This article showcases our top picks for the Best Chess Strategy Books For Intermediate Players. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below).
We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.
Complete Book of Chess Strategy by Jeremy Silman
This product was recommended by Tim Connon from ParamountQuote Insurance Advisors
I bought this book for myself back when my friend bought me a chess board and I beat him using it I highly recommend it to anyone getting started in the game.
CHESS: The Ultimate Chess Tactics and Strategies! by Andy Dunn
This product was recommended by CJ Xia from Boster Biological Technlogy
This book is filled with first-rate advice for stepping up your game. These simple but strategic plays are essential to learning and mastering chess. Learn the best techniques to use in your game and dominate the competition with the help of this book. There are solutions readily available to you. This book adds crucial context on the greats to your library. In addition to common sense and experience, this book offers helpful hints for common errors. Due to the fact that it allows you to grow as a person by reflecting on your past errors, it is among the top five choices.
Ruy Lopez Tactics by Tim Sawyer
This product was recommended by CJ Xia from Boster Biological Technlogy
Tim Sawyer, who will help you reach new heights in the game of chess, provides a framework for this book. Opening combinations and checkmates for the game of chess are provided in this book. The start is the most crucial part of a successful game. Learn how to present yourself in the best light possible and why doing so is crucial from this book. In addition, you learn the algebraic expressions and notations you’ll need to play well-known opening games and forced checkmates.
The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
This product was recommended by Brandon Wilkes from The Big Phone Store
If you are an intermediate chess player looking for a strategy book that will take your game to the next level, look no further than The Prince by Machiavelli. This book is packed with expert tips and advice on how to outwit your opponents and emerge victorious. Some of the topics covered in The Prince include: – How to make the best use of your resources – How to gain and maintain power – How to think ahead of your opponents – How to make your opponents fear you With its clear and concise explanations, The Prince is the perfect strategy guide for intermediate chess players who want to up their game.
The Complete Dragon by Eduard Gufeld and Oleg Stetsko
This product was recommended by Richard J. Brandenstein from FBR Law partner
This strategy book should be your number one strategy bok when entering the world of competitive chess. It has been a large influence on the current Chess number one, Magnus Carlsen, and was used by Garry Kasparov in his 1995 world title defense. If you want to learn more about chess strategy from a book that taught the champions, this is the one to go to.
Chess Strategy for Kids by Thomas Engqvist
This product was recommended by Staci Holweger from Lifepatches
I am recommending Chess Strategy for Kids. This book is designed to teach beginners and intermediates how to play chess. There are several different strategies and types of games to learn in this book, which is an excellent way for new players to learn about the game. The book offers good strategies for opponents that are in the same skill level as the reader. This is a great book to teach kids the basics of chess, and a fun and engaging read for anyone interested in the game.
Play Winning Chess by Grandmaster Yasser Seirawan
This product was recommended by Andrew Gonzales from BusinessLoans
This introductory chess book covers all aspects of the game, from opening theory to tactic training and endgame principles. The book is written in a clear, relatable, and accessible way, meaning that even intermediate players can massively step up their playing strength by reading it.
Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess by Bobby Fischer
This product was recommended by Matthew Osborn from Legionary
Strategic thinking is crucial and critical to tactical planning and learning to outthink your prey while hunting, and chess taught me the principles of strategy and how to plan and think two, three, four, and five moves in advance. And the only book I’ve ever read to help improve my chess game, as a beginning and intermediate player, was Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess, which was written by the greatest player, and Grand Master in the history of the game, Bobby Fischer.
Silman’s Complete Endgame Course by Jeremy Silman
This product was recommended by Mukesh Sharma from Byaj Book
This is the best book for intermediate players. It starts with the basics and gradually takes you to a more advanced level. The author has a clear and concise writing style that would make the whole learning process easier for you. This book has been written by Jeremy Silman, who is an expert chess player and teacher. He has played in many chess tournaments around the world, including three in Russia, two in France, and one in Canada. This book covers everything from beginner to advanced levels of chess strategy and will help you improve your skills as a player.
Chess Tactics for Intermediates by Karthik PM
This product was recommended by Shane Paarman from Awesome Stuff 365
This is an excellent book for chess lovers looking to improve their skills and upgrade their playing tactics to the next level. The book explains different strategies and tactics in great detail, and it is written in a way that is easy to understand and apply to chess playing, I highly recommend it.
Logical Chess: Move By Move by Irving Chernev
This product was recommended by Eric Jones from Couture Candy
Once you know the basics, it’s time to strengthen your game. This classic chess book is a great buy for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the game and improve their own. It includes 33 detailed games and provides fantastic insight into how to utilize what you learn more effectively. While it is beneficial for beginners, those who are new to the game will want to purchase a book centered around tactics, too.
Pawn Power in Chess (Dover Chess) by Hans Kmoch
This product was recommended by Louis Russell from Kuhamia
The book Pawn Power In Chess was first published in 1959 by an Austrian-American chess player, arbiter, author, and journalist named Hans Kmoch. In chess, pawns are generally ignored by beginners as they do not realize their true power. But to get better at chess, one must employ pawns to the full extent. Everything to learn about pawns is well documented in this famous chess literature that contains moves such as en passant and promotion. You’ll come across some pawn-associated terms you may have never heard of, such as Luff or Quart.
Chess Tactics for Champions by Susan Polgar
This product was recommended by Veronica Thompson from Everyday Power
As the first female grandmaster at only age 15, Susan Polgar has all the things and experiences she can share to those wanting to improve their chess skills. It even teaches how to calculate the gains of a move plus how you can win over your opponent’s tactics. With that, this is a very good book to improve chess strategy, especially for intermediate players.
Winning Pawn Structures by Alexander Baburin
This product was recommended by Chelsea Cohen from SoStocked
One of my favorite chess books for intermediate players is Winning Pawn Structures by Alexander Baburin. In chess, beginners are often aware of the importance of pawns in a game, but they rarely appreciate the importance of a good pawn structure. This book explains everything that intermediate/expert chess players need to know about winning pawn structures and recognizing, in advance, how pawns can push the game to a close.
Understanding Chess Move by Move by John Nunn
This product was recommended by Ognian Mikov from ChessKid
The combination of a top-grandmaster + explaining chess concepts move by move is almost a guarantee for a great chess book.. Indeed, with the games selected in it and the thorough explanations, players would be able to improve their positional understanding. A good tip would be to use two boards (one could be with an engine) when reviewing the games- one for the main moves and the other for the variations. Another nice thing about the book is that the games are organized into lessons on Opening motives, Middle Game and Endgame themes.
The Amateur’s Mind by Jeremy Silman
This product was recommended by Ognian Mikov from ChessKid
Despite the title, this book should not be regarded as a beginners manual as it teaches different more advanced concepts. The great thing I like the most about it is that it’s almost like sitting in on a private chess lesson. It includes lots of important chess topics and it’s very detailed and at the same time presented in an easy to understand way. Something else I find useful is that it’s broken into chapters which are based on different chess concepts (imbalances for example such as bishop vs. knight positions).
My 60 Memorable Games by Bobby Fischer
This product was recommended by James Miller from Sofilmar
Sometimes a chess move is influenced by more than just your strategy. In this incredible read, the author describes his thoughts, tactical justification, and psychological battle in every move. Bobby Fischer takes you through 60 of his games, showing you some breathtaking playing combinations. Since he played all these games as a grandmaster, they are at the highest level. However, his commentary makes each move easy to understand. Every intermediate player can learn a lot from this book.
The Chess Player’s Bible by James Eade
This product was recommended by Abigail Richards from Tech President
This book will help you master chess strategies to help you easily beat your opponents. It even has specific game plans that will allow each player to reinforce their knowledge and even improve their strategy-making skills. Lastly, it teaches you to have a post-game analysis to further improve your game.
Chess Strategy Pirc Modern Defence by Tim Sawyer
This product was recommended by Sharon Dylan from Management Help LLC
This book mainly relies on real-life games. With so many illustrations to choose from, this book will surely help your improve your chess strategy game. With all the experiences and techniques of the author transcribed in the book, this will surely help beat all your opponents easily.