Hans Kmoch: Die Kunst der Bauerfuehrung

Kmoch’s book is often available in second hand book shops in Switzerland. I bought a copy several years ago, went through some pages and gave soon up. I was simply not ready for it.

Recently I went through some pages again...and got completely fascinated by the explanations!

You see here a strong player sharing his huge knowledge on chess, always stressing the role of pawns. He begins with very simple positions, mostly without kings and with few or no other pieces. Later you will see complex positions and how the pawns play a decisive role in the attack, defence, in the fight between minor pieces, etc. If you are afraid that some of his explanations could be corrected by engines...well, use an engine to check the explanations (I am still in the first chapters, and I didn’t tell the need anything with an engine).

This book is universally criticised because the new terminology he proposed.

But weird enough, I like this book ...because this terminology! I am getting use with the new terms, and there are helpful to memorise feature related to pawn formations.

The book is a revelation! I just regret that I didn’t have the stamina to go through it the first time I gave a try.

Although I just began the book (in the last 10 or 15 years I went very superficially through some parts of the book without keeping a simple bit of the knowledge it offers) I can tell you right now that this is my favourite book. And I have a lot of great books in my library!

If you get a copy, remember this: take it easy with the new terms. You will get used to them after going through the first pages. Actually I can imagine that once some of his terms will have a comeback in chess literature.

I am always urging people to read Kmoch's Pawn Power in Chess, with the same fanatical devotion that a Christian Evangelist reserves for the Holy Bible.

In this case you are from now in my new hero and guru 😀

I forgot that I wrote already something about the subject https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/leukopenie

I was asking myself who else tried to use Kmoch's terminology; I never find in my books other authors using most of his terms (only some of them).

I am probably the only guy who thinks that the terminology is useful. We all are used to works like "candidates", "Luft", "Zugzwang", "passed pawns", "pawn chain". We could also say that these terms are not completely necessary, as we could always describe what zugzwang or a passed pawn is. Since we are used to these terms, we are happy to use them. We are able to safe time when we can use specific terms (instead of explaining them all the time).

The problem is not Kmoch's neologism, but the fact that he proposed all these terms in one single work. If these terms would be proposed by several authors during decades and slowly adopted by other chess author, we would today use terms like "sneakers" (an unfree pawn or fake that may become a passer through a sacrificial combination) or "wedge" (two converging chains reaching into enemy territory) without thinking about them as neologisms.

New terms are often used in specialized areas, for example in science, to facilitate communication. If you take a dictionary with biological or medical terms, you will probably perceive them as unnecessary - until you begin to work with biology or medicine.

Here a list from most of Kmoch's terms (I took from another post, who was taken from somewhere in the internet).

Backward pawn, Straggler A half-free pawn on the second or third rank whose stop square lacks pawn protection but is controlled by a sentry.
Basic duo A duo where one of the pawns constitutes the base of a chain.
Buffer duo Two opposing duos facing each other with one rank in between.
Candidate Unopposed or half-free pawn.
Center lever A lever wholly within the two center files.
Center pawn Pawn on the d- or e-file.
Centerswap A capture from and to the d- or e-file that produces a doubled pawn.
Chain A diagonal pawn formations, identified by the number of their links (pawns).
Chain lever Adjacent levers in a diagonal formation, where the respective headpawns attack the base of the opposing chain, e.g., f5, g4 vs. g6, h5. Produces passed pawns.
Compound formation A formation consisting of several descriptive categories whose 
defining characteristics depend on the perspective from which it is viewed, e.g., d4, e4 vs. d5 - could be described as a center ram, center duo, tight duo, lever duo, center lever, tight lever, duo lever, etc.
Conditional backwardness A pawn that is backward in only certain respects.
Counterpawn Directly opposing pawn.
Cross lever Four immediately and directly opposing pawns, two of each color, e.g., d4, e4 vs. d5, e5.
Dispersion The vertical splitting of pawns (most commonly, isolation) caused by captures.
Distortion The horizontal splitting of pawns caused by advances.

Double lever An innerpawn under simultaneous attack from both adjacent files. It may be loose or tight.
Double pawns, Twins Friendly pawns on the same file.
Doubling, Undoubling The creation or elimination of a double pawn formation.
Duo Two adjacent pawns of the same color on the same rank that mutually cover the other's stop square.
Dynamical Obstruction Opposing pawns on adjacent files.
Faker A half-free pawn with inadequate helpers.
Fork lever A lever attacking two units at once (can include a piece).
Free pawn, passed pawn, passer A pawn with no counterpawn and no opposing sentries.
Frontspan Vertical distance between a pawn and the forward edge of the board.
Front-twin The foremost doubled pawn.
Half-free pawn Pawn with opposing pawns or pawn on adjacent files.
Hanging duo An isolated pair of half-free pawns.
Head-duo The headpawn and a friendly pawn in contact with it.
Headpawn The foremost pawn in a pawn formation.
Helper A candidate's own pawn on an adjacent file.
Home pawn Pawn on the castled side of the board.
Home side The castled side of the board.
Inner lever A lever where the capture would move toward the center.
Innerpawn Pawn on one of the files b-g.
Interspan Vertical distance between two opposing pawns.
Innerswap A capture towards the center that produces a doubled pawn.
Lee Shorter side of the horizontal beam of the pawn cross.
Lever Two opposing pawns in contact that can capture each other.
Local majority A pawn majority on one wing.
Loose duo A duo not in contact with an opposing pawn(s).
Loose lever A lever where each side has the option of capturing or bypassing.
Loose twin A double pawn whose undoubling is a possibility.
Luff Longer side of the horizontal beam of the pawn cross.
Mechanical Obstruction Opposing pawn on the same file.
Mute chain lever A chain lever in which the bases of the opposing pawn chains are not attacked, e.g., a5, b4, c3 vs. a7, b6, c5. Doesnt produce passers.
Outer lever A lever where the capture would move away from the center.
Outerswap A capture towards the rim that produces a doubled pawn.
Outside passer A passed pawn removed from the bulk of opposing pawns.
Passed pawn, passer, Free pawn A pawn with no counterpawn and no opposing sentries.
Passer duo A duo of two passed pawns.
Pawn-cross Cross formed along the rank and file on which the pawn sits with the pawn itself at the center of the cross.
Pincer lever Two levers that convergingly attack a chain of two pawns, including it's base, e.g., b2, c3 vs. a3, d4.
Protected passer A passed pawn protected by one or more helpers.
Quart Four horizontal friendly pawns.
Quartgrip Prototype of the siege. A formation of four vs. four pawns in which the shorter frontspan constitutes a great advantage.
Ram Two deadlocked, directly opposing pawns.
Ranger Pawn on the uncastled side of the board.
Ranger side The uncastled side of the board.
Rearspan Vertical distance between a pawn and the rear edge of the board.
Rear-twin The least-advanced doubled pawn.
Rimpawn Pawn on either the a- or h-file.
Saw A zigzag pawn formation (most commonly seen in the Stonewall formation).
Sentry Opposing pawn on an adjacent file.
Sham twin A double pawn whose undoubling is assured beforehand.
Shielding A pawn or a piece being protected from frontal assault by the opposing pawn whose stop or telestop it is occupying.
Siege Shielded backwardness that paralyzes a whole formation of pawns.
Sneaker An unfree pawn or faker that may become a passer through a sacrificial combination.
Span The pawn's vertical distance from the edges of the board.
Straggler, Backward pawn A half-free pawn on the second or third rank whose stop square lacks pawn protection but is controlled by a sentry.
Stopsquare, stop The square directly in front of a pawn.
Symmetrical exchange An exchange eliminating a pawn and its counterpawn. Reduces 
chances for levers and opens a file. Typically stabilizing. E.g., 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3. cxd5 cxd5.
Telestops Squares beyond the stop square in the frontspan of a pawn. 
Tight duo A duo in contact with an opposing pawn(s), whose axis forms a ram.
Tight lever A lever including a ram, that offers only one side the option of both capture and bypass, e.g., c4, d4 vs. d5, e6.
Tight twin A double pawn whose undoubling by force is theoretically impossible.
Triad A group of three pawns including a non-isolated twin, e.g., b2, b3, c2. A triad of unfree pawns is unable to produce a passer against a duo.
Trio Three horizontal friendly pawns.
Twins, Double pawns Friendly pawns on the same file.
Undoubling, Doubling The creation or elimination of a double pawn formation.
Unfree pawn Pawn with a counterpawn.
Unsymmetrical exchange A dynamic exchange resulting in a half-open file and half-free 
pawn for each side. E.g., 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3. cxd5 exd5.
Wedge Two converging chains reaching into enemy territory.
Wing pawn Pawn on the files a-c or f-h.

Yes, I noted. I discussed this somewhere else:

https://www.chess.com/forum/view/general/leukopenie

Okay, chapter B5 in my German edition, Feldstopfer und Feldfeger. Feldstopfer is a pawn hampering the own pieces. Feldfeger I think is a the pawn which moves to open lines for the own pieces. I didn't read yet the chapter, but I am looking forward to do it.

Did you work seriously with the book? What do you think, did it work for you?

 

Is this the same book as his "Pawn Power in Chess?"

thanks