There are many books on pawn play and I'm not sure which to get.
I'm considering the following:
Pawn Structure Chess (Soltis)
Understanding Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Pawn Power in Chess (Kmoch)
Winning Pawn Structures (Baburin)
Does anyone have any information about how these compare? Any recommendations?
Originally posted by exigentskyOnly to avoid Pawn Power in Chess by Kmoch as it has a lot of incomprehensible (to me anyway) terminology I've only ever seem in this book and quite archaic language. Let me know if you'd like a sample.
There are many books on pawn play and I'm not sure which to get.
I'm considering the following:
Pawn Structure Chess (Soltis)
Understanding Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Pawn Power in Chess (Kmoch)
Winning Pawn Structures (Baburin)
Does anyone have any information about how these compare? Any recommendations?
I was recommended Understanding Pawn Play in Chess and I have got it...It is interesting...taking different pawn formations and analysing master games with those pawn formations...more like a grouping of analysed games on specific themes...I haven't read it yet(but I am planning to do it this year, it is in the queue 🙂 )
Maybe you should search reviews on the net...
Originally posted by exigentskyMy understanding of those books, having not long ago looked hard at each to decide which I wanted (though I never did commit so understand I'm just summarizing some serious research I did on them at the time):
There are many books on pawn play and I'm not sure which to get.
I'm considering the following:
Pawn Structure Chess (Soltis)
Understanding Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess (Marovic)
Pawn Power in Chess (Kmoch)
Winning Pawn Structures (Baburin)
Does anyone have any information about how these compare? Any recommendations?
Soltis: Probably the best book in terms of the structures themselves, their features, and the positional influence that has on resultant plans and typical endings. Highly regarded, reputed to be a little intense.
Marovic books: Different perspective. These are more game collections type books of really good games and annotations where the author places an emphasis on understanding the pawn play and its influence. Different approach than Soltis' but probably complement it well or stand alone by themselves for the topic or just for the quality of games and annotations. Marovic apparently writes well but his english is awkward in places so expect some odd looking sentences. Makes extensive use of Sicilian games for his examples, so since you play this with black (and especially if you also open 1. e4) this would add even more value.
Kmoch: Similar in focus and approach to the topic as Soltis, but has a reputation for being hard to read because of Kmoch's frequent use of obscure and confusing terms. If you can get past that its supposed to be good though.
Baburin: Despite the title, the focus is exclusively on the IQP. Its pretty much regarded as the chess treatise on that topic.
So really it comes down to exactly where you want to begin as they take different approaches and the topic matter is still different as a result. If you want to go mainly at it from a structural point of view, then Soltis or Kmoch. If you're more interested in tension, relieving tension, pawn breaks, pushes, and storms (more dynamic features) then Marovic. Baburin I'd probably read last unless your openings lead often to having or playing against an IQP.
One other suggestion that didn't make your list: The Art of the Middlegame by Keres and Kotov (this one I do own, though I've only ever skimmed it so far). This is a book of 5 chapters, each on a different topic, that is written very extensively and thoroughly about, 2 by Keres and 2 by Kotov, plus a lighter introduction (ch. 1) on Planning by Golombek.
Relevant is chapter 4, by Kotov, which spans almost 50 pages, called: Various Pawn Positions in the Centre. He sub-divides the chapter into sections on open center, closed, mobile, fixed, dynamic, and discusses the unique features of each as they regard typical plans and ideas, and how each influences the shape of the middle game differently.
You also get 3 other outstanding chapters that also stand apart in their own right:
Strategy and Tactics of Attack on the King (Kotov)
How to Defend Difficult Positions (Keres)
And the Art of Analysis (Keres)
That last is intended mainly for master level analysis especially of adjourned games, but it has an obvious relevance for CC players too. Supposed to be the toughest part of the book to work through too.
Originally posted by scandiumThanks scandium, that was very informative! It looks like I am mainly interested in the Soltis book and perhaps The Art of the Middlegame. I'll keep researching all of them a bit more though.
My understanding of those books, having not long ago looked hard at each to decide which I wanted (though I never did commit so understand I'm just summarizing some serious research I did on them at the time):
Soltis: Probably the best book in terms of the structures themselves, their features, and the positional influence that has on resultant plans and ...[text shortened]... nce for CC players too. Supposed to be the toughest part of the book to work through too.
Tried the soltis book, was terrible. Pawn power I only read the first two chapters and already learned alot about why duo's dominate and control the board and other formations. Arrikas said the book raised his rating 300 pts, Im just too damn lazy to read it, it has some terminology that he events but its not a big deal.
Originally posted by HomerJSimpsonIt got good reviews, overall, when I looked into it but there was always the caveat that its a serious read and requires that effort to get through. Plus its not the most exciting aspect of chess, pawn structures that is, so I suppose you need that motivation or you're not going to get into it.
Tried the soltis book, was terrible. Pawn power I only read the first two chapters and already learned alot about why duo's dominate and control the board and other formations. Arrikas said the book raised his rating 300 pts, Im just too damn lazy to read it, it has some terminology that he events but its not a big deal.
The Kotov section on central pawn structures in The Art of the Middlegame is probably the better intro, since you get the fundamentals and more but, that part of the book at least, is very accessible. Other parts, especially Keres's chapters, are more intense. But each chapter is very independent of the others and the best way to read the book is probably by just picking the chapter relative to whatever else you're reading; say the section on Attacking the King as a prelude to Vukovic's Art of Attack, for example.
The Final Countdown by Hajenius & Van Riemsdijk.
I have tried to read it several times ... the content is very difficult to understand.
The chess most of us play is like Euclidean Geometry; we know the basics of pawn structure and opposition. But this book reveals a whole new dimension to the game where the ideas of direct, distant, and even oblique opposition do not apply. Instead, we are taught about a curviture of space and time on the chessboard where you learn to calculate a new set of squares to obtain opposition. The simple ideas of opposition that we learn in the basic chess primers does not mention what happens when pawn structure is considered. This book explains how to provide mathematical proof to ideas such as triangulation.
Here is just a sample of the ideas in this book. I don't pretend to understand very much of it yet.
http://www.chessvideos.tv/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=1458
Scroll down until you find the heading: The Secret of Corresponding Squares
- Joined
- 09 Aug 01
- Moves
- 54191
Originally posted by exigentskyi thought the soltis book to be very instructional and i recommend it highly. soltis' writing style is much simpler and easy to understand. a good introduction to middlegame play and chess openings.
Thanks scandium, that was very informative! It looks like I am mainly interested in the Soltis book and perhaps The Art of the Middlegame. I'll keep researching all of them a bit more though.
Originally posted by petrovitchThe whole page is very, very instructive. Got a rec from me. 🙂
The Final Countdown by Hajenius & Van Riemsdijk.
I have tried to read it several times ... the content is very difficult to understand.
The chess most of us play is like Euclidean Geometry; we know the basics of pawn structure and opposition. But this book reveals a whole new dimension to the game where the ideas of direct, distant, and even ob ...[text shortened]... .php?f=16&t=1458
Scroll down until you find the heading: The Secret of Corresponding Squares