Stjepan Tomić has built a sizable following through his beloved Hanging Pawns YouTube Channel, but good old-fashioned chess books remain his true passion. That passion has led to his ambitious new project, ChessReads.com, a free platform designed to help players of all levels find the right book for their needs through crowdsourced reviews. The project already features its own YouTube channel, Discord server, and a growing website filled with helpful writeups.
To celebrate the site’s launch, Stjepan joined me for a wide-ranging conversation about the enduring value of chess literature. We answered listener questions about whether books are still as vital as ever, how Stjepan chooses what to read next, and we shared recommendations across nearly every rating band. Stjepan also updated us on his own chess improvement goals and upcoming tournaments.
As a fellow chess bibliophile, I’m excited about the ChessReads project and enjoyed catching up with Stjepan. Timestamps for all topics and rating ranges are below, along with Amazon affiliate links to the books mentioned.
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0:03- Stjepan joins the pod! What is the chessreads.com origin story?
Mentioned Episode 117 with Stjepan:
https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/new-blog/2019/3/12/episode-117-stjepan-tomi-adult-improver-series
The Perpetual Chess Recommended Books List is here:
https://www.perpetualchesspod.com/book-recommendations
Also mentioned:
Chessreads Discord-
0:05- Patreon mailbag question: “1) Are chessbooks useful/optimal as chess improvement tools in the modern digital era? 2) Are modern books and older classics equally useful?”
Mentioned: Simple Chess by Michael Stean, My 60 Memorable Games, Irving Chernev’s Book
15:00- Patreon mailbag question:
“Could Stjepan recommend a few books that can be read without a chessboard?”
Mentioned: Perpetual Chess Improvement, Thinking Inside the Box
In Black and White, GM Jan Timman’s Books, Profile of a Prodigy, Endgame
Check out Stjepan’s interview with GM Aagaard here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvjkECy9o8A&t=2s
19:00- Patreon mailbag question: “How does Stjepan select which chess book to read next?”
Mentioned: Life and Games of Mikhail Tal , Timman’s Art of the Endgame
21:00- Patreon mailbag question: “What recommendations does Stjepan have for books about thinking processes?”
Mentioned: Think Like a Super Grandmaster, Tournament Battle Plan, Applying Logic in Chess
Perpetual Chess Improvement, Thinking Inside the Box, How to Study Chess on Your Own
Seven Deadly Chess Sins, Chess for Zebras, Game Changer, Under The Surface, Improve Your Chess Now, Dan Heisman’s Guide to Chess Improvement
Also Mentioned:
Dr. Can Kabadayi’s Chessable Courses:
https://www.chessable.com/author/Can_Kabadayi/
26:00- Book Recommendations by rating range, starting with under 1000
Mentioned: Chess Pattern Recognition for Beginners
Everyone’s First Chess Workbook
Also on Chessable:
https://www.chessable.com/everyones-first-chess-workbook/course/71738/
32:00- Recommendations for the 1000-1200 level
Mentioned: Winning Chess Series by Seirawan
33:00- - Recommendations for the 1200-1400 level
Mentioned:
Learn Chess Tactics by GM John Nunn
Understanding Chess Middlegames by GM John Nunn
Lessons with a Grandmaster by GM Boris Gulko and Dr. Joel Sneed
My Best Games Smyslov
Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings
37:00- Recommendations for the 1400-1600 level
Mentioned: Pump Up Your Rating by GM Axel Smith
Fire on Board by GM Alexei Shirov
41:00- Recommendations for the 1600-1800 level
The Exchange Sacrifice According to Tigran Petrosian
44:00- Recommendations for the 1800-2000 level
Mammoth Book of World’s Greatest Chess Games
Think Like a
47:00- Recommendations for the above 2000 level
Positional Decision Making in Chess
Lessons on Uncompromising Play
56:00-
Chess improvement update from Stjepan
1:00:00- Impromptu discussion- what makes some countries better at chess (and other competitive endeavors) than others?
Mentioned: Grandmasters per capita per Chess Stack Exchange:
https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/34893/which-countries-have-the-most-gms-per-capita
1:00:00-
Check out Stjepan’s interview with me about my book on the Chessreads channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plMpTaO3Z2Y
Perpetual Chess Improvement is finally available on Audible!
1:10:00- Thanks to Stjepan for joining me again. Here is how to keep up with him and the ChessReads project.
Hanging Pawns YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@HangingPawns
Chessreads YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@ChessReadsCom
Chessreads Discord-
Chessreads
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