There are thousands of books available on chess, covering just about every aspect you can imagine. Listed here are a few titles considered classics by many experts on the subject.
Classic chess books frequently go in and out of print. If you can't find a new copy of a title that interests you, check out used book resources. And don't forget your local library!
Chess for Idle Moments
Looking for a single volume that will tell you everything you need to know about chess? Our first two books are great for vacation or for bedtime reading. The first title is an introduction to chess and its culture. The second is a detailed look at the inner workings of the game itself.'The Immortal Game: A History of Chess' by David Shenk
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This book won't teach you much about playing the game, but it will explain why chess is so popular. If you take it on vacation, you won't even need a chess set.
'The Mammoth Book of Chess' by Graham Burgess
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Over 500 pages cover all the technical aspects of chess: tactics, openings, glossary, and much more. If you take it on vacation, you will need a chess set to take full advantage of it. 
Chess Manuals
Our next two books, written in the first half of the 20th century, cover all aspects of the game, starting with how the pieces move through example games. The opening sections are somewhat out-of-date, but this is true of any chess manual -- opening theory moves too fast.'Lasker's Manual of Chess' by Emanuel Lasker
Lasker was World Champion from 1894 to 1921 and an excellent writer. The chapter on position play is particularly good. Lasker was also a philosopher and shares his thinking throughout the book.
'The Game of Chess' by Siegbert Tarrasch
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Tarrasch, Lasker's nemesis at the turn of the last century, was one of the greatest early teachers of the game. The chapters on the endgame and the middlegame are good introductions to the subject.
From Chess Beginner to Intermediate Player
After you become familiar with the elements of chess, the next step is to apply them to your own games. The books in this category explain the ideas that flow through a complete game.'Logical Chess: Move by Move' by Irving Chernev
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Our two books by Chernev were written in the 1950s/-60s. Almost every chess position has several levels of complexity, where an expert will see one level, a master will see another, and a grandmaster yet another. Chernev had a knack for illuminating the level that is most useful for the average player.
'Logical Chess' was the first book to explain every move in master games. It is the same principle we use in our Every Move Explained series.
'The Most Instructive Games of Chess Ever Played' by Irving Chernev
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'The Most Instructive Games' is more advanced then 'Logical Chess'. Chernev explained how chess masters weave different ideas together to create a winning position.
'The Search for Chess Perfection' by C.J.S. Purdy
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Purdy, the first World Champion of correspondence chess, spent his entire life writing about the game. This is the only title of Purdy that I've read, but I'm confident that his other writings are equally valuable.
