pawn structures - tag

e5 Pawn is an essential pawn structure and understanding pawn structures is one of the key aspects of chess. The pawn structure is very revealing, as it not only tells you on which flank you must play but sometimes (and very often I may add) it reveals the character of the play.

Stonewall Pawn Structure: The Dutch Defense has gained huge popularity over the past few years mostly because some of the best players in the world such as Nakamura, Caruana, and even the world champion Magnus Carlsen started playing it from time to time.

Very often in our chess games, we face closed positions with a deep strategical character. In most cases, one side has a large space advantage while the other’s side pieces are cramped. Defending such positions is not an easy task. However, winning them is just as difficult. ***

One of the very important elements of the strategic play is understanding the basic pawn structures and the plans that can be used in each type of position. Having previously discussed most of the pawn formations that can appear during a game, we are now moving on to another concept – the backward pawn.  

As Philidor stated, “pawns are the soul of chess”. In this article, we will explore the most fundamental pawn structures and learn about their properties. A deep understanding of pawn structures is something that separates masters from amateurs. Go through each of the positions one by one, and you will be able to identify them […]

Opening pawn centers arise as both players develop their pieces and fight for control of the center. The center pawns form a framework or structure around which the pieces move. It is important to understand the different types of pawn centers that can occur, and how to play them. The pawn center determines the style […]