The good news for book lovers who enjoy chess is that there are many positional chess books available today. We are fortunate to live in the digital age and can even carry several books at once in our pockets on our devices.
This is a selection of chess books to improve your positional game. we have included chess books for different strengths of chess players, but don’t let this stop you from reading a book now if it catches your eye. Please note that the definitions of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced are subjective.
You are reading: Best books on positional chess
Also remember that chess books intended for stronger players can help you push yourself a little harder.
A beginner’s book could be a helpful reminder of things you’ve forgotten or missed. refreshing these foundational skills could help solidify your game.
A beginner may find it difficult to get much out of a book for strong players, but might see it as a challenge. Reviewing this book as your playing strength improves will help you gain new insights into positional play.
Above all, a good chess book on positional play is one that teaches you something new and offers useful techniques that you can apply in your games. this can sometimes be nothing more than deepening your understanding of how to evaluate a position.
positional chess books: our recommendations
for beginners
“logical chess: move by move” by irving chernev
This book takes the novel approach of explaining in simple, everyday language the ideas behind every move in 33 great games.
You don’t have to be a beginner to benefit from this wonderful book. almost every chess player could use a reminder of how to think on the chessboard.
The three sections are divided into:
- the kingside attack
- the queen’s pawn opening
- the chess master explains his ideas
One of the most important lessons this book teaches is the importance of understanding the ideas behind the moves.
a great investment for many reasons and not just for beginners.
“plain chess” by michael stern
This is the perfect book for someone who wants a solid foundation in no time and will help you decide what to do during each game. Complex topics are simplified with detailed explanations.
The value of this book is not calculated by the number of pages. where this book excels is in the quality of the content shared. This is a great book for gamers who like authors who get straight to the point.
covering the essentials of outposts, weak pawns, open files, half open files, weak squares, and space, it does a great job of living up to its title.
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for intermediate players
get “my system” and “chess praxis” in one book
“my system” by aaron nimzovitch
Your journey to becoming a better positional player couldn’t start off better if you start with my system. this will give you a solid foundation to build on as you progress.
There is much to learn from this timeless classic. On its own, this book will provide you with everything you need to play solid positional chess.
Written by one of the most influential thinkers in chess, this is a book that has helped many improve their game.
As you become a stronger player, a very good book to consider is “Secrets of Modern Chess Strategy” by John Watson. This gives you a modern interpretation of Nimzovitch’s approach to chess.
“chess praxis” by aaron nimzovitch
Although this book is capable of standing on its own, using it with “my system” increases the value of both books.
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This is a collection of 109 games played by Aaron Nimzovitch. the games are grouped according to theme. you can easily go from studying a concept in “my system” to seeing how to apply it on the board.
Some of the positional concepts covered in this book are centralization, restraint and blocking, overprotection, prophylaxis, and weaknesses. aside from positional ideas, you can learn a lot about other facets of chess.
Time spent studying the games of past masters is never wasted.
“chess training for post-beginners” by yaroslav srokovski
This very good positional chess book is aimed at players with an elo rating of 1400-2200. the emphasis of the book is on perfecting the evaluation of the position.
Arriving at the correct assessment requires an understanding of the elements of positional play. there are twelve chapters, each of which covers an aspect of positional play.
Some of the topics covered are cut pieces, weak and diagonal complexes, king in the center, and how to use the bishop pair in the middlegame.
This book provides a lot of information to help improve your positional game. there is a good balance between explanation and analysis with each game example.
“positional game techniques” by valeri bronznik and anatoli terekhin
What helps this positional chess book stand out is the use of unusual terms like “breakwater” and “pendulum maneuver”.
there are 45 techniques in this book for you to apply to your own games, techniques fm a. Terekhin wrote about “strategic methods” and expanded here.
Most chess students have heard the same phrases countless times. that’s why it’s a pleasant surprise to find a book with new terms and unusual concepts.
The book starts with the interesting technique of containing your opponent’s knight with a combination of g3 and h4 followed by h5. a similar concept applies to the queenside with b3, a4 and a5.
The addition of the a-pawn and h-pawn advance was new to me. learning something new at the beginning of a book is very encouraging.
“positional decision making in chess” by boris gelfand and jacob aagard
Think how much better you could be if you knew how a world championship challenger thinks on the board.
Over the years, you’ve worked to gain a lot of knowledge about positional play. has gained a deeper understanding of these principles.
now is the time to learn how to apply these principles on the board. This insightful book will help you understand how one of the best chess players in the world evaluates a position.
You’ll also learn how you decide on a plan. when you know how a gm thinks, you can start thinking like one too.
for advanced players
everyman chess “mastering chess strategy” by johan hellsten
this is a book that requires dedication to work on over 400 pages. In addition to a wealth of strategic game lore, there are numerous drills to work through. What is particularly appealing about this book is the shared knowledge that stems from Johan’s time as a chess coach in Chile and Ecuador. what this means is that he is getting practical advice that he can apply now and not when he reaches grandmaster level.
The main concepts covered, in great detail, are:
- improving our pieces
- pawn play
- exchanges
- prophylaxis
This is a chess book for the serious student who is willing to put in the time to reap all the rewards this book has to offer. take your time and be sure to track your results as you go through the book. I am sure that when you look back on your progress, you will agree that your time with this book was time well spent. Although we have listed this book for advanced players, even the intermediate player will get great use out of it.
grandmaster preparation “positional play” by jacob aagaard
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You’ve no doubt heard the saying “less is more”. In these times of information overload, it was wonderful to discover a positional chess book that focuses on three principles: weaknesses, pieces, and prophylaxis.
That doesn’t mean it’s not challenging. Examples used include positions that Magnus Carlsen himself was unable to resolve.
many would say this is a book for advanced players and it is. however, an intermediate player who wants to improve will greatly benefit from the exercises in this book.
“positional play” is a book you can return to often and deepen your understanding of chess.
“winning chess halfgames” by ivan sokolov
despite its title, “winning the middle game of chess” will also come in very handy in your opening repertoire. By focusing on pawn structures, you will learn what positions you feel comfortable playing.
then you can choose an opening repertoire that leads to this structure, a structure that you will know very well.
We often focus on our positional plans to the exclusion of everything else. the author explains the best plans of both sides.
This gives you an advantage because if your opponent chooses another plan, you’ll know why it’s not the best and how to take advantage of it.
This book offers detailed coverage of doubled pawns, isolated pawns, hanging pawns and most central pawns.
There are very clear explanations in the example games to increase your positional awareness. To further deepen your understanding of positional play, consider GM Sokolov’s Master Method course.
“under the surface” by jan markos
When you have become a good chess player, you will be familiar with many of the skills of positional play. “under the surface” is written for your enjoyment without a chessboard.
To get the most value from the examples, most readers will need to have a closed board at some point. there are plenty of diagrams so following the main line shouldn’t be too difficult.
Where this book stands out is in the wide range of positional topics it covers and its unique explanations. there are chapters on time in chess, computers, and beauty. Other topics covered include openings, decision making, and pieces.
This relaxing read will give you new and interesting perspectives on positional chess.
final words on positional chess books
There are many other good positional chess books out there. “The Complete Manual of Positional Chess” are two very good volumes. although they do require you to spend a considerable amount of time working on them.
“Chess Structures: A Grandmaster’s Guide” by Mauricio Rios is a great complement to “Winning Chess Middlegames”.
games of tigran petrosian in “python strategy” will certainly suit the inveterate positional gamer.
The positional chess books suggested here will increase your knowledge of the positional game in an informative and entertaining way. some of them deal with the topic of how to play positional chess in a new way.
When considering buying a book, use the sample pages to familiarize yourself with the book. the game of chess is challenging enough on its own, and choosing books that are enjoyable to read makes learning more enjoyable.
complement your reading
gm damian lemos has produced an entire 9+ hour video series focusing on how to build killer positions move by move. And – lucky you – you can get this course at a 50% discount (for a limited time only)!
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you may also find it interesting:
- best chess books for all chess players
- anatoly karpov on his early games: positional chess masterpieces
- kasparov’s positional masterpiece
- positional pitfalls by magnus carlsen