Maybe youâve been playing chess for fun for quite some time, and now youâre ready to take it seriously. Perhaps you want to join a chess club or participate in a tournament. Whatever the case may be, youâve realized that itâs time to further your skill because youâre simply not good enough yet. The basics arenât getting it done anymore, and youâre now ready for advanced chess strategies.
Itâs time that you deeply immerse yourself in the secrets of chess and learn the strategies Grand Masters use to crush the competition!
Below, weâve listed the best chess strategy books to level up your game and finally become the great player youâve always imagined yourself being.
Our Top Picks For The Best Chess Strategy Books In 2024
The Chess Playerâs Bible
Coming first on our list, The Chess Player Bible, is a great introductory chess book for beginners to learn critical techniques and traditional chess moves. Itâs an updated and revised version that includes basic and advanced strategies, sacrifices, pawn structures, and illustrations. There are over 300 examples of defensive and attacking approaches, in both the beginning, mid and late-game.
In this updated version, it includes master challenges at the end of the chapter for practical advice on how to hone your skill further. It also has a Game Analysis section for past games played by some of the greatest chess players of our time, which will help you understand the game from their reference point so that you can emulate their decision making. There is also a how-to win reference summary, showing you the exact steps to take in order to defeat your opponents.
If youâve only understood the basics of chess, this will undoubtedly help you master the game. Itâll teach you the necessary tactics and strategies, that even the most advanced players can learn from and study. The text in the book is kept to a minimum, showing you what matters the most. The simplicity keeps you from feeling overwhelmed, so youâll have an easy time taking in the information.
The book is relatively small and compact, and can fit nicely on a bookshelf in your chess club, and school. Itâs an essential book that can be given to anyone of all ages, no matter their level of chess skills. The best part, it attracts you towards understanding chess algebra and dialect rather than putting you off. Each page consists of an interesting idea or concept, enabling you to understand the higher-levels of chess. The binding also allows you to place it next to a chessboard, so that you can reference the style of play and go back to critical illustrations when you need them.
The Chess Playerâs Bible: Illustrated Strategies for Staying Ahead of the Game
Chess Strategy For Club Players
Are you a low-rated club player that wants to advance in the ranks but have a hard time doing so? With Chess Strategy For Club Players, you can get a deeper understanding of chess with a complete crash-course on how to identify critical aspects of chess positioning and choosing the right strategy to execute. Youâll learn the basics of chess, without the jargon, such as positioning, weaknesses, area advantage, and lead in development.
International chess master Herman Grootan wrote the book to help amateur players accelerate their chess skills. The strategies are based on a concept called âElementsâ by Wilhelm Steinitz, but Herman expanded upon his work with more modern chess concepts and strategies. Herman explains, at any given position, what to look for and what to do when facing an opponent. These principles act as a primer for beginners, compiled with instructive exercises and approaches. The new edition adds a chapter called âTotal Controlâ with entirely new practices as well.
We consider this book a must-have for anyone looking to improve their skills. When reading, it will feel as if Herman himself is coaching you; the instructions are eloquent and straightforward, which helps you understand advanced concepts. The book focuses on illustrations of game fragments, giving you a systematic breakdown of your opponentâs plans and what your reaction to those plans should be. We highly recommend this book if youâre looking to understand the basics of chess and become a better player.
Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage (New in Chess)
Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead
Winning a game of chess can be an exciting achievement to have, especially when youâre up against a more dominant player. But, if you lack the knowledge, winning any game of chess can be quite difficult. In this book, youâll be given the strategic advantages needed to beat aggressive or high-level players. In addition to that, youâre being taught by an author, Irving Chernev, who crowned world-class champions.
In the book, youâre getting straightforward instructions with short and concise sentences, helping you grasp complex ideas and concepts. Irvine explains each move and why it was made, as well as a thorough explanation of the board position. The left of the page illustrates the chess positions, while the right of the page is a diagram of the chessboard after the move and the opponentâs decision. This makes it an effective teaching method, so you can visually follow the lessons without being stuck or confused.
The quality of the book is exceptional, published originally in 1948, the book comes in excellent condition and still has valuable information for players of all ages and skill-levels. Itâs a tactical primer, containing countless examples of classical chess philosophy, as well as basic strategic motifs such as overworked pieces, the double attack, discovered attack, skewers, and the N-Fork.
Winning Chess: How To See Three Moves Ahead
Chess For Beginners
Chess For Beginners is the perfect book for anyone looking to learn the overall basics of chess. Learning how to play can be very intimidating, especially if itâs your first time. With this book, you get a quick-starter guide on how to learn the game of chess and beat even the strongest players. It has over 40 different strategies and tactics to help you control the board, outsmart your opponent, and achieve a checkmate.
The author does an absolutely incredible job of making chess easy to learn and play. The writing style is down-to-earth and simple, while still going into depth on the different strategies of chess, such as opening, positioning, and moves.
And if youâre having trouble remembering chess rules, youâre in luck! It has side- by-side illustrations and a brief explanation of each bit of terminology. So, youâll be able to learn how to use a fork, get rid of unwanted threats, and improve your overall knowledge (or refresh your memory).
Chess for Beginners: Know the Rules, Choose Your Strategy, and Start Winning
Endgame Strategy
Endgame Strategy is a masterful guide to give any player the essential training needed to succeed. The author, Mikhail Shereshevsky, gives you classic examples and modern illustrations of Grandmaster practice with detailed instructions of the endgame. Learn basic principles such as suppressing counterplay, king centralization, and the role of the pawn. Youâll understand your own weakness, as well as your opponents. By the end of your read, youâll understand why the endgame is so critical to chess.
Shereshevsky is a lesser-known chess master who was competing when he was only 16 years old. He may not be as famous as Bobby Fisher, but heâs a legend of the endgame who thoroughly analyzed his pupils and past competition. This book contains years of knowledge and strategy, which is essential to any player, at any given skill level. World Champion, Magnus Carlsen rated the book highly, 30+ years after it was published.
The book focuses primarily on forming a proper plan, with concrete analysis for execution. For example, itâll give demonstrations of actual games that are effective enough for you to understand and master. Unlike other chess books, it doesnât delve into too much theory that you may never even encounter on the board anyway.
The chapters are about schematic thinking; for example, it shows you how important it is to choose pieces to exchange or classically isolating a pawn. Itâs all about having a superior strategy than your competitor. If youâre an intermediate or advanced player (who is even ranked), it will introduce a number of new (or refreshing) insights into the endgame strategy and is worthy of your time.
Endgame Strategy (Everyman Chess)
Applying Logic In Chess
Chess is no doubt a logical game, but most players have a hard time grasping the depth of logic it takes to succeed in the game of chess. This book goes into the grittier details and eliminates the mystery while giving you whatâs necessary to win at high-levels.
Itâll help you go deeper into understanding chess in an utterly unique way, which can significantly improve your awareness of the game and teach you strategies on how to tackle difficult opponents. Erik Kislik solves these problems head-on, with a thought-provoking book that will certainly demystify modern-nuance about chess. Even if you donât have immense goals to achieve in chess, this is still worth a thorough read.
The Complete Book Of Chess Strategy
The Complete Book of Chess Strategy is more than a comprehensive guide to the game as it will give you all the concepts and theories needed for both the beginning and endgame strategy.
Jeremy Silman will teach you not just the memorization techniques for chess rules and famous plays, but how the pieces move and give you the depth of techniques and tactics needed for high-level play. Since itâs also in dictionary form, you can easily catch up on all aspects of chess that are listed alphabetically to absorb the information easily.
Complete Book of Chess Strategy
United States Chess Federationâs Guide To The Rules Of Chess
This is a comprehensive rule book and guide by the US Chess Federation. Itâs used by chess players as a reference during tournaments and chess club meetings. Although itâs a rule book, it goes into considerable detail about the principles of the game and stretches far beyond being a useful reference. It has pages with illustrative diagrams, so you can understand the rules of play. Itâs not a book for learning how to play chess or get better, but to see how the rules of the game have evolved over the years from a tournament based perspective.
United States Chess Federationâs Guide To The Rules Of Chess