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This Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide is an English-language hardcover chess book by Mauricio Flores Rios that explains one of the most important areas of positional play: how pawn structures shape plans, piece placement and middlegame decisions.
What the book covers
Instead of memorising opening lines, you learn how a position really works. The book examines 28 common chess structures and shows where piece activity belongs, when to play on the kingside or queenside, which pawn breaks are typical, and which strategic traps to avoid.
This makes it especially useful for players who want to sharpen their middlegame judgement and move more confidently from the opening into a concrete plan. Model games and game fragments show each structure in practical play, not just in theory.
What’s inside
- carefully selected model games that illustrate the main plans and ideas behind each structure
- strategic patterns to recognise during play
- typical mistakes and dangers to watch for
- 50 positional exercises with detailed solutions
- a total of 140 games and game fragments used to teach the key plans and patterns
Author and edition
Mauricio Flores Rios is the author of this English edition, published in hardcover format. The book runs to 464 pages and was published on 4 February 2015.
GM Axel Bachmann describes Chess Structures: A Grandmaster Guide as an excellent selection of model games, noting that the 140 games and fragments help the reader learn many of the most important plans, patterns and ideas in chess.
Key details
- Product type: hardcover chess book
- Author: Mauricio Flores Rios
- Language: English
- Subject: pawn structures and positional understanding
- Structure count: 28 common chess structures
- Exercises: 50 positional exercises with detailed solutions
- Game material: 140 games and game fragments
- ISBN: 978-1-78483-001-4
Tangible precision
Each move strengthens curiosity, concentration, and self-confidence.

