23/12/2020 Chess Books on Pawn Play and Structure - for Beginners and Beyond - Chess.

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Chess Books on Pawn Play and Structure - for Beginners and

Beyond
RussBell
Updated: Nov 27, 2020, 12:08 AM | c2

According to the famous quote by Francoise Andre Philidor (1727-1795), considered by many to be
the best chess player of his time, "Pawns are the soul of chess".

Pawn structure is one of the most important aspects of chess to learn well - especially as it
essentially provides the road map for how to plan in the opening and middlegame, and also many
times in the early endgame as well.

An excellent introduction to the topic is presented here...

The Complete Guide To Pawn Structures...

https://simplifychess.com/pawn-structures/complete-guide-chess-pawn-structures/index.html

Pawn Structure Wiki...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pawn_structure

Accordingly, any books that deal instructively with pawn structure and pawn play can be a valuable
resource. The following are what I believe to be some of the more instructive books on the subject

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of pawn play, which for the beginner-novice I recommend particularly the first three or four books
immediately following, for study in the order presented.

For the beginner-novice I recommend, as a first step, to become familiar with the concepts
presented in Yasser Seirawan's excellent introductory text "Play Winning Chess".  The book focuses
on explaining what GM Seirawan posits to be the four primary principles which must be considered
when objectively evaluating a chess position – Force, Time, Space and Pawn Structure. 
Understanding how to properly evaluate and use these principles is fundamental to the process of
formulating plans and strategies which will enable you to significantly improve the chances for a
successful result in your games. The importance of the concepts presented in this instructive
book cannot be overstated.  

An instructive supplement to Seirawan's book would be "New Ideas In Chess" by 5-time U..S Chess
Champion Larry Evans (Dover Pub. edition, ISBN 0486283054, in Descriptive notation), which was, in
fact, the first book to extensively elaborate on the four primary principles.  In particular see Chapter
2 - Pawn Structure.

Having been exposed to the primary principles, you will be ready to increase your knowledge base
and skill set with.....

"Weapons of Chess" by Bruce Pandolfini

The book provides an excellent introduction to the basic concepts and techniques of positional
chess, including extensive instruction in the fundamentals of pawn play.  A nice thing about
"Weapons..."  is that you can read the chapters in any order you choose, as the topics inspire you - it
is not necessary to read the book linearly, from beginning to end.  But it is important to study all of
the lessons in the book, as the concepts discussed are fundamental to developing skillful positional
technique.  I consider this along with Seirawan's book above to be must-reads for all
improving amateurs who aspire to play chess at a higher level.

After studying Pandolfini's "Weapons...." the following classic book... 

"Simple Chess" by Michael Stean

is an excellent introduction to the application of positional-strategic concepts in practice, of which

accurate pawn play is an integral part.  Don't let the title fool you - this book is a must-read for
every chess player who is serious about improving their chess skills.

Having absorbed the lessons in the books above, for a deeper, more focused treatment of the
elemental concepts and techniques of pawn play in general, the following is highly recommended...

"Pawn Power In Chess" by Hans Kmoch

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Kmoch's book is a classic.  In my opinion, this is an immortal masterpiece of the chess literature, and
every serious chess player would be well served to study it - in particular the first 6-7 chapters, which
embody the essence of the book.  The book is concerned with the fundamental elements, principles
and techniques underlying correct pawn play, primarily within the context of middlegame
strategy.  Although its usage of the older "Descriptive" chess notation, and the somewhat quirky, but
apt, terminology used to describe structures and concepts may require getting acclimated to,
exposure to the lessons in this book will continue to pay dividends throughout your chess career.

For more commentary on Kmoch's book, see my blog article....

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/pawn-power-in-chess-by-hans-kmoch

The following books would be good follow-on's or supplements to the books above, providing
instructive examples of pawn play in practice.  They are targeted primarily to the experienced,
intermediate and above player, who are familiar with positional chess concepts...

"The Power of Pawns: Chess Structure Fundamentals for Post-beginners" by Jorg Hickl

"Understanding Pawn Play In Chess" by Drazen Marovic

"Dynamic Pawn Play In Chess" by Drazen Marovic

Finally, the following deal specifically with the generalized pawn structures arising out of the major
opening systems, as well as the plans, strategies and typical play associated with each....

"Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis (get the 2013 Batsford edition)

"Chess Structures - A Grandmaster Guide" by Mauricio Flores Rios

"Winning Chess Middlegames: An Essential Guide to Pawn Structures" by Ivan Sokolov

Throughout your chess career, study everything you can relating to pawn play, pawn structures and
positional concepts.  These, along with tactics, endgame basics and opening principles are the most
important fundamental aspects of chess to become skilled in.

Pawn play and pawn structure are fundamental elements of positional-strategic chess.  As such,
the concepts and techniques comprising these aspects of chess play work together, hand-in-hand. 
For more on positional play in general see my blog article....

Good Positional Chess, Planning & Strategy Books for Beginners and Beyond

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For more articles on other chess topics, including helpful chess resources and more book
recommendations, be sure to check out my Chess.com blog.

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