Converting an Extra Pawn in Chess

Winning a pawn is a common occurrence in chess, but many players have no idea what to do with an extra pawn, aside from the vague notion of “exchange pieces and win the endgame”. Grandmaster Sam Shankland knows better – and after reading this book, you will too. In this groundbreaking work, Shankland shares his three-step process for handling positions with an extra pawn, using perfectly chosen practical examples to illustrate the themes. With this book, you too can become a master at converting the most common type of material advantage in chess.

Sam Shankland is a former US Champion and had won both individual and team gold medals at Chess Olympiads. His two previous books for Quality Chess, Small Steps to Giant Improvement and Small Steps 2 Success, received rave reviews.

Reviews

FM Carsten Hansen (American Chess Magazine)
“The material is an excellent selection of instructive games and puzzles. While the puzzles may be too difficult for most, the instructional material isn’t, and the annotations and prose are not. While I had seen several of the games before, I had never read the annotations presented in this way – and after reading the book, I feel I learned a great deal, far more than if I had simply read the players’ own notes in a magazine or game collection. The reason, of course, is that when selecting the material, Shankland considered what would best illustrate the theme he had in mind and how the game would most benefit the student’s understanding. This is material I will return to again and again to avoid beating myself up too much over missed opportunities when a pawn ahead. Great work.”

Sean Marsh (CHESS magazine)
“Make no mistake, the material in these linked books (RR: Converting an Extra Pawn in Chess & Powerhouse Pawn Sacrifices) is very difficult – even more so, when stripped of the online lecture format. However, both books – which are definitely aimed at advanced players – will make the reader start to think in different ways, which can only be a good thing.”