When a chess player crosses a certain level then he or she is always in doubt about what to study next. In most cases, chess players choose the wrong path to study chess books. Either they choose a very difficult chess book or a very easy one. Studying the right Chess books is an art. In this article, we are going to see the 15 best chess books for intermediate players.
You will find many books in this list are related to chess games. It is very important to study famous Chess games if you want to improve your strength. Also, I haven’t included any endgame books because I have already written an article on endgame books. All endgame books mentioned in that article are evergreen and suitable to everyone.
I will recommend that you should not purchase the Kindle version of any chess book, because in Chess Book there are 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.
15 Best Chess Books for Intermediate Players
1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players by Frank Erwich
This is a complete chess puzzle book targeted at intermediate players/ club players. In this book, you will get 1001 puzzles with answers. This book is perfect for those who love solving puzzles. I would like to recommend this book to everyone who is below the 1500 rating. Every chapter in this book starts with easy puzzles and gradually increases to difficult puzzles. This book can change your way of thinking towards the middle game.
Winning Chess series by Yasser Seirawan
Winning chess is a seven-book series that is perfect for intermediate players. In these 7 books, GM Yasser covered everything related to chess. This series also become one of the bestselling series. I remember when I was young, some Indian publications took a right to produce the same book in India, and at that time they were offering this book for less than $5. Following are 7 books in this series. These books are also available on Chessable.
- Play Winning Chess
- Winning Chess Tactics
- Winning Chess Strategies
- Winning Chess Brilliancies
- Winning Chess Openings
- Winning Chess Endings
- Winning Chess Combinations
5334 Problems, Combinations and Games by László Polgár and Bruce Pandolfini
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Shop NowLászló Polgár Is is a father of none other than world champion Judit Polgar. László Polgár is also a very strong chess player and famous author. This book is filled with chess puzzles. Most of the puzzles in this book are recommended for intermediate players. It will be your one-stop solution for chess puzzles and chess tactics if you are a club player or intermediate player. Highly recommended book for the transition from beginners to intermediate players.
Logical Chess: Move By Move by Irving Chernev
In this book, Irving Chernev explains the 33 best chess games in detail. With 33 detailed games, you will understand different openings, different types of positions, how to handle endgame properly, how to convert the advantage into winning positions, and also you will understand how chess Masters think. Sometimes the ideas are repetitive but overall the book is perfect for intermediate players and beginner players.
Irving Chernev is a very famous chess author who has written many chess books and most of his chess books are very famous. I like his selection of games, openings, and puzzles.
Chess Strategy for Club Players: The Road to Positional Advantage by Herman Grooten
As this book says, you will learn positional chess and how to convert positional chess into a winning advantage. You will also understand the basics of how to make chess plans. Positional play is a very important factor in chess games and many intermediate players regret not studying positional chess in their early careers. This book is recommended for intermediate and above players.
Herman Grooten is an international master from the Netherlands. He is also teaching chess for the last 35 years. He trained some of the best chess players including GM Loek Van Wely, GM Benjamin Bok, GM Robin Swinkels.
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Shop NowHow to Study Chess on Your Own by Davorin Kuljasevic
Many players study chess without any coach. If you don’t have a chess coach then it is always difficult to get a proper Path. Many of them do random things and it doesn’t improve their chess strength. Grandmaster Davorin Kuljasevic Understood this problem and wrote this amazing book called how to study chess on your own. Obviously, within no time this book becomes a bestseller. Although this is not an exercise book, it is full of instructive examples looked at from unusual angles. The puzzles mentioned there are targeted at 1800+ players but it is advisable to read the entire book.
Amateur to IM: Proven Ideas and Training Methods by Jonathan Hawkins
Every amateurs dream is to become grandmaster one day but it is not easy. You have to do hard work and build a patience level. In the book, IM Jonathan Hawkins suggests learning analyzed games will help you to boost your chess level. The author believes in improving endgame skills to become a better chess player. The author become FM in 2018 and it took him 3 years to become IM. He also has 2 grandmaster norms. I would recommend this book to only serious chess players.
My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer
This is one of the best chess most famous chess books ever. Former world champion himself has written a book on his best 60 games. I have studied this book 2 times in my chess career. I would like to recommend this book to everyone besides their current rating. After watching these 60 games you will understand why Fischer was a genius chess player. This is and will be the greatest book in chess atleast for the next 100 years.
Python Strategy by Tigran Petrosian
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Shop NowTigran Petrosian is known for his defensive techniques. In this book, he explained his thought process by showing his games. This book is an English translation of a Russian classic that is a favorite of many grandmasters, including Mihail Marin and Levon Aronian. This book is also recommended for almost every chess player. Max Euwe once said,” Petrosian is not a tiger that pounces on its prey, but rather a python that smothers its victim.”
My system by Aron Nimzowitsch
Great book by a great chess player. In India, when I was a club player many players suggested I should study this book first. I haven’t listed to them and regretted that decision a lot. This book is highly recommended for players who know the basics of the game. The ideas mentioned in this book are just brilliant. Aron explained all techniques in a very simple manner so that even beginners can understand. The topics covered in this book are must-know for all players. Quality chess publication republished this book in the English language. Originally this book was published in the German language 80 years back.
The Nemesis: Geller’s Greatest Games by Efim Geller
Efim Geller is one of the best chess players in the history of chess. Although he never becomes a world chess champion he won several important medals in the olympiad and zonal championships. He also trained world champions, Boris Spassky and Anatoly Karpov. In this book, he annotates more than 130 chess games with deep analysis and thought processes.
Chess Tactics from Scratch by Martin Weteschnik
This book is not easy to book. Maybe many intermediate chess players will find this book hard. But still, I decided to recommend it. This book 2nd part of the chess tactics series. Martin believes in the importance of chess tactics and how tactics can lead to boost your chess strength. This expanded and improved second edition offers more puzzles to test the tactical chess skill that the reader will develop.
The Anand Files by Michiel Abeln
The Anand Files offers a detailed insight into the strategies Viswanathan Anand used to win three World Championship chess matches in a row. This book covers world championship match 2008, 2010, and 2012 against Vladimir Kramnik, Veselin Topalov, and Boris Gelfand respectively. This book will help you to understand a lot about top chess players and how chess players and their team makes a strategy to battle in World Championship Matches. This is more like a storybook and very less pages that include actual chess. But after reading this book, you will gain more motivation and confidence.
Chess Brilliancy: 250 Historic Games from the Masters by Iakov Damsky
Chess brilliancy is a collection of 250 brilliant games. This book is focused just on games and not on insights and analysis. Hence you will get a very limited analysis. Still, it is very important to see famous chess games. It will improve your understanding level and tactical thinking ability.
Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953 by David Bronstein
Zurich International Chess Tournament 1953 was the most controversial in the chess world. In this book, David Bronstein has analyzed more than 210 chess games. In 1920, Jim Marfia translated this book into English and within a few years, this book become a bestseller. This book is also perfect for players who are looking for a careerists approach towards chess and those who want to enjoy watching games and reading chess books.
FAQ
How do intermediate players get better at chess?
There is no exact definition in chess to understand how to become a better chess player or how to improve chess strength. I will say that you can get better at chess by solving a lot of chess puzzles, watching games, and following recent chess trends. It is always recommended to update your opening repertoire and study endgames. Chess improvement is a slow process and you have to above mention things and play tournaments to get better. If you want to improve fast, then I will recommend you to hire a quality chess coach.
Is Ruy Lopez good for intermediate players?
Ruy Lopez is one of the most famous chess openings. If you are an intermediate chess player, I would recommend you to start Ruy Lopez as soon as possible. You will get a lot of benefits if you prepare Ruy Lopez in the early stage of your chess career. You can read this article about the best chess books in Ruy Lopez.
What books do grandmasters read?
There are 1000s of chess books available in the market. Grandmasters also read many chess books. Most grandmasters prefer to read books from Quality chess publications. They also refer to Chessable courses and also some other courses. Grandmasters also work with other grandmasters and coaches.
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