by Moe Zilla

Created on: January 26, 2008

Pawns start on the second row in a game of chess - and can jump to the fourth row the first time they're moved. From there just four more moves can push them into the triumphant eighth row, which "promotes" the pawn into a more powerful piece.

But in reality, it's a lot trickier, since the eighth row (and seventh row) are filled with the opponent's pieces, and they're determined to thwart the strategic advantage that comes from promoting pawns.

Here's some chess strategy tips that increase the chances of getting pawns promoted.

* 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. (For example, b1Q or b1=Q.)

But in practice, it's usually followed by your opponent resigning.

Learn more about this author, Moe Zilla.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.