Basic Strategy - The Berlin Structure

When I'm in a good mood and decide I want to ruin it, I go online and find a live broadcast and watch the chat.  What I see there is 50 or so people talking about how 'boring' a particular game is because the computer is showing "0.00" or "0.11", or whatever.  Now besides the obvious question of why these trolls watch chess if they find it boring there is also the matter of how to determine which side (if either) is on the better end of this 'equal' position.  The key is understanding the pawn structure.

The following game is a good example of how to handle this structure:

For more advanced players, you can compare the structure above to one with the white pawn already on e5 (rather than e4) and consider how this may improve black's chances.  

The following game is not a Berlin, but provides valuable insights into how one might play this supposedly 'equal' ending (hint: the computer is wrong and white is playing for a win).

Hopefully this sample makes these early endgames more interesting to you.