Chess Books: 10 of the Best for Advanced Players
If you are a rapidly improving or experienced player, chess books are a great way to expand your knowledge and skills. As an advanced player, studying chess is about taking your understanding to the next level through exploring specific aspects of the game.
Creating a training and study regimen based on your unique playing style and strategy is key to advancing your rating. This often means reading books on specific openings and endgames as well as understanding calculation, strategy, and pawn structure.
In this article, we will look at some of the best chess books that are likely to be useful to every advanced player. This includes manuals for reference on a wide variety of opening and endgame theory, books on pawn structure, calculation, and creative thinking, and works by some of the greatest chess minds of the last 100 years.
Advanced Chess Books Written By All-Time Greats
One of the best things about discovering chess books is getting to hear directly from some of the best players of all time. Here are two very different books from world champions Bobby Fischer and Garry Kasparov.
1. My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer
Unlike Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, considered a beginner's book, My 60 Memorable Games takes an in-depth look at classic chess matches best suited to proficient players. Fischer, the world champion and arguably the best player of all time, chronicles his games against some of the most famous names in 20th-century chess.
The book is characteristic of Fischer, with a deep analysis of each game. The insights of this unique and talented player make My 60 Memorable Games an essential reading for an advanced chess player.
2. Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors Series by Garry Kasparov
In this classic of chess literature, world champion Garry Kasparov analyzes the games of some of the great chess figures that came before him in five volumes. My Great Predecessors is an advanced chess book with annotated games from some of history’s greatest grandmasters including Alexander Alekhine, Mikhail Botvinnik, and Mikhail Tal.
While the book covers some high-level chess in-depth, it is great for players interested in the history of chess more broadly. Kasparov delves into some of the fascinating political and historical commentary on the players and games. The holistic nature of this book makes it a fascinating read, but not the best choice for someone solely interested in chess improvement.
Advanced Chess Manuals
Understanding chess theory is a key part of study for an advanced player. These chess books cover openings, endgames, and pawn structures in detail. Of course, there are many more excellent manuals that I couldn't include here, but these are some of the best comprehensive chess books on their subject.
3. Modern Chess Openings by Nick De Firmian
For a comprehensive single-volume openings book, Modern Chess Openings is an excellent choice. While advanced players may want to study their own openings in most detail, a cursory understanding of most openings is key to progress in chess. Of course, this is a serious and time-consuming undertaking. However, with a manual like Nick De Firmian’s, you can pick and choose and gradually expand your knowledge.
The openings are introduced thoroughly with the principles and history briefly explained before delving into variations and example games. The book takes some serious study but is an excellent long-term companion for a strong player.
4. Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual by Mark Dvoretsky
There are plenty of great endgame books out there, but Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual is an excellent choice for advanced players. Dvoretsky, a well-known chess coach, provides a comprehensive look at endgame theory. The book is also not dry or boring. By intermixing the theoretical content with practical problems, puzzles, and examples from famous games it manages to remain engaging, as well as instructive.
That said, this is certainly an advanced book. It comprehensively explores different types of endgames like Rook vs Knight and Rook vs Bishop and not only gives you positions but explains their strengths and vulnerabilities. This is accompanied by challenging exercises. As such, it requires focus and extended study.
5. The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl
Studying pawn structures can seem like one of the more tiresome areas of chess training. However, this doesn’t need to be the case with works like The Power of Pawns. The book comprehensively describes pawn structures, allowing you to see how pawn moves will shape the rest of the game. By evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of your pawn structure, you can strategize how to improve your position and develop your game plan. The tips, advice, and examples in this work make it one of the best to develop your game through understanding the power of pawns.
While this book is recommended for post-beginners and would be manageable for intermediate players, it is a strong work with some deep ideas that would be useful to even high-level players.
Instructional Chess Books
Many chess books focus on improvement. I've selected several books that are not as comprehensive as manuals, but nevertheless give you the tools you need to advance as a player. If you are looking to increase your rating, these books are especially designed to help you become a better player.
6. Excelling at Technical Chess by Jacob Aagaard
Excelling at Technical Chess covers an area many advanced players aim to master: converting a small advantage into a win. Part of a three-book series, this work on technical chess focuses on endgame concepts, identifying small weaknesses, preventing counterplay, and other key concepts. The final chapter outlines advanced endgame concepts. Many of these exemplify how a minor imbalance or weakness can be converted in the endgame.
Overall, this book is wonderfully practical. With exercises and clear explanations, it shows you how to identify critical moments in the game and how to exploit them. For an advanced or upper intermediate player, this book can help you improve your "technique" and clear calculation.
7. The Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic
The Art of Attack in Chess is an exceptionally focused and detailed book perfect for an attacking chess player. Vladimir Vukovic provides an in-depth exploration of how to attack a castled king. For those challenging midgames where you cannot see how to make headway, this shows you ways to create threats. A strong theoretical grounding in attack can make you a formidable player at every stage of the game.
The book is single-minded in its approach to only one aspect of chess. This is one of the reasons it is better suited to advanced players. It is not the right book for those seeking broader ways to improve in all aspects of the game. However, for advanced attacking players it gives you a deep and clear understanding of how to threaten a castled king.
8. Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics by Ger van Perlo
For another book on endgames, Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics is an entertaining alternative to a more dense endgame manual. This book takes positions from real games to demonstrate how to carry out endgame principles through tactics. It includes a wide variety of endgame scenarios but ensures that the majority are familiar positions you are likely to encounter.
While much of the book will be accessible to intermediate players, many of the positions and subtleties of the writer are better suited to advanced players. Some of the rarer endgames and less familiar concepts may also be more useful to a higher-rated player. Overall, with sections like “Stalemate Tricks,” “Mating Attacks,” and “Queen Sacrifices,” this is an enjoyable and instructive read.
New Perspectives in Chess
These are also instructional works but offer unique or specific approaches to the game. It is a great option for readers who want to find new and interesting ways to understand chess.
9. Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov
Think Like a Grandmaster is an instructional chess book but unlike many others, it attempts to explain how to think during a chess match. Controversially, Kotov approaches chess as instruction by explaining the mental process of how to calculate, avoid blunders, and recognize patterns. While it may sound overly cerebral, the book is very grounded in practical exercises and annotated games.
This book is unique and fascinating, especially for someone looking to develop a new way of thinking about chess. Through concepts like the “Tree of Analysis” and “Creeping Moves,” Kotov illuminates complex chess concepts in a way that is surprisingly easy to understand.
10. Imagination in Chess: How To Think Creatively And Avoid Foolish Mistakes by Paata Gaprindashvili
Imagination in Chess is another option that helps you to expand the way you think about chess. Paata Gaprindashvili’s book is full of exercises, blended with practical explanations of how to evaluate and calculate deeply.
Naturally, the book’s focus on creative thinking while avoiding errors makes it a challenge for beginner chess players. For advanced players, though, it allows you to think more deeply about the game and search for new ideas. This deep thinking helps you to move away from only memorizing positions and making lazy moves. Instead, it helps you to explore the possibilities available in every position.
Conclusion: Study Chess Like a Pro
Historically, chess players relied solely on books to study past games, learn theory, and expand their knowledge of the game. Today, we have online articles, videos, and live tournament feeds. Nevertheless, the depth and insight offered by chess books remains unmatched.
To study like a pro and advance as a chess player, consider picking one of the books we've looked at today.