Top Chess Books for Intermediate Players

The top five chess books for intermediate players. This is based on ChessGoals research, and putting the books to use in practice. If you are a fan of chess books and chess improvement, you definitely want to check out this list.

0:00 Introduction
0:20 Yusupov Series
3:05 Woodpecker Method
5:30 How to Reassess Your Chess
6:30 Silman's Complete Endgame Course
8:40 Move by Move Opening Series

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[side_show_bob]

Good coverage of the key books by type for a complete chess journey -overall chess coaching, tactics, strategy, endgames and openings.

[dennismays]

Great recommendations Master Matt! I particularly like the Move by Move books because as you mentioned the authors discuss the entire game including middlegame plans that are needed to take the reader beyond the opening.

[Chessdrummer]

Thanks for the recommendations! I’ve read silmans end game course and I loved it, my favourite chess book so far. I’m currently a fifth of the way into reassess your chess but I’m enjoying it. Quite keen on yusupov’s books

[smithyq]

Move-by-Move series is a great recommendation. I would add a book on complete games to serve as inspiration. Reti's "Masters of the Chessboard" or Alekhine's "My Best Games of Chess" tie openings, endgames, tactics and strategy all together in a brilliant narrative form. There's something about seeing an opening inaccuracy lead to a space disadvantage that results in a mating attack that is so much more powerful (and thus memorable) than studying each in isolation.

[RichardLeffingwell-sk]

First two recommendations were excellent.

[Insidia]

Hey goals, have you experimented the woodpecker method by yourself or you've just completed the puzzles of the book? If so, have you noticed improvement in your calculation? And how many puzzles contained your initial four week set?

[dudeco]

Thanks for the awesome list and recommendations I was curious if you could do a breakdown of how you would allocate time for each of these books if you only have 5-8 hours a week for dedicated study? I am a full time college student am married and also work so trying to maximize my studies as an adult.

[humanman]

I am 1200 and am about to start the yusupov. How much coverage does the yusupov lack compared to more specialized books like silmans endgame and silmans reassess. Obviously woodpeckers for repetition and move by move is for specific openings but just wondering what the yusupov lacks in endgame and mid games.

[angel_machariel]

Why did Yusupov number his series this weird? Why isn't 1, 2 and 3 simply the beginners books?

[futuremagnus]

These are not available in our country

[Mohika.Veethika]

Great recommendations Master Matt! I particularly like the Move by Move books because as you mentioned the authors discuss the entire game including middlegame plans that are needed to take the reader beyond the opening.