Chessreads @chessreads - Tumblr Blog

3 Books for improving Positional Play (by difficulty)

The Power of Pawns by Jörg Hickl (for beginners) The author illustrates broad themes through high level games, which he only sparsely annotates. The games covered in each chapter are unified by a theme, but mostly you have to work that out for yourself because Hickl appears to assume it’s so obvious that he doesn’t need to comment most of the time. Overall, Hickl presents the reader with full games where pawn structures play a critical role, but he doesn’t always spell out the key lessons or distill general principles. https://chessreads.com/review/the-power-of-pawns/

Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide by Mauricio Flores Rios (intermediate) Winning or losing most often comes down to understanding what should be done in a position. That always depends on the pawn structure. The pawn structure determines strategy, creates tactical opportunities, and is essential in creating long-term plans. Mauricio Flores Rios has created the ultimate guide to 28 most common pawn structures in chess. Each pawn structure is explained on a human level with plans for both sides, and plenty of well annotated example games, each with its own lessons neatly listed at the end of the game. https://chessreads.com/review/chess-structures-a-grandmaster-guide/ Video review: https://youtu.be/6hdK3Ozmwlo?si=v2XEgwMKDlZxNDjN

GM Mauricio Flores Rios, the author of Chess Structures, recetly began expanding on his work on specific structures, check out his masterclass on the Closed Spanish and KID: https://chessmind.ai/video-product/masterclass-ruylopez-closed/?embed=chessreads_newsletter_1

The Hidden Laws of Chess by Nick Maatman (advanced) The Hidden Laws of Chess is a book that teaches how to know what to look at and what to look for in a chess position. It goes way beyond simple concepts, and delves deep into complex problems such as evaluating a space advantage, how to make a difference when positions are symmetrical, how to find value in doubled pawns, and much more. It’s intended for strong players who are trying to make a leap to Master level, despite that, most lower rated players will have no trouble understanding what Maatman explains, which is why I believe this should be a must-read for any ambitious player, regardless of their strength. https://chessreads.com/review/the-hidden-laws-of-chess/

#ajedrez #echecs #chess

2 Opening Books that go beyond theory

The Zaitsev System by Alexey Kuzmin

Kuzmin has written one of the best, most detailed, most descriptive, and most entertaining opening books of all time. I would go as far as to put his Zaitsev System alongside my favorite opening book, Squeezing the Gambits. To put things into perspective, Kuzmin is a Russian GM, and he used to work with Karpov from 1987 to 1991. He was Karpov’s second during the matches with Kasparov. And Zaitsev, the inventor of the system, was who Karpov learned the opening from. So Kuzmin is one of the biggest experts on the opening in the world and he has first hand experience from his prep sessions with Anatoly Karpov. https://chessreads.com/review/the-zaitsev-system-book-review/

Squeezing the Gambits by Kiril Georgiev Georgiev wrote an almost perfect guide on how to deal with four very annoying openings most 1.d4 players dread facing: the Benko, the Budapest, the Albin, and the Blumenfeld. Instead of going over tens of lines that are unlikely to ever happen over the board, giving engine sidelines and weird ideas hard for humans to understand, Georgiev gives applicable strategic tools you can use even if your opponent deviates from book moves. https://chessreads.com/review/squeezing-the-gambits-the-benko-budapest-albin-and-blumenfeld/

There's an ongoing debate between chess books people and chess courses people. I think both are equally useful, depening on what you need, and how advanced your chess is. I haven't read any books on the Scandi yet, but I have been through some of John Bartholomew's excellent new Scandi course.

The Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5) has been a mainstay of renowned chess YouTuber and Chessiverse co-founder IM John Bartholomew's opening repertoire for over two decades. Now after more than 2 years and 1,000+ hours of painstakingly-researched work, John is thrilled to share his ENTIRE repertoire (yes, EVERYTHING!) with you exclusively on Chessiverse! https://chessiverse.com/l/scandi

#echecs #chess #books chess #ajedrez #schach

GM Mauricio Flores Rios, the author of Chess Structures and Chess Imbalances, launched a great chess learning platform, https://chessmind.ai/ They are currently running an easter sale and you can get 50% off their monthly or annual membership or $60 off the lifetime membership. You can also get a lot for free, even without signing up!

#books and reading #books chess #chess #echecs

#books chess #chess #ajedrez #echecs

A chess book review and an interview with Mauricio

Chess Structures has become one of the most famous and most often read chess books in recent times. Whenever I get on a call with someone from the chess world with a shelf behind them, the book is there. And there’s a great reason for that – the book is incredibly useful. As opposed to most other chess books, that either focus on a certain opening, or on themes, strategies or tactics applicable in any type of position, Chess Structures explains the most important structures one by one, providing great insight into how one should navigate them, and what one should play for depending on the structure.

Here are the three benefits of the book GM Rios has highlighted: 1. In chess you have like 20+ mini-advantages (strong square, bishop pair, open file, etc). It’s hard to know which one to prioritize. The book helps you understand what’s the advantage you’re supposed to pursue in a given position, based on the pawn structure. 2. I spent like 50% of the overall writing time just searching for the most attractive games. The reason is that, as a reader, I was always frustrated when games didn’t really convey the point they were trying to make. I think most examples in the book discuss a plan, and pretty much the whole game revolves around that plan we’re discussing. 3. I think many friends who do lessons told me they liked it because they can use it for lessons without having to worry about preparation. For me, lesson prep was always time-consuming, and in fact, the book evolved out of the lessons I used to give.

Winning or losing most often comes down to understanding what should be done in a position. That always depends on the pawn structure. The pawn structure determines strategy, creates tactical opportunities, and is essential in creating long-term plans. Continue reading: Or watch the Video Review. Try out the Structures Masterclass by GM Mauricio Flores Rios, the author of Chess Structures: King's Indian and Closed Ruy Lopez.

#echecs #chess

John and I have gone over the basics of the Scandinavian, an opening John has been playing for over 20 years. John tried to explain what the Scandi is about, why he likes it, what the upsides and downsides are, and I tried to learn as much as I could! You will notice that John is both very knowledgable and very humble, and, unlike me, he questions openings and doesn't jump to quick, often incorrect evaluations like I do. It was a great pleasure to have a player and an opening expert of his caliber teach me chess! Get John's Scandi course Use the code "SCANDI50" and get it at a 50% discount until April 5th!

#ajedrez #echecs #chess #books and reading #schach #chessboard

#chess #echecs #ajedrez #books chess #jeu dechecs #chessboard

2 Chess Books That Help Around 900 Elo

Stuck around 900 Elo?

These 2 books are often recommended for improving at this level: Silman’s Complete Endgame Course Play Winning Chess (Seirawan)

At this stage, most improvement comes from:

avoiding blunders

understanding basic endgames

following simple opening principles

Focusing on these areas alone can lead to noticeable gains in ratings.

As an additional resource, GM Mauricio Flores Rios (author of Chess Structures) has a masterclass focused on specific pawn structures (Closed Spanish & KID), which might be useful if you're starting to explore more structured play. Find it here!

#echecs #schach #chessboard #jeu dechecs #checkerboard #wood carving #ajedrez #books and reading #books chess #chess

Chess books are so hard to read.

Will reading them become easier once I improve?

Yes. As you get better at visualizing, you will not have to rely on having a board on the side for every position. You will also have a knowledge base to compare what you're reading with, and you will begin drawing your own conclusions. There is no better feeling than seeing that something you're learning is falling into place!

Serious chess study should also include openings. Here is what I use to study openings and build repertoires effortlessly!

Learn everything you need to know about reading chess books in this article on chessreads.

#echecs #schach #chessboard #jeu dechecs #checkerboard #wood carving #ajedrez #books and reading #chess #books chess

Chess Book Recommendations as a 1200 (Chess.com)

Most players rated around 1200 need to work on tactics.

And not just solving tactics, but having a strong player explain patterns and what leads up to tactical play.

I would recommend three books perfect for that: Tune Your Chess Tactics Antenna by Emmanuel Neiman Learn Chess Tactics by John Nunn and 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players by Frank Erwich

Challenge chess bots who have distinct playing styles to practice tactical, defensive, or strategic play: Play the Hunter, Aggressive and Simplifying - plays like Fischer and Kasparov https://chessiverse.com/l/hunter Play the Savage, a wild tactician who plays like Tal or Nezhmetdinov https://chessiverse.com/l/savage Play the Guardian, a defensive and simplifying style, plays like Karpov or Capablanca https://chessiverse.com/l/guardian

You can find many more book recommendations for players 1200 and above here.

#echecs #schach #chessboard #jeu dechecs #checkerboard #wood carving #ajedrez #books and reading #chess #books chess

In short, no, no single book will help you understand chess. But there are two books that come close to doing that. Both are structured in a way that will help you see how strong players think during a game. Think Like a Super-GM and Lessons with a Grandmaster.

Serious chess study should also include openings. Here is what I use to study openings and build repertoires effortlessly https://chessbook.com/chessreads

#books chess #chess #books and reading #ajedrez #echecs #schach #wood carving #jeu dechecs #chessboard #checkerboard

What Are the Best Chess Books for 1200–1400-Rated Players?

Which chess books should you read if you're rated between 1200 and 1400 and want to make rapid progress?

If you’re rated between 1200 and 1400, improving your tactical skills is the fastest way to climb the rating ladder. At this level, many games are decided by missed tactical opportunities, so focusing on pattern recognition and calculation will give you the biggest boost. Here are four chess books that I highly recommend for players in this rating range:

Turbo-Charge Your Tactics

100 Tactical Patterns You Must Know

Chess Tactics for Champions

Learn Chess Tactics

I chose four tactics books because tactics are the most common weakness among players rated 1200–1400. Each book provides a structured approach to recognizing combinations, developing calculation skills, and improving decision-making under time pressure.

Practice Beyond the Books: Chess Bots with Distinct Styles

Books are great for learning, but practicing against opponents with different styles helps you apply what you learn in real games. Here are some chess bots designed to mimic famous playing styles:

Play the Hunter – Aggressive and Simplifying, plays like Fischer and Kasparov

Play the Savage – A wild tactician, plays like Tal or Nezhmetdinov

Play the Guardian – Defensive and simplifying, plays like Karpov or Capablanca

These bots help you practice tactical, strategic, and defensive thinking, depending on what you want to improve.

More Resources

If you want more guidance for your 1200–1400 chess journey, check out this collection: Chess books and resources for 1200–1400 players

#schach #chessboard #jeu dechecs #checkerboard #wood carving #echecs #ajedrez #books and reading #chess #books chess

Chess Books That Read Like Stories – History, Lives, and Lessons from the Master

Discover chess books that go beyond puzzles and diagrams. Explore the lives, stories, and careers of legendary players like Smyslov, Spielmann, Winawer, and Bronstein. Improve your chess while enjoying captivating histories.

Why Chess Books with Stories Are Different

Most chess books focus on tactics, puzzles, and game analysis—but some stand out for their human stories and historical context. These books take you behind the scenes of chess tournaments, World Championship matches, and the personal journeys of legendary players. Reading them is not only enjoyable but also inspiring for your own chess growth.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

Chessreads