Double trouble | 18 September 2014

The importance of pawn structure cannot be overestimated when planning chess strategy. Although Philidor (18th century) understood the importance of pawns in chess, in the 19th century the health and safety of one’s pawns was often thrown to the wind in the interests of tactical advantages. However, as chess thinking became more sophisticated and was explained by chess philosophers such as Steinitz, Tarrasch and Nimzowitsch, the crucial nature of the pawn constellation became apparent.