Questions tagged [pawn-structure]
Questions concerning the overall configuration of pawns in a game, e.g. what pawn structure features should be sought or avoided, when to alter the structure, how to work with one's pieces in a given structure, etc.
113
questions
4
votes
1
answer
143
views
What's the point of 4.a4 in this Czech Benoni?
In the following Benoni position (White to move):
rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/3p4/2pPp3/8/2N5/PPP1PPPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq e6 0 4
The engine's (Lichess' Stockfish) first move, and also the one with best results (...
- 591
1
vote
2
answers
155
views
Achieving e4 pawn push after 1.d4 opening
Is there a reasonable way for me to start with 1.d4 and be able to push (without gambitting) the e-pawn to e4. I am happy to do this without playing c4 first, and also it is ok if I get this pawn ...
user13438
3
votes
1
answer
75
views
Opposite side castling, pawn storm vs piece play
I used to play Sicilian Najdorf a couple of years ago and I used to get positions like this one:
[FEN ""]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 e5 7.Nb3 Be6 8.f3 Be7 9.Qd2 ...
- 1,124
5
votes
1
answer
141
views
why f4 for white in this position
I was playing a rapid game with the white pieces the other day and I reached this position
[FEN ""]
1. b3 d6 2. Bb2 e5 3. e3 Nc6 4. c4 f5 5. g3 Nf6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. Nc3 Bd7 8. Nge2 O-O 9. d3 ...
- 1,124
5
votes
2
answers
569
views
Sicilian endgames - favourable for which side and why?
I often come across statements like this:
Generally speaking, Sicilian endgames tend to favour Black for
structural reasons. The extra center pawn and the half-open c-file are
both advantageous for ...
- 5,294
3
votes
2
answers
159
views
Why is two pawns defending a outpost regarded as a strong outpost?
Quoting Irving Chernev:
A brilliant sacrifice which must be accepted. Refusing the Pawn means that Black could never free himself by … d5. It would also enable
White to play 16 ♘c3 next move (...
- 551
6
votes
2
answers
185
views
When to do minority attack and majority attack?
So I learnt about minority attack few months ago where you push pawns on minority side to create weaknesses on opponents pawn structure but recently I have also been seeing some masters casually ...
- 459
6
votes
1
answer
100
views
When should white prefer a Maroczy structure vs. a Kings Indian structure?
In two games quite different games that I played recently, I was playing white and had a very nice centre, but according to the engine I misjudged pushing (or not pushing) my d-pawn both times.
From ...
- 1,002
9
votes
1
answer
793
views
Does this pawn structure arising from the Caro-Kann Advance Variation have a name?
I was looking at some positions arising from the Caro-Kann Advance variation with an early c5 by black, and was wondering if this was a common structure that I could easily find model games for, or ...
- 1,002
3
votes
1
answer
105
views
Where to put rooks when many pawns breaks are possible ( example position )
I think the white plan is to move the king to d3, knight to d2 (to protect f1/f3 from black bishop) put the bishop an a3 and open position c4-c5. I think the white position is much better. Is it the ...
- 141
5
votes
1
answer
916
views
What is the idea behind a d4 e3 f4 pawn setup?
I have seen this particular d4 e3 f4 pawn-setup played a few times, sometimes arising from the Bird opening (as below), sometimes from 1.d4:
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/pppppppp/8/8/8/8/PPPPPPPP/RNBQKBNR w ...
- 336
13
votes
5
answers
3k
views
Why are side pawns better than center pawns in this position?
So center pawns are usually regarded as more powerful than side pawns, which is why I have a question about this position.
After 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 the engine and theory recommend playing 3. e3 to ...
- 131
15
votes
3
answers
3k
views
What is a pawn hook?
On my question (Why is 11. .. h6 such a bad move?) someone commented that I should read about the concepts of hooks. One definition that I found was:
A hook is an advanced pawn which can be exploited ...
- 675
6
votes
2
answers
715
views
What do the c5 and e5 breaks do in the Caro-Kann / Scandi pawn structures?
Here's what I understand about the point of c5 in the French / Advance Caro-Kann pawn structures: if White takes you are very happy, because his e-pawn becomes weak and you get to develop your bishop ...
- 1,907
10
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How to quickly calculate two pawns facing two pawns
A situation that often seems to confuse me is when I push a pawn alongside two pawns that are head-to-head and my opponent pushes the opposing pawn, such as when Black plays c5 to my c4.
rnbqkbnr/...
- 2,539
3
votes
2
answers
251
views
Why is black playing ...f6 to attack the e5 pawn a bad move in the King's Indian Attack?
I have been studying the King's Indian Attack a bit recently, and have started reading through Neil McDonald's Move by Move book on it.
Earlier today I played a game against a 2100 on Lichess (I am ...
- 1,002
1
vote
1
answer
246
views
How can pawns win a whole game without any strong pieces?
How can a pawn or two or three win a entire chess game on it's own?
I am playing as white pawns on the chessboard against my opponent. I tried moving to the end of the other and trading it for a ...
- 113
4
votes
2
answers
860
views
Positional chess understanding in the early game
As Black, when given a choice of taking the White's pawn, for what reason should I consider taking d5 pawn with e6 pawn? Wouldn't this open up the king's file and put it at risk of being attacked in ...
- 51
2
votes
4
answers
625
views
How does b4 fix pawns in this rook endgame?
Here, it is said that after 1.Re7 Rb8 2.Kd3 a6, white plays b4 to fix the enemy pawns. But I don't understand: how does it fix pawns? How is b3 any different? What does it mean to fix enemy pawns?
- 2,505
2
votes
3
answers
272
views
When and where is it a good idea to make a pawn break in a closed centre position?
I've read that you want to make pawn breaks by advancing your pawn on the file next to your most advanced pawn in these closed centre positions. What exactly is the reason behind this. Is it just to ...
- 423
9
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why is e5 the strongest move here for white?
[FEN "rnb1kb1r/pp1pp2p/2p2ppn/q7/2BPP3/5N1P/PPPN1PP1/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 3 8"]
I'm a noob at chess, as I just started playing a week back. I played
as White here, and Stockfish recommended e5 ...
- 193
3
votes
3
answers
432
views
How many unique pawn structures are possible?
In an effort to classify chess games, I thought it would be useful to identify a set of positions by their unique pawn structure that would form a family of positions. There are indeed many positions ...
2
votes
1
answer
252
views
Seeking GM-level coverage of a typical pawn structure
I was wondering if there is a top level coverage of plans for Black in the below pawn structure:
[fen "8/pp3ppp/2p2p2/8/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/8 w - - 0 1"]
Or this one:
[fen "8/pp3ppp/2p2p2/8/...
- 11.8k
5
votes
1
answer
113
views
Plan against pawn formation of c4, d5, e4, e3 in the Nimzowitsch defense (or similar positions in the Dunst opening)
I'm a 1700-ish player who plays opening systems starting with 1.Nc3 as white and 1. ... Nc6 as black, and generally I'm pretty happy with my results. But there's one type of setup that I struggle ...
- 1,048
6
votes
1
answer
246
views
What should my plans be in a Carlsbad pawn structure?
I often find myself in positions with the Carlsbad pawn structure, and I really struggle to come up with a plan. I am usually the one with the pawn chain pointing toward the queenside, so I assume ...
- 63
2
votes
3
answers
490
views
Looking for openings by pawn structure
Sometimes when playing Alekhine defense Scandinavian Variation, I get this kind of pawn structure :
8/p6p/6p1/2p1p3/2PpP1P1/Pp1P4/1P6/8 w - - 1 29
I am very comfortable playing as black with this ...
- 1,058
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Pawn storm, should I start with h4 or g4?
If Black has castled kingside and White castled queenside or kingside, and White wants to launch an attack by a pawn storm. How do you know that you should start with h4 first or g4 first? I know that ...
- 1,124
5
votes
1
answer
406
views
How to proceed with the book "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis?
Should I memorize everything in the book, or use it in some other way?
- 2,505
1
vote
1
answer
219
views
Value of a Thorn Pawn?
When did chess engines first assign a high value to a pawn on the sixth rank, with an opposing pawn in front of it? (This pawn is called a "thorn pawn", "fawn pawn", or "nail pawn".)
- 19
3
votes
2
answers
423
views
Why is 15.cxd6 better than 15.cxb6 here?
In Radjabov vs. Gelfand (2013):
[FEN ""]
1.Nf3 c5 2.c4 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 e6 6.g3 Qb6 7.Nb3 Ne5 8.e4 Bb4 9.Qe2 d6 10.f4 Nc6 11.Be3 Bxc3+ 12.bxc3 Qc7 13.Bg2 e5 14.c5 b6 15.cxd6 Qxd6 16.O-O ...
- 24.3k
3
votes
2
answers
435
views
Confused about timing of cxd5 and dxc4 in the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD)
Recently I've been playing the Queen's Gambit Declined as my primary response to a d4 opening by white. While analyzing past games with engines, I've realized that as the game progresses, there's a ...
- 205
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How to proceed in this endgame position?
[FEN "3k4/ppp3pp/1b6/8/PP6/4BpP1/5P1P/6K1 b - - 1 24"]
This position is evaluated -4 but i cant find any plans for Black and lost. What should have been my strategy from this position ?
This is the ...
- 1,058
3
votes
1
answer
147
views
Pawn Structure Change in the Pirc - dxe5 or Nxe5?
As black I reached this position in a recent game
[White "Somebody"]
[Black "Ian Bush"]
[Result "*"]
[ECO "B07"]
[FEN ""]
[StartPly "23"]
1.e4 d6 2.d4 Nf6 3.Nc3 g6 4.Be3 c6 5.f3 b5 6.a3 Nbd7 7.Bd3 ...
- 4,147
8
votes
4
answers
4k
views
What is it called when opposite colored pawns up against each other?
When a white pawn and a black pawn are touching on a file, what is it called?
- 1,078
4
votes
2
answers
438
views
Can anyone recommend a positional book focused on preparing pawn breaks?
Feel free to share more than one book. I'm very interested in understanding better those preparatory moves.
- 296
1
vote
1
answer
106
views
Advanced Pawn Structure books [duplicate]
Hello fellow chess players. I've recently returned to the learning of this game, and as I forgot several ideas on deep mechanics, I read (again) "My System", from Nimzowitsch, and found it very useful,...
- 13
2
votes
2
answers
164
views
Structure-better structure or bishop pair in the endgame?
Does the bishop pair compensate for doubled pawns if there are no rooks to attack with the bishops in the endgame?
- 296
6
votes
1
answer
287
views
What are good resources to use to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structures?
Pawn structure seems to be one of the key areas that a player needs to know well to be able to have a high rating.
What are the best ways to learn how to best use pawns and pawn structure?
- 3,811
6
votes
1
answer
679
views
How do I decide what color squares to place my pawns on?
I often hear people say "I have my pawns on the dark/light squares like I'm supposed to" or something similar. I have no idea what actually dictates which squares to try to place your pawns though. ...
- 205
3
votes
2
answers
167
views
Why did Fischer play 17.c4 here?
Why did Fischer play 17...c4 here?
[fen "r4rk1/1q1n1pp1/4b2p/p1pp4/8/Q2NP3/PP2BPPP/R4RK1 b - - 0 1"]
Doesn’t it make the bishop e6 a lot worse? I would have played rfb8 instead, but I am not Fischer....
user20848
1
vote
2
answers
171
views
Why doesn't the computer take my knight?
[FEN "3r4/p1p1kp2/1pn1b2p/4P1p1/P3pN2/2P1P1B1/2P2PPP/R5K1 b - - 0 1"]
1...Nxe5 {This was the original question with black to move.} (1...gxf4) (1...Rd2)
NB: Black's knight was on C6 and has just ...
- 113
2
votes
1
answer
203
views
Can engines use the current pawn structure to refine its search/eval?
As I understand it, engines use so-called "bitboards" to generate the current position & possible moves. I'm wondering if any engine uses the pawn bitboard to refine its search and eval.
To ...
- 24.3k
7
votes
3
answers
2k
views
Opening Moves: Pawn Chains and Countering Attacks
What is it called when your opponent opens with their pawns in a zigzag formation, leaving the front line defended by the back? (Pawn Chain) Also what is the best way to counter this move?
- 179
6
votes
7
answers
3k
views
Why not 1.d4 Nf6 2.d5?
Why isn't 1.d4 Nf6 2.d5 a good move? It gains space in the center. As beginners we are told that after 1.d4, 1...d5 directly opposes White's ambitions in the center, stopping d4-d5 (similarly, in some ...
- 6,786
1
vote
3
answers
268
views
How would you make a queenside pawn storm opening idea work?
I played a Lichess bullet game as Black in which I disregarded any opening theory because I just wanted to mount up a pawn storm on the queenside. Has anybody come across this idea? It seems to me ...
- 305
4
votes
5
answers
277
views
Who has the advantage here?
Who has the advantage here? In general whar will perform better in this scenario- 3 pawns vs. 3 pawns, or 4 pawns vs. 2 pawns?
- 149
3
votes
1
answer
140
views
How to detect invalid pawn structures (not based on opponent material) for FEN valdation?
I'm going to further expand a FEN validation function I have been working on for some time to include illegal pawn formations such that:
... for example white pawns could
never be on a2, a3, and ...
- 3,128
6
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to improve king safety
I really wish to improve my chess skills a bit, albeit I am pretty sure that I do not want to become a grandmaster.
One of my problem is my king's safety. Chess is very different from some other ...
- 667
2
votes
2
answers
701
views
Defensive strategy relying on a wall of pawns
I have been playing chess again for two or three months, after a period of about twenty years of interruption. In a game against a human adversary, I noticed that my opponent was taking the time to ...
- 129
1
vote
2
answers
476
views
Looking for a single, good opening that revolves around a “crab” pawn structure [closed]
I have often heard (or this one video just got it stuck in my head) Youtube videos (the timestamp is 2:37, nothing else relevant) refer to this kind of pawn structure as a “crab” pawn structure (below,...
- 16.6k