Pawn structure: where the pawns stand decides how the game goes

The 18th-century French player Philidor said that "pawns are the soul of chess." Pawns are slow, only go forward and can never come back, so once they settle, they often shape the rest of the game. That's why strong players looking at a position often check the pawns first: the pawn structure decides where the good squares are, where the weaknesses are, and which side to attack on. To try things out as you read, start a game of free online chess.

Pawn islands: fewer is better

Pawns that hang together (with pawns on neighboring files) form one "pawn island". Nothing protects one island from the next, so the fewer pawn islands you have, the healthier your pawns are.

In the endgame, the side with more islands is often worse off, because every island needs its own defender.

Pawn chains: attack the base

Pawns lined up diagonally, each one protecting the next, are called a "pawn chain". The front pawn is protected from behind and hard to attack. The pawn at the back has no protector, so it's the weak point of the whole chain.

Remember one line: attack a pawn chain at its base. Trade off the pawn at the bottom, and the pawns above it lose their protection.

Doubled and backward pawns

• Doubled pawns: two of your own pawns on the same file, one in front of the other. The back one is blocked, and the two can't protect each other. Still, doubled pawns often open the file next to them and give your rooks a way in, so they aren't always bad.
• Backward pawn: the pawns beside it have all moved ahead, leaving it behind with no pawn to protect it. The square in front of it often becomes a great square for your opponent.
• Isolated pawn: no friendly pawns on either neighboring file, so no pawn can ever protect it. Its pluses and minuses are both very clear. The full story is in isolated pawn.

Open and closed centers

The pawns in the center set the character of the game:

• Open center: the central pawns have been traded and files and diagonals are clear. Fast development, bishops and rooks matter most, and there are lots of tactics.
• Closed center: the pawns lock into each other in the middle and nobody can move them. Knights do better here, and both sides often push pawns on the wings to attack.

There's a simple rule: attack in the direction your pawn chain points. In this position White's chain e4–d5 points to the queenside, so White plays there. Black's d6–e5 points to the kingside, so Black attacks there.

FAQ

Try it yourself

Play chess online and before every pawn push take a quick look: will this make an extra pawn island? Will it leave a weakness? To see how a pawn becomes a winning weapon, read passed pawn next.

Practise in a game

Read next

• Passed pawnNo enemy pawns in front of it or beside it: that's a passed pawn. Why it's so strong, how to push it, how to stop it, and how to create one with a breakthrough.
• Isolated pawnNo friendly pawns on either side means an isolated pawn. Why it's hard to defend, why it can still fuel an attack, and how each side should play.
• OutpostA square enemy pawns can't attack, protected by one of your own pawns, is an outpost. A knight standing there is often better than a rook.