Chess Strategy: Pawn Structure, Piece Activity and Making a Plan
Tactics win games; strategy decides where the tactics appear. Learn to read a position, find the right plan, and check your judgement against Stockfish.
01
Pawn Structure in Chess
Pawns cannot move backward, so every pawn move sets the plan for the rest of the game.
Open lesson ↗02Piece Activity in Chess
Same material, different squares: the active piece is worth more.
Open lesson ↗03Chess Strategy for Beginners
Four questions about the position tell you which plan to play.
Open lesson ↗How to study strategy
- Start with one question in every position: which is my worst piece, and where does it belong?
- Learn the pawn structures that appear most often, because the structure decides the plans.
- Before each move, name the plan in one sentence; then compare it with the engine’s top line.
- Replay strong players’ games slowly and predict the plan before you see the next move.