How to Understand Pawn Structure | Chess Video Lecture | Learn to Play Chess: From a Novice to a Fierce Competitor - Hobbies

hi my name is Rebecca taxman i'm with
chess NYC and i'm going to talk to you
today about pawn structures well there
are multiple pawn structures that are
very important to know there are five
basics that are a need-to-know so let's
start off with the pawn chain to begin
we have what's called a pawn chain we
have a diagonal set of points each pawn
in this pawn chain is protecting one
another this is extremely important in
terms of creating an attack you always
want to have your pawn chain directed
towards the king if the King is canceled
over on this side of the board this is
where you want your pawn structure going
instead of having your your pawn chain
running off the side of the board
not-so-happy
additionally the popcorn is the
strongest pawn in the pawn chain the
bottom is the weakest if you're playing
on black you want to attack the bottom
of the pawn chain the idea behind a pawn
chain is that it controls a lot of space
and it's going towards the king creating
an attack another important pawn
structure that is a need-to-know is
called double points double pawns have
both good and bad elements to them one
element that is very good about double
pawns is they control a lot of space
double pawns can control up to five
squares one two three four five in chess
we want to control space double pawns
can control a lot of space
however there is a weakness of double
pawns
this pawn right back here is not
protected by any other points therefore
this pawn is considered weak
additionally this pawn is also
considered like stuck in traffic meaning
it can't move unless the pawn in front
of it moves first
another important pawn structure that we
need to know is called the isolated pawn
or lonely pawn this is not a favorable
pawn structure this pawn is sitting all
by itself when we have a pawn that's
like this sometimes we have to have a
queen
or another bigger piece defending in
babysitting this point I don't want my
queen babysitting an isolated pawn I
want my pieces going ahead and making
checkmate and not defending an isolated
pawn this pawn is considered a weakness
and it is easy for black to attack and
even more unfavourable pawn position is
double isolated pawns additionally these
two pawns are extremely weak they
neither one of them can protect one
another this pawn is also considered
stuck in traffic it cannot move forward
unless the pawn in front of it moves
forward and these are relatively hard to
defend a bishop cannot defend both of
these pawns at the same time a knight
can also not defend both of these pawns
at the same time it's also hard unless
the rook is in between them to defend
them at the same time we have to use a
queen or a king to defend the two pawns
at the same time however the last pawn
structure I want to talk about is called
a passed pawn past pawn is one of the
most important punch structures that we
need to know because this pawn is on its
way to becoming a queen a passed pawn is
a pawn that has passed all of your
enemy's pawns and is on its way to
becoming a queen by getting to the end
of the board or any other piece that you
choose when you have a passed pawn it is
very important to sit and babysit this
pawn so therefore you can get it to the
end of the board and it can become a
queen or any other piece that you choose
and that is all I have to tell you about
important pawn structures