Equipment & book reviews
Chess books, sets, clocks, and software — reviewed with verified product identifications and honest assessments.
- Equipment
Best Chess Board in 2026: Vinyl, Silicone, and Wood Options Compared
The best chess board depends on how you'll use it: vinyl for tournaments, wood for home, silicone for outdoors. A direct comparison of what works and why.
- Equipment
Best Chess Books for Intermediate Players in 2026
Five books every club player at 1000-1700 should own: My System, How to Reassess, and three others that address the problems beginners-turned-intermediates actually have.
- Equipment
Best Chess Opening Books in 2026: What's Worth Reading and What Isn't
Opening books are the most misused category in chess literature. A guide to which ones actually improve your game and which ones just fill your head with theory you'll never use.
- Equipment
Best Chess Set for Kids in 2026: What Actually Gets Them Playing
The best chess set for kids is weighted, bold, and durable enough for rough handling. A parent's guide to buying a set that lasts and teaches.
- Equipment
Best Chess Strategy Books: The Positional Library That Actually Improves You
Five chess strategy books that teach you to think in plans, not moves. For players who've plateaued and want to understand what's actually going on in their games.
- Equipment
Best Travel Chess Set in 2026: Magnetic and Foldable Sets Worth Taking
The best travel chess set is magnetic, foldable, and stores pieces inside. A buying guide covering the sets that actually survive the trip.
- Equipment
Chess Gifts for Chess Players: What They Actually Want in 2026
Chess players rarely buy the gear they want most. A gift guide covering equipment and books by price range, sorted by what serious players actually use.
- Equipment
Chess.com vs Lichess vs Chessable: Which Chess App Is Right for You
Chess.com has 100 million users and the best learning content. Lichess is completely free and better for serious analysis. Chessable is the right tool for opening memorization. None of them does everything well. Here's the breakdown.
- Equipment
Best Chess Books for Beginners: Six Titles That Actually Teach the Game
Six chess books for players who know the rules and want to improve. Start with Logical Chess: Move by Move. Everything else on this list comes after that one.
- Equipment
Best Chess Clock in 2026: DGT vs. Chronos and What Actually Matters
The DGT 3000 dominates European and FIDE events. The Chronos is standard at most USCF-rated play in the US. Buy whichever one your tournament director uses: that's the whole answer.
- Equipment
Best Chess Endgame Books: Four Titles That Actually Fix Your Endgame
Silman's Complete Endgame Course is the right starting point for most players. 100 Endgames You Must Know is the right second book. What comes after those two depends on your level. A guide to endgame literature organized by when to read it.
- Equipment
Best Chess Set to Buy in 2026: By Use Case, Not Budget
For club play, a double-weighted plastic set with a vinyl board under $30 is the right answer. Wooden pieces are for home analysis. Glass and metal sets are for shelves. Here's the breakdown.
- Equipment
Best Chess Tactics Books: How to Build Pattern Recognition That Sticks
Tactics training books work differently from endgame books. The goal isn't to read them: it's to drill them until the patterns become automatic. Here's which books are worth drilling and which are just collections.