Best Chess Books for Intermediate Players
Level up your game with these essential reads for the improving player.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: The jump from beginner to intermediate is about learning the rules. The jump from intermediate to advanced is about learning the exceptions. These books will teach you when to break the rules you worked so hard to memorize.
When You Are Ready for Intermediate Books
You are ready for intermediate chess books when you can comfortably spot basic tactics like forks, pins, and skewers, and you understand fundamental opening principles. If you are rated around 1200 to 1600 online, these books will accelerate your growth.
Intermediate books assume you know the basics. They dive into strategic themes like weak squares, pawn structures, piece coordination, and planning. They also introduce more complex tactical patterns and deeper endgame technique.
Recommended Reading List
- How to Reassess Your Chess by Jeremy Silman - Silman introduces the concept of imbalances - material, space, development, pawn structure, and piece activity. This framework gives you a systematic way to evaluate any position and form a plan. It is the most important strategic book for club players.
- My System by Aron Nimzowitsch - A foundational text on positional chess covering blockade, prophylaxis, overprotection, and pawn chains. The language is old-fashioned, but the ideas are timeless. Every serious player should study this at least once.
- Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual - The definitive endgame reference. Work through the positions marked as essential first, then expand. Endgame knowledge separates intermediate players from advanced ones, and this book is the fastest path to mastery.
- 1001 Chess Exercises for Club Players by Frank Erwich - Structured tactical training organized by theme and difficulty. The exercises are challenging enough to stretch an intermediate player without being demoralizing. Aim for twenty exercises per day.
Building a Study Plan Around Books
At the intermediate level, you need a balanced diet of tactics, strategy, and endgames. Dedicate specific days to each area. For example, Monday and Thursday for tactics exercises, Tuesday and Friday for strategic reading, and Wednesday for endgames.
Keep a notebook of key ideas from each book. Write the concept in your own words and note the page number. Review your notebook weekly. This spaced repetition approach locks ideas into long-term memory.
Play slow games - at least 15 minutes per side - and try to apply one concept from your current book in each game. After the game, check whether you found the right moments to use it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I study openings from books at the intermediate level?
Only after you have solid tactical and endgame foundations. When you do study openings, focus on understanding the plans and typical middlegame structures rather than memorizing long lines.
How long should I spend on each book?
A serious intermediate book deserves two to three months of study. Rushing through defeats the purpose. Let the ideas sink in and test them in your games before moving on.
Professor Archer says: I keep a small shelf of books I re-read every year. The ones on this list are on that shelf. Each time I return to them, I find something new because my understanding has grown. That is the mark of a great chess book.
Quick Quiz
What concept does Jeremy Silman use to help players evaluate positions in How to Reassess Your Chess?
- Piece point values - While piece values matter, Silman goes far beyond simple material counting to teach a richer evaluation framework.
- Imbalances (Correct) - Correct. Silman teaches players to identify imbalances in material, space, development, pawn structure, and piece activity to form plans.
- Opening traps - Silman focuses on strategic evaluation and planning, not opening traps.
- Endgame tablebase positions - Endgame tablebases are a computer tool, not a framework for human positional understanding.