Symmetrical Pawn Structures

Does anyone know of any good quality books on playing positions with symmetrical pawn structures (for example, see diagram)? I feel that this is the area in which I am consistently outplayed (probably because the positions don't come up much in my opening repertoire).

In the game I get a Knight on a good outpost and my Rook on an open file and even to the seventh rank and yet lose by move 25.

I'm surprised at your rating you're playing 10...dxe5. 10...Nxe5 is the logical move. It's not played when e.g. Nc5 pressures e4, but here that's not the case, so of course you trade the comparatively passive and cramping knight for white's active knight.

Maybe it's just my QGD experience but after that a setup with 12...Qe7 and 13...Bb7 is fine. The bishop might look terrible, but white's bishop isn't going to get you on the a2-g8 diagonal for example, and it indirectly eyes e4. You noticed Qc7 is wrong in your notes (predictably the d and c files will be open for the rooks).

All this to say... symmetrical pawn structure emphasizes piece placement. Even if the pawns are the same, if your pieces are different then you can pressure your opponent. One player puts one of their knights to the 2nd rank for example, or one player gets their "bad" bishop outside the pawn chair first. Gains control of a center square and posts a minor piece there first. Those are some situations that come to mind.

In this game it didn't really get to that point because you made some poor general choices that had nothing to do with the symmetrical pawns structure. That's my analysis FWIW.

As for your question about books, I don't know any that deal specifically with symmetrical structures, sorry.

I mean, it doesn't seem like you're that weak in this structure. Weak compared to an IM maybe. 18...Be6 just invited Ng5, which was bad for you. You seemed to be OK before that.

Thank you both for the replies.

I was going to make a comment along the lines of "Look at the database" with regards to 10...Nxe5 vs 10...dxe5, but it seems that 10...Nxe5 is a fully viable alternative which just hasn't been played much. Perhaps it's because Black has very few winning chances, but it does look like an objectively better move, despite having only 6 games in the database (compared to 66 for 10...dxe5). So thank you for improving my opening play!

Perhaps I am being a little self-deprecating with regards to my play in these positions, but I do seem to play badly in them (this isn't the only example). Perhaps it's due to a lack of a clear and concrete plan to follow such as attack on the kingside or control the outpost on d5. I think I also need some practice at defending slightly worse positions with not much counterplay.

Oh wow, you're right, lots of people capture with the pawn. Looking at some games they try to do with the knight what you did (b6-c4) or even c5-e6 eyeing d4. When it's not pressuring a pawn I don't quite understand it, but I guess it's just for general activity meanwhile if e5 is solid I guess the f3 knight needs to be moved eventually. Thanks for pointing that out. I obviously don't understand these KID positions very well.

Part of the reason capturing with the pawn occurs most often is because the d4 square (and sometimes f4, if white doesn't fianchetto) is weak. 

Black wants to put knights on d4 and f4, and wants the c pawn on c6, to control d5. So it makes sense that black would want a pawn on e5 - it supports d4 and f4, and if white ever captures a knight on those squares, it activates the powerful g7 bishop - so prophylaxis in a way. In the game case, black's "plan" generally involves putting a knight on d4, even if it has to be through Re8,Nf8,Ne6. 

I know this because I play this system in bullet a lot.

Interesting, thanks.

Hello,

What is the name of aplication you use to put the game in diagram above?

Thanks

Hello,

If you look just above the comments box there are a row of symbols. If you click the one on the left (that looks like a chessboard) then you are able to input games there.

Best wishes,

Firethorn15