If you are playing chess for the last few years and now if you think it is time to become an advanced chess player then this article is for you. In general, you will get hundreds of books for beginner players but there are only a few high-quality written chess books for advanced players. 

The Secret sauce to becoming a great chess player is how much chess practice you are doing every day. The chess game is more related to hard work. If you put in a lot of effort then you will get results. 

In this article, I am going to recommend you 12 chess books that will help you to become an advanced chess player. Beginners and intermediate players can purchase these books but if you are a 1600 chess player then you will get a lot of understanding and benefits from these books.

In this article, you will find most of the books related to puzzles and problem solving because I think if you want to improve your chess strength quickly then you have to solve a lot and lots of puzzles. 

I will also recommend that you should not purchase the Kindle version of any chess book, because chess books consist of a lot of chess positions and Kindle is not suitable for that type. That’s why it is always better to get a hard copy or a soft copy. 

5 Basic tips to study chess books

  1. Don’t study chess books under pressure. Study chess books to get knowledge.
  2. Start with the chapter you like most.
  3. Don’t try to finish the book, instead study the book carefully. 
  4. Chessable is a very interactive way to study chess. 
  5. If you get bored by reading books, take a break or play some games.

12 chess books for Advanced players

1001 Chess Exercises for Advanced Club Players by Frank Erwich

Amazing book from series 1001 chess exercises by Frank Erwich. If your rating is between 1600-2000 then I will highly recommend you to finish this book first. The author comes with a completely new approach towards the middlegame. You will also learn themes that are related to Defence. The author starts every chapter with explanations and examples followed by puzzles. 

The Shereshevsky Method to Improve in Chess by Mikhail Shereshevsky

In this book, Mikhail Shereshevsky Explained how you can build your opening repertoire, How to work on chess classics, and how to play endgame more efficiently. Mikhail Shereshevsky is one of the most famous author in the world. He has already written classic books like endgame strategy. Studying this book properly will improve your overall understanding and you will also understand the exact method for chess improvement. 

How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman

Author Jeremy Silman is very famous due to his endgame book. He also contributed many books. Reassess your chess teaches you how to make a good plan. It will also help you to change your overall chess strategies. you will also understand your positional mistakes and how to play practical chess. If you see reviews on Amazon then some people suggested this book is not that great but I found it very good. So, before purchasing you can read all reviews and decide whether to buy it or not. 

Grandmaster Preparation – Positional Play by Jacob Aagaard

Grandmaster preparation is one of the finest series written by Grandmaster Jacob Aagaard. This whole series is mainly recommended for master-level players and above. But few books like positional play and strategic play can be learned by advanced chess players. I would recommend you this book if your rating is above 1800. Most probably many players will find puzzles too hard because they are hard but you can try to solve these puzzles and you can learn a lot from that process only. 

Endgame Strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky

A classic book by classic chess player Mikhail Shereshevsky. This is a complete package to learn complex endgames and overall endgame understanding. This guide to endgame play is essential to work for every aspiring player. Using classic examples from grandmaster practice, together with modern illusions. Mikhail is a highly experienced trainer and strongest chess player from Byelorussia. 

How to Study Chess on Your Own by Davorin Kuljasevic

As the name tells, this book explains how to study on your own. After reading this book, you will understand how to start self-study, which books to study, how to prepare opening repertoire, how to do effective smart study. This book is a 90% reading book. GM Davorin Kuljasevic explained practical ways to study chess on your own. This book is recommended for everyone who doesn’t have a coach. 

Beyond Material by Davorin Kuljasevic

2nd book by Davorin in this list. Beyond material book is all about ignoring the face value of your pieces and discovering the importance of time, space, and psychology in chess. In chess, the advantage of material plays a big role but sometimes you have to sacrifice or ignore material to gain an advantage. When I purchased this book, I got amazed by seeing 1st puzzle only. I like the 6th chapter, particularly in which he explains how to be not greedy in chess. Highly recommended book for players above 1600.

The Woodpecker Method by Axel Smith

Woodpecker Method is a way to gain your tactical ability to the next level. The main point of the author is to solve maximum tactics every day. In this book, there are 1129 positions which are divided into 3 categories. Try to solve these positions with absolute perfection. After solving this book, you will learn various new tactical themes and patterns which will help you to improve your chess strength.

Invisible Chess Moves: Discover Your Blind Spots and Stop Overlooking Simple Wins by Yochanan Afek

Yochanan Afek collected some of the brilliant puzzles and put them in this book. Invisible chess puzzles is one of the most fascinating chess books I have ever seen. This book mainly focuses on hard-to-see moves. I would highly recommend this book for people who are 2000 above. Below 2000 rated chess players can work on this book but are probably not able to solve puzzles efficiently. 

Mastering Chess Middlegames by Alexander Panchenko

Russian grandmaster Alexander Panchenko published this masterpiece with New in Chess. The book contains a collection of inspiring lessons on the most important middlegame topics: attack, defense, counterplay, realizing the advantage, obstructing the plans of your opponent, the battle of the heavy pieces, and much more. After every chapter, Panchenko gives positions for practice and positions to play which I like most.

Vishy Anand: World Chess Champion by Vishy Anand and John Nunn

Written by a former world champion himself, this book is a real gem. Vishy, who comes from a small town in South India, becomes World Champion with very limited resources. Because of him, we are watching Indian chess touching new high every year. In this book, John Nunn along with Vishy Anand explained many of his classical games. The New edition also features biographical information and a career record. You can purchase this book if you want to enjoy the highest quality of games analyzed by none other than 5 times the World Chess Champion.

Think Like a Grandmaster

This is a training manual in which Alexander Kotov explains how grandmasters think, how they behave, and how you can learn from them. Kotov also explains problems like how to study chess, how to prepare an opening tree. This book gives an overall perception of chess improvement.

This book is a must-read for all club players and above. Particularly for this book, you can purchase the kindle version because most of the part is about reading. 

FAQ’s

What ELO is an advanced chess player?

There is no proper definition of an advanced chess player. It is more based on individual perspectives. Many academies count 1200 players as an advanced chess players. If you ask me then I will say it’s above 1600 to 2100. Rating is just a measurement to decide this term. You should not be confused between the actual rating and your strength.

Is 1600 a good chess com rating?

1600 is a very good rating on chess.com if you are not a serious chess player. If you are a serious chess player or playing chess for the last few years then 1600 is not that good rating. Chess.com‘s rating level is weak than the FIDE rating. If you want to improve your chess strength, then I will suggest you solve lots of chess tactics and analyze your games. Hiring a coach will make it easier for you. 

What books did Magnus read?

Magnus is the world champion for the last 6 years and we cannot imagine how much time he spends on chess practice. He has studied almost all bestselling chess books. Few books which he must have looked at included Garry Kasparov books, Jacob Aagaard books, Quality chess publication books, New in Chess magazines and yearbooks, and of course few chess courses from chessbase and chessable

Are chess books useful?

Studying chess books will help you to become a better chess player. If you are playing chess as a hobby then you should read autobiography or story chess books. If you are a serious chess player then you can read the following articles and decide which chess books are suitable for you. 

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