What do you think?
Rate this book
Pawn Structure Chess
Some 250 years ago, the great Philidor wrote, "The pawns are the soul of chess." Although that statement is perhaps the most common cliche in the literature of the game, it is too often misunderstood.
Pawns are usually considered weak because of their limited range of movement. But the pawns' restricted mobility is precisely what makes them so important they form a semi-permanent structure -- often called a "pawn skeleton" -- that establishes the territorial lines of the coming battle and thus the nature of the battle itself. Understanding how pawns affect strategy is the subject of this important book. In it you will
-- how to handle the characteristic pawn structure of each opening "family" and each major variation
-- how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of pawn chains
-- when to exchange pawns in the center -- and when not to
-- how to cramp your opponent's position and what to do if your opponent cramps yours
-- how to create and exploit pawn "holes"...and much, much more, all copiously illustrated by complete games from actual play.
Pawns are usually considered weak because of their limited range of movement. But the pawns' restricted mobility is precisely what makes them so important they form a semi-permanent structure -- often called a "pawn skeleton" -- that establishes the territorial lines of the coming battle and thus the nature of the battle itself. Understanding how pawns affect strategy is the subject of this important book. In it you will
-- how to handle the characteristic pawn structure of each opening "family" and each major variation
-- how to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of pawn chains
-- when to exchange pawns in the center -- and when not to
-- how to cramp your opponent's position and what to do if your opponent cramps yours
-- how to create and exploit pawn "holes"...and much, much more, all copiously illustrated by complete games from actual play.
368 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
115 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Want to read
February 8, 2017
Okay, Goodreads Recommendation Engine, you've got my attention. Now give me the inside scoop on Andrew Soltis.
June 29, 2021
I think I forgot all but the last page of the book by the time I closed the back cover. There's just so much material here, I think this one will take a few more readings to really sink in. Just an amazing book.
December 31, 2017
The best feature of this book is that it is organized by openings and the pawn structures they create, which makes it imminently practical. You can go right to a chapter for the opening you want to play and read about how its pawn structure affects play.
April 12, 2025
“But it’s what the pawn structure allows you to [do] that matters most.”
Although a useful overview of the pawn structures that typically result from different openings, the games included to illustrate positions are not ideal. They often are quite dated and rarely include modern, main lines of the openings. Additionally, there is probably too much analysis of the games—that is, of the specific moves—and too little text discussing the pawn structure and plans. That is, this reads more like an annotated game collection than an instructional book. By contrast, Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide provides modern games, main-line openings, and more instruction. Still, this is a good book. Soltis’s writing is also frequently memorable:
“Pawns are born free but are everywhere in chains.”
Although a useful overview of the pawn structures that typically result from different openings, the games included to illustrate positions are not ideal. They often are quite dated and rarely include modern, main lines of the openings. Additionally, there is probably too much analysis of the games—that is, of the specific moves—and too little text discussing the pawn structure and plans. That is, this reads more like an annotated game collection than an instructional book. By contrast, Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide provides modern games, main-line openings, and more instruction. Still, this is a good book. Soltis’s writing is also frequently memorable:
“Pawns are born free but are everywhere in chains.”
March 15, 2022
Amazing book!
October 13, 2022
An excellent resource, be sure to have a good understanding of the game before diving into this (I'd recommend 1400 min ELO) as this will get into some complicated themes and ideas.
November 11, 2019
4* - a great addition to anyone's collection.
I read this book like a book, and I would not recommend reading it in this manner. It is incredibly dense, and I don't believe reading it through is a good way to retain the information.
However, the chapter division by structure is well done, and useful. This is a great reference book, a great tool to use when studying openings and middlegame plans. Reading or using this book will improve the way you study openings and analyze games, since the book is essentially just guiding the reader through one game at a time.
If you are looking for a book to improve your chess play, I think this is a fine addition to any collection, if used the right way. If you are looking for an interesting book about chess to read, find another book.
I read this book like a book, and I would not recommend reading it in this manner. It is incredibly dense, and I don't believe reading it through is a good way to retain the information.
However, the chapter division by structure is well done, and useful. This is a great reference book, a great tool to use when studying openings and middlegame plans. Reading or using this book will improve the way you study openings and analyze games, since the book is essentially just guiding the reader through one game at a time.
If you are looking for a book to improve your chess play, I think this is a fine addition to any collection, if used the right way. If you are looking for an interesting book about chess to read, find another book.
July 6, 2021
It is mostly collections of games with some explanations regarding pawn structure strategies for both sides. What I did is I put positions to Chessable private course and viewed them several of times while reading annotations. I have to say that gave me perspective how to play in quiet complex structures of King's Indian for example, but I cannot say that was easy task to get something from this book.
I think there are better books about pawn play overall and structures which I will get, because I don't have a feeling that this book helped me enough. It was originally written in '70s and "fun" aspect which is present in more contemporary books is missing here. I am rated about 1700 Std Chess.com 1900 Std Lichess.
Pros:
a) Helpful, gives essential plans for white and black in certain structures
b) Games chosen by author are interesting
Cons:
a) Very little annotations and explanations
b) Lack of "fun" aspect
c) Games and positions were criticized by others who checked them with computer analysis (I did not do that personally)
I think there are better books about pawn play overall and structures which I will get, because I don't have a feeling that this book helped me enough. It was originally written in '70s and "fun" aspect which is present in more contemporary books is missing here. I am rated about 1700 Std Chess.com 1900 Std Lichess.
Pros:
a) Helpful, gives essential plans for white and black in certain structures
b) Games chosen by author are interesting
Cons:
a) Very little annotations and explanations
b) Lack of "fun" aspect
c) Games and positions were criticized by others who checked them with computer analysis (I did not do that personally)
August 18, 2013
I've played thousands games of Chess, and I feel like I'm no better than I was after the first few hundred. Sure there might be games in which you're totally in the zone against a much better opponent and there's nothing like the thrill of making that checkmate, but even if you're a Grandmaster there's room for improving your game.
Now, I'm not the kind of chess player who has all the openings memorized. I only know the openings that I like to use. I play them because they have seemed to work for me all this time. This book is neat in which it shows you how to think, rather than telling you what to do. It shows the logic of this and that, and you absorb this.
Now, I'm not the kind of chess player who has all the openings memorized. I only know the openings that I like to use. I play them because they have seemed to work for me all this time. This book is neat in which it shows you how to think, rather than telling you what to do. It shows the logic of this and that, and you absorb this.
May 30, 2016
Where are the pawn breaks and what is the inverse of the position become more important than recapping move order. A useful book.
Currently reading
September 14, 2017wanna improve my chess game.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews