What are pawn tactics?
Pawn tactics are a fundamental aspect of chess, they involve the clever use of pawns to create tactical or positional advantages. Pawns can be used to control key squares, to create passed pawns, to restrict the opponent’s pieces mobility or to generate tactical opportunities.
The pawn push
One of the most common pawn tactics is the pawn push, which involves pushing a pawn forward to control a key square or to create a passed pawn. An example is the move d4 in the Queen’s Gambit, which controls the center and creates a passed pawn.
The pawn fork
Another common pawn tactic is the pawn fork, which involves using a pawn to attack two or more pieces at the same time. An example is the move e5 in the Sicilian Defense, which attacks the knight and the bishop at the same time.