Pawns
- Pawns are the first line of defense -- Nobody wants to trade a piece for a pawn.
- Defend them. Against equal or stronger players, the winning or losing of a pawn often means the winning or losing of a game.
- A bad pawn move is a terminal error. You can't take it back.
- Don't move pawns without good reason.
- Try to keep your pawn structure intact.
- Try to keep your pawns mobile and in duos.
- If a pawn becomes locked, try to use other pawns to pry it free.
- Create passed pawns, especially protected passed pawns.
- Avoid stacking your pawns.
- Try to exchange stacked pawns.
- If you have more pawns, trade pieces, not pawns.
- If you have fewer pawns, trade pawns, not pieces.
- Always try to push your pawns towards the center.
- Generally, pawns are stronger side by side on the same rank.
- The Q and K pawns are generally strongest at the 4th rank. Advancing them to the 5th rank alters the flow of the game and must be done with forethought and caution.
- Passed pawns increase in strength as material diminishes.
- Passed pawns are either very weak or very strong, and its strength -- or weakness -- increases as it advances.
