Pawn Sructure

There are as many pawns on the board as pieces. Thus, it is important to know how to handle them. Pawn structure is really just figuring out whether your pawns are in the right place or the wrong one. Unfortunately, pawns can't change files without a capture. Once you have bad pawns, it is very difficult to get good ones. Don't get your pawns bad in the first place!

Bad Pawns

The b-pawn is backward. The d-pawns are doubled. The h-pawn is isolated. All of whites pawns are bad! A doubled pawn shares the file with a friend. The backward pawn has been left behind by its neighbors. The isolated pawn isn't near anybody else.

Good Pawns

All of these pawns are connected and passed. A connected pawn is touching another pawn, but not backward! A passed pawn is ready to promote. No other pawn is stopping it! Here is a quote by Aron Nimzovich which well describes the passed pawn:

The passed Pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient.