Best Pirc and Modern Defense Books: Complete Guide
The Pirc (1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6) and the Modern (1.e4 g6) are close relatives that often transpose, so this guide treats them together. It recommends seven books: two…
Best Italian Game Chess Books: Complete Opening Guide
The Italian Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4) has a large literature, but few of the Italian books we assessed have independent reviews that support them on the Italian specifically.…
Best Books on the English Opening: A Complete Guide
Choosing the best books on the English Opening starts with understanding the flexibility of 1.c4. White can keep the game in familiar English structures or transpose into queen's pawn positions,…
Best Books on Chess Sacrifices: 6 Essential Reads
Best Books on Chess Sacrifices recommends six books on the chess sacrifice, chosen from those available on Forward Chess and grouped by the level each suits. By kind of sacrifice,…
Book Review: My First Chess Opening Repertoire
“The opening is a fight for the initiative.” – Emanuel Lasker. What is My First Chess Opening Repertoire about? My First Chess Opening Repertoire by IM Christof Sielecki is a…
Best Books to Study the Sicilian: A Complete Guide for White
The Sicilian Defense is the most heavily analyzed reply to 1.e4, and the White player has to decide how to meet it before deciding what to study. That choice —…
Best Attacking Chess Books – Complete Guide
This guide to the best attacking chess books covers eight titles for club and advanced players, grouped by level and available on Forward Chess. Players below roughly 1400 will get…
Book Review: 100 Basic Endgames You Must Know by Jesus De la Villa
“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else.” – José Raúl Capablanca. What is 100 Basic Endgames You Must Know about? 100 Basic Endgames…
Best Chess Calculation Books: Complete Guide
Last updated: September 2026 Calculation is a different skill from tactics, and it needs different books: tactics training teaches you to see that a combination exists, while calculation training teaches…
Best French Defense Chess Books: Complete Opening Guide
Last updated: August 2026 The French Defense begins 1.e4 e6. This guide is for players who already know the basics and want to actually play it — nine books, seven…