Small Steps to Giant Improvements- Master Pawn Play in Chess

The correct use of the pawns is one of the most difficult aspects of chess strategy, but GM Sam Shankland breaks down the principles of Pawn Play to basic, easily understandable guidelines every chess player should know. He starts with extremely simple examples, but then lifts the level, showing how grand masters could have made better decisions by using the book's guidelines. Front Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Contents......Page 4 Key to symbols used......Page 5 Preface......Page 6 Part I – Pawns Can’t Move Backwards......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 01. Protecting Your Children......Page 16 02. Avoiding Potholes......Page 28 03. Driving on Open Roads......Page 50 04. Safe Houses should not be Compromised......Page 68 05. Keeping Your Door Locked......Page 88 Part II – Compelling Enemy Pawns Forward......Page 108 Introduction......Page 110 06. Taking Out Lone Soldiers......Page 112 07. Establishing Strongholds......Page 130 08. Blocking Artillery......Page 146 09. Invading the Castle......Page 168 10. Breaking a Dam......Page 192 Part III – Pawns Seldom Move Sideways......Page 208 Introduction......Page 210 11. Single-File Lines are Easily Blocked......Page 212 12. Footsoldiers Must Coordinate......Page 228 13. Avoiding Redundant Workers......Page 246 Part IV – Compelling Enemy Pawns Sideways......Page 264 Introduction......Page 266 14. Winning 1 vs 2 Combat......Page 268 15. Bumping Enemies into Each Other......Page 290 16. Hiding in Plain Sight......Page 308 Game Index......Page 326 Name Index......Page 330 Back Cover......Page 337 "In chess you cannot take your move back, but you can always return a misplaced piece to its former square at the cost of some time. Pawns on the other hand can never move backwards, making pawn moves truly permanent decisions. This irreversibility makes Pawn Play among the most difficult aspects of chess strategy, which is one reason few books have been written about this topic - and some that have are almost incomprehensible. Double Olympiad gold medalist Sam Shankland has gone the other way - breaking down the principles of Pawn Play to basic, easily understandable guidelines every chess player should know."--Back cover In chess you cannot take your move back, but you can always return a misplaced piece to its former square at the cost of some time. Pawns on the other hand can never move backwards, making pawn moves truly permanent decisions. This irreversibility makes Pawn Play among the most difficult aspects of chess strategy. The author breaks down the principles of Pawn Play to basic, easily understandable guidelines every chess player should know