5/5 Stars “A beautifully produced hardback… Shankland wins me over by illustrating these guidelines beautifully… All in all, an excellent, original book.”
GM Matthew Sadler, New in Chess
5/5 Stars “In the present book, Grandmaster Sam Shankland discusses pawn play, especially the implications of having far advanced pawns and how to provoke or force them to be pushed too far. There is also a discussion of doubled pawns from both your own and your opponent’s perspectives.
The book accomplishes its goals very well and the discussions are enlightening even if suited for stronger players in the intended readership. For players of at least 2000 Elo strength it will certainly provide first-rate instruction, but for those rated below that it may be a little complex at times. Nevertheless a self improvement manual well worth studying!”
Carsten Hansen, American Chess Magazine
“An intimate, unvarnished interrogation of a strong Grandmaster’s mind at work, and a clear articulation of the pragmatism at the heart of contemporary chess praxis. It is a fascinating first effort from the new US Champion, and I sincerely hope that the promised second volume soon sees the light of day.”
John Hartmann, Chess Life
