The QG, the Dutch, and the French all have completely different pawn structures. You could actually focus more on one or two familiar pawn structures. Just saying.
Trying to understand Pawn Structure better
Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide
https://www.amazon.com/Chess-Structures-Mauricio-Flores-Rios/dp/1784830003
@davidjsmith2 @blueemu thanks guys. The Soltis book looks great, and thanks for your advice David, it's difficult to find chess books understandable for lower levels!
Hi all!
I want to try and better understand some common pawn structures to help form plans based on the position, and I suppose to better understand chess as a whole. I play QG, French and Dutch in mainly long daily games to really try to understand what's happening, but I have trouble forming plans. Trying to reach my next goal of 1700!
Can anyone point me to some resources to help? Is this a worthwhile area to put time into?
thanks!
3 road signs regarding pawns:
a. pawn moves are irreversible because pawns do not move backwards. take great care before moving one of your pawns. take even greater care when your opponent moves a pawn
b. pawn structure is the terrain (shape of the battlefield) between the 2 pawn formations. The shape of the battlefield determines the strategy and tactics of the plan of war. The area behind the 2 pawn formations is the space where most of the pieces operate. Most advantages in space and time are found here.
c. Winning chess is the strategically/tactically correct advance of the pawn mass.
Some possibilities:
Winning Pawn Structures by GM Alexander Baburin (1998)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140718055446/http://chesscafe.com/text/wps.txt
Understanding Pawn Play in Chess by GM Drazen Marovic (2000)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708110136/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review249.pdf
Dynamic Pawn Play in Chess by GM Drazen Marovic (2001)
http://theweekinchess.com/john-watson-reviews/books-of-many-flavours
Winning Chess Middlegames, An Essential Guide to Pawn Structures by GM Ivan Sokolov (2009)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140708091955/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/review676.pdf
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 by GM Mauricio Flores Rios (2015)
"There is also masses of stuff in the book that made me go 'Oooh!' and 'Aaah!' so I think it will have the same effect on you! In particular, I loved Rios' exposition of White's plan of exerting queenside pressure against Hedgehog systems. I'd seen one of the games he quotes in his chapter but I'd never remotely made any link to a structured way of fighting the Hedgehog structure, so this chapter was a real eye-opener for me ...
In conclusion, warmly recommended. Lots to learn!" - GM Matthew Sadler
The Power of Pawns by GM Jörg Hickl (2016)
"The didactic concept of the book is admirable. Each chapter defines the structures, explains the typical characteristics and shows the plans for both White and Black. The reader participates by assessing positions and invariably receives useful tips for practical play." - FM Harry Schaack
hi finalDAVE,
I will send you some lines and instructions tomorrow. Also I have a huge knowledge about the QG, I play those lines since more than 7 years.
See you then
@fieldsofforce thank you, this is a very helpful! I appreciate your help. @kindaspongey wow! What a great list, thanks very much! I'll delve into it tomorrow (it's 2am currently)
@iamnomaster that would be a HUGE help. I really would appreciate it, thanks! I look forward to hearing from you!
Good morning!
Lets start with some basics about pawn structures and the plans combined to them.
1. To fight against a pawn chain you can either attack the top of the chain or undermine the chain at its roots. This simple concept is super powerful for understanding middlegame plans and can be found in every opening with every pawn structure. Some examples:
Dutch Stonewall:
2 reasonable plans for white in this pawn structure are to either plays f3-e4 to directly attack the black pawn chain or start a queenside attack with b4-a4-b5 and eventually a5-a6. As you can see this attacks the start or the routs of the pawn chain, if you attack those roots you will always create weakness which your pieces can attack or open files which you can invade on. Theoretically this concept of undermining the pawn chains at its roots would look like this:
In the example above you want to get rid of the far advanced e4 pawn . You can either do this by playing f3 (attacking the top of the chain) or undermining the pawn chain as you can see in the line above.
Kingsindian:
The kingsindian is great for illustrating basic pawn chain dynamics.
The start of whites pawn chain to the center is the g2 pawn. Blacks usual attack goes along with g5-h5-g4 and then usually black takes on f3 and created a weaknesses and an open g file for his rook. You could also think of getting your h pawn to h3 to undermine the g2 pawn but that would probably take too long and is hard to get in in an opening like the kingsindian where time is worth everything and every tempo can decide about the result of the game.
The start of blacks pawn chain is the c7 pawn. It promotes the d6 pawn, which promotes e5, which promotes f4. Whites usual play on the queenside goes with b4-c5 and then he can either take on d6, get the c file and created a backward pawn or he can push b4-b5-a4-a5-b6 to attack the roots of the chain directly. Also notice how in this opening the white d5 pawn directs the gameplans for each side as it gives white the space advantage in the center and queenside and forces black practically to find counterplay on the kingside, the side where he has the advantage.
Most openings and the plans combined with them can be explained and identified by looking at the pawn structures. Lets look at the simple line 1.d4 f5.
You need to see every pawn as a potential weakness or something you can play for. Moving 1.d4 weakens the e4 square (in a lot of queenspawn openings you see knights jumping to this e4 square) and it also gives black a target. He can either attack the d4 pawn with c5 or with e5. If you think of it like this you can greatly improve your understanding about chess and pawn structures. Why play the Benoni? Because it is a logical consequence of whites d4 move. (what is the benoni? it is either 1.d4 c5 or 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 c5). In the same way you can think about blacks 1... f5 move. First of all it weakens the g5 and e5 squares (in a lot of dutch lines, for example the stonewall, the e5 square is greatly weakened and white can invade on it) and secondly white can see the pawn as a direct weakness which he can make use of. Why do you think there are crazy gambits against the dutch like for example 1.d4 f5 2.g4 or the staunton gambit (1.d4 f5 2.e4) ? It is because those gambits directly want to make use of the f5 pawn. This is how basically all pawn play works, you watch pawns as targets and use them for your own plays and plans.
2. Having the better pawn structure does not always mean you have to win the game. This is what makes chess so fun and such a dynamic game, it might seem logical that the one with the better foundation, the better structure would have to win, but thats not the case. Sometimes the dynamics favor the side which has the better piece play, for example. Just look at opening lines and games in your database and have a closer look at the pawn structure and the plans both sides aimed for in the game. Often one side attacks on the queenside and completely demolishes it but gets checkmated on the kingside.
One great example about these dynamics is the isolated queens pawn. It occurs for example in the Queensgambit Accepted. Theoretically blacks pawn structure is better and if he consolidates and manages to put his pieces in front of the isolated pawn he has big chances to win. White does have the structural weakness but he gets great dynamic compensation for it. He gets the c and e file, a space advantage in the center and can often times start an overwhelming attack on blacks king. The plans for both sides are set with the pawn structure, who wins the game is decided by the individual strength.
That were just some basics about pawns in general I will write something about the QG later.
c. Winning chess is the strategically/tactically correct advance of the pawn mass.
I am so tired of reading this nonsense again and again. Some players just like to repeat it like some kind of mantra, some magic formula. They attribute it to Kmoch or to Nimzowitsch but when I asked to name exactly the book/page there was no answer.
I can propose a formula of my own: "Winning chess is playing to checkmate your opponent". It is just as useless as the "pawn mass" thing but at least it makes some reference to the goal of this game.
Hi all!
I want to try and better understand some common pawn structures to help form plans based on the position, and I suppose to better understand chess as a whole. I play QG, French and Dutch in mainly long daily games to really try to understand what's happening, but I have trouble forming plans. Trying to reach my next goal of 1700!
Can anyone point me to some resources to help? Is this a worthwhile area to put time into?
thanks!