Learning Chess: The Importance of Pawns

François-André Philidor, the greatest chess player of the 18th century, called pawns "the soul of chess." They play an important - though sometimes subtle - role in every game, and should you reach the endgame, pawns can become the most valuable pieces on the board!

Mastering the intricate nature of pawn play can take a lifetime. But a firm knowledge of pawn basics will give you a greater appreciation of their value - and a greater chance of scoring some wins!

Pawn Moves are Forever

Unlike the other pieces, pawns can only move in one direction - forward! That means that any pawn move you make is final - even if you realize it was a mistake later, there's no way to get your pawn back where it came from. A pawn that moves forward might leave behind some weak squares or holes in your position that your opponent can exploit.

Does that mean you should never push your pawns? Of course not! Moving pawns forward is the main way to gain space, an important element in winning chess games. However, it does mean that you should make sure your pawn pushes aren't giving away important squares to your opponent's pieces.

Pawn Structure

The pawn structure - that is, the arrangement of one or both players' pawns on the board - is usually what determines the strategic nature of the game. Even though learning specific lines in your openings of choice isn't that important for a beginning player, it can be a good idea to learn the basic plans that go along with the common pawn structures of your openings. The pawn structure can often tell you which side of the board to play on if the center is locked. An example would be a situation in which white has pawns on c3, d4 and e5, while black has pawns sitting on f7, e6 and d5. White's pawns "point" to the kingside, while black's point to the queenside, giving both players a clue as to where they'll have more space and more chances for successful play.

Strong and Weak Pawns

Even as a beginner, you may have noticed that some pawn formations are very strong. For instance, a group of pawns each protecting each other tends to be rather difficult to attack. We call these pawn groups "pawn chains." For instance, white pawns on a2, b3, c4 and d5 would make a rather long pawn chain, with each pawn protecting the one in front of it. Pawn chains are most vulnerable to attack at their base (in the case of our example, at a2), as there is no pawn protecting the base pawn.

There are also several types of pawns that are often weak. For instance, isolated pawns - those with no friendly pawns on the files adjacent to them - are often weak, as they require pieces to protect them. Doubled pawns, or two of the same player's pawns on the same file, also tend to be weak; these pawns cannot protect each other, and the front pawn often blocks the advance of the pawn behind it. Pawns which are both isolated and doubled are even worse, and nearly always a burden on the player who has them.

It is important to note, however, that these are generalizations; these and other types of "bad" pawns can sometimes be quite good! However, for the beginner, it's usually correct to avoid such formations.

Pawns in the Endgame

In the endgame, pawns take on an even greater importance. Unless there is still enough material on the board for one or both kings to be checkmated, the focus turns to promoting a pawn to a queen to gain a decisive advantage. This is done by the creation of passed pawns.

Passed pawns are those which cannot be stopped by any enemy pawns. In the endgame, these pawns are extremely powerful, and should be treated as such. You should seek to create and protect passed pawns for yourself, while preventing or stopping the advance of your opponent's passed pawns. Remember that it's often correct to put your rooks behind a passed pawn - either your own, or one belonging to the enemy. If you are losing, a passed pawn could be the key to saving your game. Likewise, if your opponent has a passed pawn, you should head the advice of chess great Aron Nimzovich: ""A passed pawn is a criminal which should be kept under lock and key."

I hope this article has given you a few insights into pawn play in chess. Understanding at least the basics of pawns in crucial to appreciating the beauty of chess strategy, and is an important part of becoming a stronger player.