Chess Basics: Understand that every pawn is a potential Queen

In the game of chess, each and every piece has equal importance and value. If you underestimate the utility of any piece based on the relative value assigned to the piece, then you will be only a novice in the game and might take a much longer time to become an expert in the game of chess.

One such piece in the game of chess that does not get the treatment it deserves, especially in the hands of novices in their early stages of learning is the Pawn. Pawn has some interesting aspects and has its own utility value. Pawns cannot move backward or sideward. Pawns cannot capture directly. They can only capture piece lying on either side of the front row. That is for example a pawn in d5 can capture a piece lying either in e3 or e5 and not any piece lying in e4. Though these are the negative aspects or inferior features in comparison with other pieces, they have some real utility value. Only they can get promoted to a queen. Even queen cannot get a double promotion. So, you should use your pawns very effectively and strategically to promote them, amid hurdles and opposition from the opponent.

The following tips will be of use to you in your effective chess strategy :

* Protect every pawn. In a close end game, even a one-pawn advantage can determine the outcome. Any pawn that remains on the board can eventually be promoted to a queen, so each one holds an implicit threat.

* Move two pawns at once. A pawn becomes a tremendous threat as it nears the eighth row. Trying to counter the threat of one pawn creates an opening for the others. Most players will even sacrifice a valuable piece rather than allowing an enemy pawn to promote itself. (Even if it means giving up their bishop, knight, or rook!)

* Form a diagonal line. Pawns can protect each other if they're in a diagonal line. Moving carefully can keep some pawns protected by the other pawns as they complete their march across the board. It's often possible to sacrifice one pawn to enable the others to advance.

* Trade pieces. It's nearly impossible to escort a pawn to the eighth rank without getting picked off by an opposing piece. Often the solution lies in simply eliminating as many pieces as possible from the board. This is especially useful when the opposing player has fewer pawns - or if their slow-moving pieces are clustered too far away to catch up to the advancing pawns.

A common rule of thumb is to consider a pawn being worth one point, while a queen is worth nine. So promoting a pawn confers a huge strategic advantage. In chess notation, this rare move is described by indicating the chosen piece after the pawn move.