Soul food

Pawns are the soul of chess. Who said that? I can't remember, but it was probably someone famous. Regardless of who said it first, many people agree that this is true. But few people seem to be capable of explaining why this is the case. Enter the niche category of pawn structure chess books. These books are really not a category of its own, but rather a specific type of strategy book. I first heard about the book when Neal Bruce presented his Pawn book championship about a year ago. Since Neal named this book the best of the bunch, I just had to buy it. It has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time, and finally I've taken the time to read it. What did I think? Well, it's got a little golden star, so that's a hint it's a good book. Read my review to see why I decided to give it my stamp of approval.

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What can you expect from this book?

I assume most of my readers will be familiar with Neal Bruce. If not, let me just say he's a very dedicated chess learner, and a big consumer of books written for the target audience of this blog. So when he says a book is good, it probably is. And The power of pawns was the winner of Neal's pawn book championship which he presented on Ben Johnson's Perpetual Chess podcast. So that alone should be an indication that this is a good book.

But what's the point of having a book about pawns? Well, the pawns can get in the way of pieces, which makes the placement of the pawns - the pawn structure - an important foundation for strategic play. By understanding the interplay between pawns and pieces, finding a good plan becomes easier. And that's the core of this book.

The power of pawns is a relatively small book in terms of pages. However, the 180 pages of the book are packed with useful information and ideas. So making full use of the book is not simply a matter of reading it, but also engaging actively in the issues presented and aiming to apply them in your own games. So working through a book like this can (and should?) take a while. The author comments on this in the introduction (p. 8):

It is not sufficient to read chess books. Their contents must be studied intensively and worked through, so as to consolidate the knowledge in a lasting manner. This demands a certain amount of personal initiative and unfortunately also a not inconsiderable investment of time. That, however, is the only way in which the knowledge can be assimilated and also recalled without problem at a later date in order to be of use in your own games.

The structure (no pun intended) of the book is divided into two parts. The first part gives a short introduction to the interaction between pieces and pawns, with separate chapters for the bishop, knight and rook. This chapter presents the basic concepts for good piece play. Some examples are "good" and "bad" bishops, outposts for knights and how to open up files for the rooks. The main point is, of course, that the placement of the pawns dictates what the pieces can do.

The second part of the book covers some fundamental pawn structures and how to find useful plans. The following pawn structures are presented, each in a chapter of their own.

• Hanging pawns
• Isolated pawns
• Backward pawns
• Passed pawns
• Doubled pawns
• Weak squares
• Pawn chains

If you have read any other basic strategy book, you will recognize these concepts. However, this book focuses on how to use the pawns to create positions that favor your pieces, rather than merely using the pieces correctly when/if the positions happen to appear on the board.

The presentation is very systematic and well-presented, with the same structure repeated throughout the book. For each pawn structure, Hickl gives a short presentation/"definition" followed by six sections: (1) specific characteristics, (2) plans for White, (3) plans for Black, (4) conclusion, (5) examples in the form of two or three annotated games, and (6) a list of model games. So the book can also be used as a reference guide for the type of structures that you typically play. 

The games are well-annotated, has plenty of diagrams and not too many sidelines. This makes it easy to follow along and understand the main concepts that the author tries to convey.

In my opinion, The power of pawns is a good introduction to pawn structures and strategic planning. It is a good companion to books such as Winning chess strategies, The amateur's mind or Simple chess. And the presentation is definitely on par with these classics. So if you're looking for a primer on chess strategy, this could very well be the book for you.

Who should read this book?

The power of pawns should probably not be your first chess book. The subtitle says it's for "post-beginners", which indicates that you should be somewhat experienced before digging into this book. But don't be discouraged; the threshold is not too high. If you're familiar with basic chess principles and have a few serious games under your belt, you're probably good to go. And although the book is aimed at (post) beginners, it can also be useful for intermediate players who want to shore up your strategic understanding. In terms of playing strength, I would think the book is best for players somewhere in the 1200-1600 range. The book is a joy to read, so if you feel like you fit the description above, I recommend you give it a closer look. 

About this book

Author:	Jörg Hickl
Title:	The power of pawns
Type of book:	Middlegame, Strategy
Level:	Beginner, (Intermediate)