Pawn Structure Chess by A.Soltis

Pawn Structure Chess by GM Andrew Soltis (2013)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140708101523/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review908.pdf

Chess structures: A Grandmaster Guide

https://chessbookreviews.wordpress.com/tag/chess-structures-a-grandmaster-guide/

https://www.newinchess.com/media/wysiwyg/product_pdf/7495.pdf

My opinion is that the book is over the head of anyone below Expert level. The author gives so many (!) moves with no explanation of why it is good. And even more importantly, how to find the move in the first place! Too many (!) basically 'of course' Of course - what????

You have to do all that work yourself, IF you can figure it out in the first place! It will strengthen you because you figure it out on your own, but most players will not be able to - even putting the time in.

I truly believe most chess books are not written to help the 'average' player.

Beginner players get books on the basic strategies. Experts and above get these books.

The rest of us...........nothing. Just my opinion.

My opinion is that most chess books are over the head of anyone below Expert level. Including this one!

The author gives so many (!) moves with no explanation of why it is good. And even more importantly, how to find the move in the first place! Too many (!) basically 'of course' Of course - what????

You have to do all that work yourself, IF you can figure it out in the first place! It will strengthen you because you figure it out on your own, but most players will not be able to - even putting the time in.

I truly believe chess books are not written to help the 'average' player. They do not want the average player knocking on the "Expert" door.

Beginner players get books on the basic strategies - castle, develop pieces, control the center.

Experts and above get the rest of the books.

The rest of us...........nothing. "Keep them out while taking their money" is the plan. Just my opinion.

I recall the guys at ChessDojo doing a podcast reviewing the best pawn books and I seem to remember Jorg Hickl's book "The Power of Pawns" came out on top. A little more advanced book would be Mauricio Flores Rios's "Pawn Structures: A Grandmaster Guide."