Say my opponent has a double pawn on c2 and c3 for instance. And say I can take the C3 pawn safely, should I? Or is the double pawn better for me??

It all depends on the situation you're in, if you can give a diagram of a position where that would be possible I can maybe tell. But if you think it's safe to take a pawn, then grab the opportunity!

when your oppoenent has double pawns, it really can mess his plans up and his game in general...  i vote not to ALWAYS take pawns that are there for the taking.  also leaving pawns that are blocking pieces from being able to develope can really help you.

How does taking that pawn work into your general strategy?  Would taking it weaken a current attack or draw defenses away from a crucial area of the board? If so maybe not.  Does taking the pawn put you in a good position?  Definitely take it.  Neither?  Take it more often than not, depending on the board. (material is material)

Hell no. Take the material.

Also the spot likely an outpost for your piece.

early in game, 10 moves in, i'm black to move... it should also be noted that this is a current game im playing on facebook and not looking for advice on what to play, i already took the pawn on c3, but after i moved i was wondering the original post....  

id' probably take in that situation, but i wouldn't be surprised if that's wrong.  i suck

Yeah, I'd take it, don't see why not!

No it's bad because he can play Bxh7+ if you don't take it then he gets the pawn back and opens your kingside up and if you do Qd3+ winning the knight back so you're again equal material except you lost a key pawn.

ahh shit.. i see that now.   i got suckered....

thanks for the input

agreed.  cuz here's the thing... these pieces are usually not going anywhere.  and if they are--you should be able to see that.  stacked pawns seem to be more of a pain in the side of the guy who has them, not the guy facing them.  all that being said, i may have seriously thought about taking...

I was up 4 material points in a game and decided to casually pawn grab and the next thing I knew, I was mated.  It's the poisoned pawn theory.  What's your opp doing while your grabing a pawn or two and why are they "letting" you do it?

At a low level and in blitz games pawn snatching is ok in most positions, but in long games or against fairly decent oponents it's a bad idea even when it seems "safe" because usually pawn grabbing leads to loss of tempo which can lead to a crushing attack. As a semi example I offer up this game I played on this site (live) where a stronger player went pawn snatching and payed for it.

If you get a chance, take a look at the Chess Mentor program on chess.com It will help recognize tactical shots, develope your positional understanding, expose you to several brillant games by some of the best players of all time, and amuse you with superb notations by great instructors such as IM Silman.

Most of the time two pawns even if they are doubled are better than just one pawn.

However, such generalities can be very dangerous and you really have to assess every position individualy. When considering capturing a pawn you have to ask yourself what the opponent gets in return (in other words where's the compensation). If there's no compensation then the opponent has blundered and you should definitely capture but often there's some compensation in one form or another and you have to decide which one is more important the compensation your opponent gets or your extra material. This can be a difficult question but then again chess wouldn't be that interesting if it was easy.

Simple chess rule -- if you find a good move, look for a better one. Before considering taking the pawn, take a look to see if you have stronger moves. If the game has very few pieces, then it might be the best move to take the pawn since you are probably in an endgame.

Of course you should always look for a better move, but if you get a chance to grab material, and you can't see why not, then do it! If you were wrong, you'll learn something, and if you were right, you win material. You come out ahead either way.

"A pawn is worth a little trouble." Wilhelm Steinitz , The first World Champion

"The older I get, the more I value pawns." Paul Keres, perennial top ten Grandmaster.

"I'd give a finger for a pawn!" Ruben Fine. one of the top five players in the world in the late 1930's