Studying advanced chess books on your own—especially if you’re rated 1900+—requires a disciplined, active, and structured approach.
These books assume prior knowledge, so your study process should aim to internalize high-level ideas, not just read through them.
Criteria
The selection criteria for the top 15 chess books for advance players include:
Depth of Content
Advanced players need books that explore deep concepts, not superficial explanations. In-depth annotations, complex examples, rich theoretical discussions.
Skill Elevation Potential
The book should push the reader’s level of understanding significantly upward. Books that target calculation depth, positional mastery, or high-level decision-making.
Practical Application Value
Concepts should be transferable to actual games, tournaments, or opening prep. Books that include exercises, explain plans, or offer game situations you’ll face often.
Reputation among Masters & Coaches
Strong players often rely on peer-tested resources. Books frequently recommended in coaching circles, titled-player blogs, and forums like Chess Stack Exchange or r/chess.
Quality of Examples & Annotation
Deep, well-annotated examples with clear explanations provide better insight than long lines with no commentary. Verbal reasoning, thematic examples, and full game annotations with evaluations.
Community and Professional Endorsements
Strong endorsements from titled players, trainers, and experienced amateurs validate a book’s effectiveness. Books cited in YouTube reviews, FIDE coaching seminars, and Grandmaster streams. Recommended by multiple players that have used the book and improved their level of skill.
The selection criteria for the top 20 chess books for Advance players include:
1. Grandmaster Preparation –Calculation by Jacob Aagaard
Jacob Aagaard’s Grandmaster Preparation – Calculation not just a book—it’s a training manual, a test of endurance, and a mental gym for ambitious players. Each chapter begins with brief, well-structured explanations and then dives into challenging exercises—many taken from real games.
Chapters teaching calculation techniques—Candidate Moves, Combinational Vision, Prophylaxis, Comparison, Elimination, Intermediate Moves, Analysis, Imagination, Traps—followed by rigorous exercises.
Aagaard writes for players rated 2000+ Elo, particularly those chasing titles or already in the master class. That said, highly motivated players rated 1800–2000 can also benefit, especially if paired with guided study or lighter supplements other books.
“Workbook” format—concise theory followed by tough, non‐trivial problems. It expects intense, board‐based calculation and deep reflection.
- Exceptionally curated exercises from real GM play
- Sharpens visualization, calculation depth, and decision-making
- Focus on thought process, not just right moves.
2. Analytical Manual by Mark Dvoretsky
Analytical Manual is one of Mark Dvoretsky’s most advanced and intellectually demanding works, aimed squarely at expert and master-level players.
True to Dvoretsky’s style, the book is packed with deeply annotated positions, complex endgames, and rigorous exercises that sharpen calculation and positional judgment. It’s less about general principles and more about cultivating the mindset of a practical, resourceful fighter.
Many examples are drawn from Dvoretsky’s own coaching experience, featuring elite players and real tournament situations.
Not a casual read—it demands patience and persistence. But for those willing to work through its rich material,
Analytical Manual delivers insight that can elevate your chess understanding to a new level.
Pros:
High-quality, deeply analyzed examples
Emphasis on calculation and critical thinking
Teaches how to handle complex, unclear positions
Analytical Manual isn’t just about solving positions—it’s about learning how to think.
3. Beyond Material by Davorin Kuljasevic
Beyond Material by Davorin Kuljasevic is a refreshing and thought-provoking chess book that challenges one of the most basic assumptions players make—the importance of material.
While most club players are trained to count pieces and strive for material advantage, Kuljasevic shows that chess is often richer, subtler, and more psychological.
The book teaches readers how to evaluate positions dynamically, appreciate compensation, and confidently embrace imbalances—whether it’s giving up a rook for activity, sacrificing pawns for initiative, or declining to recapture material in favor of piece coordination. Kuljasevic supports his ideas with instructive examples from modern grandmaster games, including his own.
Highly recommended for players ready to evolve beyond materialism and embrace the full beauty of chess
Ideal For:
Intermediate to advanced players (around 1600–2200 Elo) looking to grow strategically
Psychologically, and break free from overly materialistic thinking.
4. Studies and games by Jan Timman
Jan Timman, a legendary Dutch grandmaster and one of the world’s top players in the 1980s and ’90s, combines his love for deep endgame studies with high-level tournament games in Studies and Games.
This book is not your typical game collection—it’s a hybrid of artistic endgame compositions and real-world practical play.
He explains the logic and imagination behind each study, often comparing them with similar motifs from actual games—including his own clashes against elite contemporaries like Karpov, Korchnoi, and Kasparov.
It’s ideal for advanced players (above 2000 rating) who enjoy deep analytical thinking and want to sharpen their endgame intuition.
Over 100 high-quality studies and carefully selected games.
A rare glimpse into how endgame studies can inspire practical solutions over the board. Timman curates a range of stunning endgame studies, many of which are his own creations or reconstructions.
5. Positional Decision Making in Chess By Boris Gelfand
In this insightful work, Boris Gelfand shares how a top grandmaster approaches positional play. Through annotated games and honest reflections, Gelfand reveals how he evaluates positions, handles space, transforms advantages, and makes long-term strategic decisions. Co-written with Jacob Aagaard, the book is both practical and profound—ideal for advanced players aiming to deepen their understanding of quiet, non-tactical positions.
Gelfand doesn’t just present games—he explains why moves were made, what alternatives he considered. The core themes include space advantage, the transformation of advantages, and long-term piece coordination.
This book is a master class in positional thinking, rich annotations and reflections from a top-level player, Illustrated with instructive examples from Gelfand’s own career. Gelfand’s humility and honesty make it not just educational, but also a personal and inspiring journey.
A must-read for ambitious players seeking clarity in the quieter moments of the game.
6. The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement by Matthew Sadler
In The Silicon Road to Chess Improvement, GM Matthew Sadler takes us on a journey through the fascinating world of chess engines—especially Stockfish and Leela Zero—and how they’re transforming the way we understand the game. This is not just a book about technology; it’s a guide on how human players can learn from machines to become better thinkers at the board.
Sadler analyzes hundreds of engine games, engine-inspired ideas, and typical modern motifs like dynamic pawn breaks, early king activity, and rook lifts. He breaks down complex ideas in a digestible, often humorous style, making engine concepts accessible even to club players.
The Silicon Road is both educational and eye-opening. Sadler helps demystify the world of AI in chess while showing how it can practically improve our understanding of strategy. A must-read for any serious player in the modern era.
7. Garry Kasparov –My Great Predecessors Series
Garry Kasparov’s My Great Predecessors series is a monumental chess work—part history, part biography, and part deep analysis. Across five volumes, the 13th World Champion pays tribute to the world champions before him, from Steinitz to Karpov, blending storytelling with grandmaster-level insight.
Kasparov doesn’t just revisit the games—he reevaluates them with the benefit of modern analysis and his own legendary perspective. Each volume includes gripping commentary on the evolution of chess styles, and ideas that shaped the game’s history.
Covers every world champion up to Karpov, plus great contemporaries like Keres, Bronstein, and others. Rich historical context, including personal and political angles.
Highlights:
Volume 1: Steinitz to Alekhine
Volume 2: Euwe, Botvinnik
Volume 3: Smyslov, Tal, Petrosian, Spassky
Volume 4: Fischer
Volume 5: Karpov and Kasparov’s own rivalry
My Great Predecessors is not just a chess book series—it’s a historical chess epic. Ambitious, enlightening, and sometimes opinionated.
8. Perfect Your Chess by GM Andrei Volotkin & Grabinsky
Perfect Your Chess is a sharp, challenging, and uncompromising training manual aimed at serious tournament players. Co-authored by GM Andrei Volokitin and his coach Vladimir Grabinsky, the book features 360 high-level exercises designed to stretch your tactical vision and calculation ability to the limit.
Unlike many puzzle books, this one doesn’t hold your hand. The positions are practical, taken from real games (often by Volokitin himself), and often incredibly tough—even for titled players. The focus is on calculation, accuracy, and decision-making under pressure—just like in tournament play.
Emphasis on “intuition-backed-by-calculation”
Solutions are concise but demand serious thought
Perfect Your Chess is not for the faint-hearted. It’s a top-tier training book for ambitious players who want to test and improve their mental toughness. If you’re aiming for master level or preparing for serious competition, this book is gold.
9. The Power of Pawns by Jorg Hickl
The Power of Pawns by German GM Jorg Hickl is a refreshing and practical introduction to one of the most fundamental yet overlooked aspects of chess: pawn structure. Rather than drowning readers in deep theory, Hickl focuses on clarity, typical plans, and understandable strategic ideas.
The book explores common pawn structures—isolated pawns, doubled pawns, hanging pawns, and more—and explains how they influence piece placement, planning, and long-term strategy. Each chapter includes illustrative examples and instructive games designed to reinforce key ideas.
The Power of Pawns is a smart, approachable guide to a critical part of chess understanding. It won’t overwhelm you with engine lines, but it will sharpen your strategic instincts. A great stepping stone toward positional mastery.
10. Invisible Chess Moves by Yochanan Afek
Invisible Chess Moves is all about those moments—the surprising, counterintuitive, and often brilliant decisions that escape even strong players. Written by endgame composer and IM Yochanan Afek and chess trainer Emmanuel Neiman, this book explores the psychology and patterns behind why certain good moves remain “invisible” to the human eye.
The authors categorize different types of “invisible” moves: quiet moves, backward moves, under promotions, rook lifts, and more. Each theme is supported by instructive examples, exercises, and thought-provoking commentary that helps you recognize these elusive ideas in your own games.
Blends psychology with practical training
Helps develop creativity and pattern recognition
Features a mix of studies, real games, and exercises
Invisible Chess Moves opens your eyes to the blind spots in your thinking. It’s not just about tactics or strategy—it’s about expanding your mindset. A unique and rewarding read for players looking to level up their board vision.
11. Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide by Mauricio Flores Rios
Chess Structures by GM Mauricio Flores Rios is a modern classic in positional chess training. This book systematically teaches how to play 28 of the most common pawn structures, giving practical advice, key plans, and model games to master each one.
Instead of focusing on openings or tactics, Rios builds a bridge between the opening and middlegame by teaching how to play specific pawn structures that arise from many popular openings. Each chapter explains the strategic ideas, typical piece placements, and both sides’ main plans—illustrated through deeply annotated grandmaster games.
Focuses on plans, not memorization.
Written by a strong GM who is also an excellent teacher.
Chess Structures is a strategic goldmine. If you want to stop guessing in the middlegame and start playing with purpose, this book will guide you structure by structure. One of the best resources available on positional planning.
12. Mastering Chess Strategy by Johan Hellsten
Mastering Chess Strategy by GM Johan Hellsten is a comprehensive guide that aims to give club players a firm grasp of classical strategic concepts. With over 400 carefully chosen examples and exercises, Hellsten walks readers through key themes like weak squares, open files, outposts, prophylaxis, and much more.
The book is divided into clearly defined chapters, each focusing on a specific strategic theme. Hellsten explains the ideas in a logical and structured way, followed by illustrative examples and exercises that test your understanding—making it a great self-study tool.
Mastering Chess Strategy is a practical and well-organized manual that delivers exactly what its title promises. Hellsten’s instructional approach is methodical and digestible, making this one of the best resources for players looking to elevate their strategic game.
13. Secrets of Attacking Chess by Mihail Marin
In Secrets of Attacking Chess, renowned Romanian GM and chess author Mihail Marin offers a deep, thoughtful approach to building and executing successful attacks. This isn’t a basic tactics book—it’s a strategic guide to when and how to attack, based on sound positional foundations.
Marin analyzes attacking themes through model games, often featuring classical greats like Botvinnik, Tal, and Kasparov. Each chapter focuses on an essential concept—like opposite-side castling, central control, pawn storms, or attacking weak squares—and shows how great players prepared their attacks logically and patiently.
It’s perfect for players who want to understand the strategic preparation behind great attacks—not just flashy combinations.
Secrets of Attacking Chess is a rich and rewarding book for players who want to become complete attackers. Marin shows that the best attacks are not random sacrifices, but the product of deep planning and patient buildup. A must-read for serious improvers.
14. The Soviet Chess Primer (Chess Classics) by Ilya Maizelis
Originally published in the Soviet Union and beloved for generations, The Soviet Chess Primer by Ilya Maizelis is one of the finest introductory chess books ever written. More than just a beginner’s manual, it is a thoughtful, beautifully structured guide that gradually builds a student’s understanding of chess from basic rules to deep strategic ideas.
Maizelis covers all the fundamentals: rules, tactics, piece activity, strategy, openings, and endgames—but what makes this book stand out is the clarity and elegance of its teaching. The material is presented progressively, often using rich, annotated games and thoughtful commentary. Even advanced players can rediscover important basics and strategic ideas here. It’s also an excellent tool for coaches and self-learners.
Crystal-clear explanations and examples
Beautiful flow from simple to complex topics
Rich with instructive games and timeless wisdom
An authentic product of Soviet chess education
15. Understanding Chess Middlegames by John Nunn
In Understanding Chess Middlegames, legendary English GM and author John Nunn offers a clear, concise guide to the core principles of middlegame play. Known for his precise, no-nonsense writing style, Nunn distills complex ideas into digestible lessons, making this book a valuable resource for club players seeking practical improvement.
The book presents 100 essential middlegame concepts, each explained in just two pages—one with verbal explanation, the other with a deeply annotated example. Topics include king safety, weak squares, open files, piece activity, pawn breaks, and more. This format makes it easy to read in short bursts while covering a wide range of ideas.
It’s especially helpful for those who feel overwhelmed in middlegame positions and want clear guidance on planning and positional decision-making.
Straight-to-the-point explanations
Real-game examples from modern play
Excellent structure for incremental learning
John Nunn doesn’t overcomplicate things—he teaches you how to think better in the middlegame. It’s a perfect next step after mastering opening principles and tactics.
Ultimately, the best chess book for you will depend on your individual goals and level of play. I would recommend starting in this blog with a book that is appropriate for advance level and that covers the areas of the game you are most interested in improving upon.
16. Art of Attack in Chess By Vladimir Vukovic
In this richly detailed manual, Vukovic dissects the art of launching a successful attack, particularly against the castled king. He walks you through the principles, plans, and practical motifs behind the most devastating chess attacks.
The book is divided into thematic sections, covering:
King in the center vs. castled king
Attack against kingside castling
Pawn storms, sacrifices, and piece coordination
The “classic bishop sacrifice” (Bxh7+ or Bxh2+)
Mating patterns and attack planning