Starting Chapters on Left page with Koma-script Book

Question

I'm using the KOMA-Script Book class and I'm interested in making specific chapters (not all) start on the left. I'm writing a translation and I want the book to open such that the original text (under the chapter header) is on the left, and the translation text is on the right. Right now, it will only open on the right and this puts the translation text on the opposite side of the page so both can't be seen at the same time.

I did a search of the forums already and tried several different solutions, but they didn't work. Some resulted in changing the title page but not whether the chapters started on the left/right.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! - J.D.

Answer 1

You can use \KOMAoptions{open=left} before that specific chapter and \KOMAoptions{open=right} before the next chapter that should start on a right page:

\documentclass{scrbook}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\chapter{Chapter on right page}
\lipsum
\KOMAoptions{open=left}
\chapter{Chapter on left page}
\lipsum
\KOMAoptions{open=right}
\chapter{Chapter again on right page}
\lipsum
\end{document}

Result:

Or you define an own command \chapterleft:

\documentclass{scrbook}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\let\chapterleft\chapter
\usepackage{xpatch}
\xpretocmd\chapterleft{\KOMAoptions{open=left}}{}{}
\xapptocmd\chapterheadendvskip{\KOMAoptions{open=right}}{}{}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\chapter{Chapter on right page}
\lipsum
\chapterleft{Chapter on left page}
\lipsum
\chapter{Chapter again on right page}
\lipsum
\end{document}