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Basic Middlegame Strategy

Strategic Elements: Structure

During our lesson on space, we saw how a line of pawns can function as a wall along the border of one's territory. The wall analogy is apt in another sense as well; viz., that walls are typically more useful when they are structurally sound. Examine the following diagram:

Without thinking too hard about it, which side would you say has the better pawn structure? If you said White, you're correct! White's wall of pawns has a solid, orderly look to it, whereas Black's has all sorts of holes and other structural defects.

Poor pawn structure can be disadvantageous for a whole variety of reasons:

1) A defective pawn wall makes for a poor defensive barrier. Look at the diagram above and imagine that both sides have castled Kingside. White's King would have a solid wall of pawns in front of him to protect him from attack, whereas Black's King would be exposed and subject to harassment down the open g-file. In fact, any of Black's pieces on the back rank would be vulnerable to attack through the numerous holes in the pawn structure. Without a solid defensive wall of pawns, Black might very well lose material or suffer checkmate.

2) A defective pawn wall also makes for an ineffective territorial border. It can be breached easily by your opponent, who might take your territory away from you. In the diagram above, Black's Queenside territory is looking a little "loose" and ripe for an invasion by White. Without a strong border, Black might lose control of some territory and suffer a space disadvantage as a result.

3) Poor pawn structure usually equals weak squares. In the diagram above, Black has weak squares at a5, d4, f5, and h6. They are weak because they cannot be protected by pawns -- White could place pieces on those squares without fear of being chased away by any of Black's pawns. From those squares, White's pieces could exert a powerful influence over Black's position, possibly even serving as the advance guard for an attack.

4) Some of the pawns themselves are vulnerable since they can't be protected by other pawns. This is the case with Black's pawns on a6, d5, f6, f7, and h7. Either those pawns will fall prey to White's pieces, or Black's pieces will be reduced to the passive role of protecting the weak pawns.

Pawn structure weaknesses usually come about from exchanges. Consider the following series of moves [click here for an interactive board]: 1. d4 Nf6 2. Bg5 h6 3. Bxf6 gxf6. By exchanging the Bishop for the Knight, White has disrupted Black's pawn structure. Now Black will have to think twice before castling Kingside. If Black had played 2...e6 instead, then after 3. Bxf6 Qxf6 Black's pawn structure remains in good shape. The lesson to be learned from this is that during piece exchanges, try to keep your pawn structure intact, unless there's some other good reason not to.

The strategic role of pawn structure in chess is an extremely complex subject. Newcomers shouldn't worry about it too much -- for now, just be aware of it.

Coda: Suggestion for Improving Your Play

[For further reading, consult "A Collection of Chess Wisdom - The Elements"]