Pawn Structures

The position of pawns has always directly or indirectly influenced the choice of plans, actions of both sides and finally the result in chess. Pawn structures created in the opening to a large extent determines the course of the game. One of the most popular pawn structures is the Carlsbad structure which arises in Queen's Gambit declined (1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 Nf6, 4.Bg5 c6, 5.e3 Nbd7, 6.cxd), Grunfeld Defence (1.d4 Nf6, 2.c4 g6, 3.Nc3 d5, 4.Nf3 Bg7, 5.Bg5 Ne4, 6.cxd Nxg5, 7.Nxg5 e6, 8.Nf3 exd), Nimzo-Indian Defence (1.d4 Nf6, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 Bb4, 4.Qc2 d5, 5.cxd exd) and with colors reversed in Caro-Kann defence (1.e4 c6, 2.d4 d5, 3.exd cxd, 4.Bd3 Nc6, 5.c3). 

In the Carlsbad pawn structure, White has at his disposal pawn minority attack or a break in the centre with e3-e4 and also kingside attack. Black's defence usually depends on the course of action taken by White and consist of counterattack with pawns or pieces on the kingside, positional methods like creation of a defensive line including b7-b5 or piece control over the c4 and b5 squares and also undermining of the centre or a counterattack on a queenside castled position.