Haveyoueverwonderedwhyittakesgrandmastersjustsecondstoseewhat’shappeninginachessposition?It’sallaboutpawnstructures,asIvanSokolovexplainedinhisgroundbreakingbookWinningChessMiddlegames.Inhis2010bestseller,GrandmasterSokolovfocusedonstructuresarisingfrom1.d4openings;inthisnewcompanionguide,1.e4playersgettheirturn.ThisnewvolumecoversadozentopicalstructuresincludingvariouspawnformationsintheflexibleRuyLopez,ItalianandPetroffopenings.ButalsoBlack’sdoubledf-pawnintheRauzerSicilian,thenotoriousMaroczyBind,themysteriousHedgehog,theversatileSveshnikovandtheparadoxicalFrenchWinawer.Deeplyanalysedtop-levelgamesillustratethemotifsinallthesestructures.ClubplayerswhostudyWinningChessMiddlegames1.e4or1.d4will:significantlyimprovetheirmiddlegameskillsdevelopanaccuratesenseofwhichpositionssuittheirstylegainnewstrategicandpracticalknowledgeofopeningsIvanSokolov’sanalysisisprofoundbutaccessible,andhedoesn’ttakeanythingforgranted.AsreviewerSeanMarshwroteofthefirstvolume:“ThelucidandinformativeexplanationsconveyalargeamountofgenuineGrandmasterlywisdom.Thisiseasilyoneofthebestmiddlegamebooksofrecenttimes.“
