What is a pawn chain?

Pawn are the first piece that most players learn…but are by no means the simplest. They are a very unique piece for a variety of reasons:

1. They are the only pieces that cannot move backwards.

2. They are the only pieces that attack differently that they moves.

3. They are the only pieces that can be promoted.

Pawns are actually my favorite piece for these and many other reasons, but enough about pawns. Pawn chains are one the first strategies that a chess players learns when dealing with pawns. A pawn chain in when a group of pawns are in a diagonal protecting each other. This is beneficial because the pawns are much harder to attack for your opponent, and easier to defend for you. The pawn at the bottom of the pawn chain the only vulnerable one and therefore you can focus your defenses on him. Later on, more advanced players learn to coordinate their pawn chains with the color of their bishop. Having many pawns chains on the board leads to a closed position and is very powerful for a knight.

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