Chess lessons › Chess strategy
Plans that come from the pawns
Read the pawn structure first: it tells you which side of the board to play on.
The idea
Read the pawns first: they show which side of the board to play on.
- d5 and e4 against d6 and e5: the centre is closed.
- White’s chain, e4 and d5, points at the queenside.
- So White plays there: b4, then c5 against d6.
In a game: Centre closed? Play on the wing your pawn chain points at. Centre open? Let the pieces decide.
How the lesson begins
Start with the pawns, since they decide where a plan can work. This is the King’s Indian Defence. Step through the next move: after d5, the centre is closed. White’s pawns on d5 and e4 and Black’s pawns on d6 and e5 block each other.
Each side now has a pawn chain. White’s, e4 and d5, points at the queenside. Black’s, d6 and e5, points at the kingside. The usual rule: play on the side where your chain points, and attack the enemy chain at its base.
- 8. d5 White closes the centre.
- 8... Ne7 The knight steps aside, ready to support play on the kingside.
Find the move
White to move. Your chain points at the queenside, so start play there with a pawn.
A hint
Look at the b-pawn and the a-pawn.
Show the answer
9. b4
b4 is the engine’s first choice, and a3, to prepare it, is close behind. The b-pawn supports c5, the push that attacks d6, the base of Black’s chain. b4 here is known as the Bayonet Attack.