It is more important to concentrate on your chess pawn formation than focusing on moving your pieces. Why? Well for three reasons. The first is you need to attempt to control the centre ground. Whoever controls the centre of the chess board controls the game. The best way to control the centre squares is to have your pawns covering them. Secondly, if you move a piece too far forward you can always bring it back. this cannot be said of the pawn.

Thirdly, apart from the Knight, all the chess pieces are trapped behind the pawns and therefore they have to move to free up theses pieces.

This is where a lot of newbies go wrong. They treat the pawns with contempt, a hindrance which has to be gotten rid off in order for the real pieces to become active. They do not realise that a well formed chess pawn structure can make the difference between winning or losing a game of chess. How many times have you said to yourself during a game of chess,"I can see a great move if it wasn't for that damn pawn sitting there." This is because pawns are a vital component of any chess game. They are essential for your defence and can be devastating in attack.

It is the easiest thing in the world to get your bishop or some other piece trapped by a string of those pesky pawns. But this would not be the case if they were not in a solid formation. Like a colony of ants they look out for each other and attack in groups.

The pawn formation you create at the beginning of the game may indeed last until the end game and this is testament to the importance of getting it right. You cannot afford to push your pawns too far forward unless you are certain this will benefit your attack and they are not needed in defence.

Of course when it comes to the end game, it is usually the player with the best pawn formation who manages to get one promoted. This is because the can guard each other in close formation as they march through the opponent's defence.

Obviously you will not get everything your own way as your opponent will be using the exact same chess strategy and it will be a race to see who gets their pawn formation developed first. As always White has the advantage of the first move and therefore Black's role s to keep up and try to turn defence into attack. Nonetheless, it is amazing the amount of times I have seen white disregard the chess strategy of constructing a solid pawn formation and instead attacking from the off. This is a Godsend for Black who can chase the White pieces around the board and in doing s developing their own pawn formation and pieces.

Weaknesses in pawn structures resulting from backward, isolated or doubled pawns are more often than not permanent. They should be avoided if at all possible. A weakness in the pawn formation around the King can be fatal. Many sacrifices during chess games are for the sole purpose of smashing the pawn structure in this area as it is very hard to defend the King without pawns.

The main point is. At the start of a game of chess your pawn formation will determine the way the game will be played. If it is done correctly, your pieces will be free to move. Your opponents pieces will struggle to find effective attacking squares. Your pawns will form a line of defence right across the chess board.You will stifle your opponents chess strategy and ultimately you will win the game.