The power of the pawn

I have been beaten after what I thought to be a hard victory because I forgot to consider the pawn. I think what we consider to be an unimportant piece, because it can not move or cover an area like the other pieces we forget that a game can be lost or won by the pawn.

pawns are like the bunkers , barriers(that knights bounce over), and cover from attacks, think of chess with no pawns......



I begin to think that we must give really importance to our pawn structure during the game. A pawn is just a pawn but it could also become a queen. I have lost severall games because i didnt pay to many attention to the pawns. What do you think about the power of pawns in chess? Are they really the soul of chess?
Yes they are. Partly because they all have the power to become Q's but also because they determine the freedom, or lack of it, of the pieces. In our last game you allowed my pawns to advance and I had them on b4,c5 and d6. You had your B's on b8 and b7. Neither could get out. It was like you were playing with two pieces down! Your position was completely lost because of the pawns. They were as good as two pieces.
I begin to think that we must give really importance to our pawn structure during the game. A pawn is just a pawn but it could also become a queen. I have lost severall games because i didnt pay to many attention to the pawns. What do you think about the power of pawns in chess? Are they really the soul of chess?