2100 USCF-rated player in 22 moves!
Break the Rules: Play the Trompowsky! by Kamil Plichta (Chessable Course) (1800+)
I never realized the magic of the trompowsky until I got this course! This repertoire me one of my finest attacking games in tournament, a win versus a National Master in 28 moves! However, this is not an easy opening to learn, so I believe players that are at least Class A-level will be able to grasp the lines given in the course.
Lifetime Repertoires: King's Indian Defense by Gawain Jones (2 Parts, Chessable Course) (2000+)
One of my favorite Chessable courses ever made, and by far the gold standard for theoretical works on the King’s Indian. This is for players who already have years of experience in the King’s Indian, as no fundamentals are explained within the first 5-10 moves of each line. It is also available as a 2-volume print book by Quality Chess.
Modern Chess Opening Databases (Modern Chess Courses) (1800+)
One of the trendiest opening course sites, Modern Chess provides opening courses in the form of downloadable PGN files and videos, making it as easy as possible to learn and opening and navigate through the material. They usually have year-round seasonal sales with upwards of 70% off all their courses, making them extremely affordable. I’d say look around their catalog, and see which one you’d like most!
Tactics
Everyone’s First Chess Workbook by Peter Giannatos (0-1300)
As the name suggests, this is the first chess tactics book that you should work through, from finding free pieces and basic defense, to more complex motifs and multi-move mating patterns. My students that have worked through this book have increased their rating by around 400 points!
Winning Chess Exercises for Kids by Jeff Coakley (600-1600)
Don’t be fooled by the name: this book is great for kids due to the illustrations and kid-friendly nature of the book, but it will challenge all ages up to 1600! Every page has 9 puzzles, divided equally into 3 themes: Mate, Material, and Best Move. The solutions take into account not just the right answer, but also possible good and bad alternatives for the winning side. This teaches players to see that there can be more than one right move, and why a single wrong move can turn things upside down!
1001 Winning Chess Sacrifices and Combinations by Fred Reinfeld (1200-2200)
A tactics book that taught me to find those insane sacrifices that only the best players in the world could see. This is a book that can challenge anyone, even up to master level.
The Woodpecker Method by Axel Smith & Hans Tikkanen (1700+)
A modern classic, based on a novel training method of repeating the same puzzles over a prolonged period of time to strengthen killer instincts and pattern recognition. Definitely for players who mastered the fundamental themes, but want to take their abilities—and training method—to the next level.
Grandmaster Preparation: Calculation by Jacob Aagaard (2000+)
A book on training calculation based on different calculation methods. As the title suggests, this is the book to get if you want to develop the calculation abilities of a Grandmaster.
Strategy/Middlegames
Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev (0-1500)
If you have NEVER studied chess before, or just learned the rules and the fundamentals, this should be the FIRST book you read to understand how chess games are won. This is the first chess book I read cover-to-cover.
The Most Instructive Game of Chess Ever Played by Irving Chernev (1200-1600)
This builds upon Logical Chess, showcasing an array of intermediate to advanced tactical, positional, and endgame concepts used to win games throughout chess history.
The Amateur’s Mind by Jeremy Silman (1200-1800)
Have you ever wondered what the typical mistakes in chess are at the sub-2000 level and how to fix them? This book teaches you exactly that, showcasing flaws in board vision, thinking patterns, and assessments of positions, and how an IM approaches them.
Simple Chess by Michael Stean (1500+)
A very short read, but an exceptional primer to chess strategy and positional concepts like pawn structure, outposts, and the concept of space.
How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman (1500-2200)
If you’re struggling to come up with a plan in your chess games and want to understand positions at a significantly deeper level, this is the book for you. This is a manual in chess strategy that is sufficient up to master level.
Karpov’s Strategic Wins Volumes 1 & 2 by Tibor Karolyi (1700+)
My biggest weaknesses in my chess were positional understanding, maintaining control in my games, and being patient when winning. Anatoly Karpov was the master of all three of the qualities—and more—and going through his career and games in these two books helped me fix those weaknesses and revitalized my abilities.
My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer (1700+)
Bobby Fischer had a unique and revolutionary approach to understanding chess, one that resonates with me, and his book is a goldmine of his wisdom through many of his annotated games.
Techniques of Positional Play by Valeri Bronznik & Anatoli Terekhin (1800+)
A book that shows a vast array of strategical patterns to look out for in your own games.
Mastering Chess Strategy by Johann Hellsten (1800+)
If you understood How to Reassess Your Chess or Simple Chess and want to take your strategical understanding to the next level, Hellsten’s book will take you to a whole new level of understanding.
ENDgames
Silman’s Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master by Jeremy Silman (0-2400)
This should be the FIRST endgame book you read, from learning the basic checkmates to theoretical endings necessary to last you into the upper echelons of chess.
Capablanca's Best Chess Endings by Irving Chernev (1000-1800)
Jose Raul Capablanca is regarded as the greatest endgame player of all time. Chernev’s book is a masterclass on endgame strategy, along with an inside into the genius of Capablanca’s endgame understanding.
100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesus de la Villa (1600-2400)
Not every theoretical endgame will occur in practice, but if you only needed to know the most important ones that show up, de la Villa’s book explains each one. His book also taught me how to checkmate with king, bishop, and knight against a lone king.
Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky (1800+)
I hated studying endgames for a long time, I always thought they were boring and not dedicating time to them really held me back. Reading this book changed my perspective on it, and showed me the magic of endgames, along with understanding advanced endgame strategies—like the “Principle of Two Weaknesses.” This book saved a crucial part of my game. **Note: make sure to get the first edition with a white and red cover, and NOT the revised edition with a green cover.
Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso by Vassily Smyslov (1700+)
Vasily Smyslov was another world champion endgame connoisseur, who’s career is filled with masterclasses on the third phase of the game. Each chapter is dedicated to technical endings with different piece combinations.
Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual by Mark Dvoretsky (2200+)
It’s no secret that this is the ultimate publication of endgame books. If you’re a titled player or someone with ambitions of making to this level and beyond, and want to know everything it takes to take your endgame knowledge to the limit, then this is the book to buy. Not for the faint-hearted!