“You have to have the fighting spirit. You have to force moves and take chances” - Bobby Fischer
Finally, it is the last lesson in our 14-day Learning Chess Series, and it has been a heck of a ride. Starting from an idea down to mapping out a lesson scheme filled with topics, and now concluding the series, wow, this feels truly ecstatic for me. Do not worry too much, all the lessons are on my blog in case you would like to go through them again at any time. Do not take your humble beginnings for granted, for every master was once a beginner.
In the lesson, we are going to wrap the series with Pawn Structure. Understanding the role pawns play in a game of chess can serve as a vital tool, no matter the level of your chess. While other pieces may grab your attention due to their size, move, or probably the way they capture, the pawn is the opposite. Small in size and point, but can become deadly when it gets to the end of the chessboard. Do not underestimate a pawn, and do not think of doing the same with a group of pawns; they can be the syrinage that draws out the last blood from the life of your position when playing a game.
To understand what pawn structure is, we need to know that the pawn plays a major role in controlling the center squares, especially at the beginning of the game when the players follow opening principles.
Secondly, it is a good defender for other chess pieces and its fellow pawns. A piece defended by the pawn is less likely to be captured with a big piece, because such a capture could lead to the loss of material. With these, you can see what one pawn can do, then imagine a structure filled with strong pawns supporting one another. I tell you it would be hard to break such a fortress. A quick defense tip: the best piece to defend a pawn is its fellow pawn.
There are five kinds of pawn structures
Isolated Pawn Structure: This is the pawn structure that has a pawn standing all on its own without any support from its fellow pawns, which is a result of captures that occurred in the game.
Doubled Pawn structure: This type of pawn structure is when there are two pawns on the same file, resulting from a capture.
Pawn chain structure: This type of pawn structure arises when a group of pawns is defending one another, thereby creating a chain in return.
Passed pawn structure: This is a type of pawn structure where there is a pawn on its way to promotion.
Backward Pawn Structure: This type of pawn structure occurs when a pawn is placed at he back of its neighbouring pawn, thereby making it a target and hard to move without being captured.
