In chess, an isolated pawn is a pawn that has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. The square in front of the pawn may become a good outpost for the opponent to anchor pieces. Isolated pawns most often become weaker in the endgame, as there are fewer pieces available to protect the pawn.
Isolated pawns can, however, provide improved development and associated opportunities for counterplay that offset or even outweigh their weaknesses. The files adjacent to the isolated pawn are either open or half-open, providing two lanes of attack for the rooks and the queen.[1] The absence of adjacent pawns may also aid mobilization of the player's knights and bishops.
An isolated pawn on the d-file is called an isolated queen pawn or simply an isolani.[2] In addition to the open or half-open c- and e-files, the isolated queen pawn can provide good outposts on the c- and e-file squares diagonally forward of the pawn, which are especially favourable for the player's knights. The isolated queen pawn position favours a kingside attack, freeing both the light- and dark-squared bishops due to the absence of friendly pawns on the c- and e-files.[3] Isolated queen pawns, however, suffer from the same weaknesses as other isolated pawns.[4]
Several openings can lead to isolated pawns, such as the French Defence, Nimzo-Indian Defence, Caro–Kann and Queen's Gambit.
This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
In chess, an isolatedpawn is a pawn that has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. Isolatedpawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected...
is an isolatedpawn. pawn majority See majority. pawn minority See minority. pawn race A situation where both opponents are pushing a passed pawn in effort...
notation to describe chess moves. Weaknesses in the pawn structure, such as isolated, doubled, or backward pawns and holes, once created, are usually permanent...
friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the white pawns on the b-file and e-file are doubled. The pawns on the e-file are doubled and isolated. In most...
Black will be left with an isolatedpawn on d5. Such a pawn may be weak, since it can no longer be defended by other pawns, but it grants Black a foothold...
backward pawn is a pawn that is behind all pawns of the same color on the adjacent files and cannot be safely advanced. In the diagram, the black pawn on the...
connected pawns are two or more pawns of the same color on adjacent files, as distinct from isolatedpawns. These pawns are instrumental in creating pawn structure...
an isolated or backward pawn) in the opponent's pawn structure. The minority attack is a common middlegame plan that can be played in many pawn structures...
chess, a passed pawn is a pawn with no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth rank; i.e. there are no opposing pawns in front of it...
Candidates match. It usually leads to Black having an isolated queen's pawn (see isolatedpawn). The main line continues 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.0-0 Nge7...
advantage and to create some weaknesses in the black pawns (e.g. an isolatedpawn or a backward pawn). So White will try to use the advances b2–b4 or c4–c5...
The rook and pawn versus rook endgame is a fundamentally important, widely studied chess endgame. Precise play is usually required in these positions....
the game. (Also see isolatedpawn, doubled pawns, backward pawn, connected pawns.) Since knights can easily be chased away by pawn moves, it is often advantageous...
pawn behind it, they form a wall or pawn chain protecting any friendly pieces behind them. A weak pawn structure, with unprotected or isolatedpawns ahead...
d4 and develops the dark-squared bishop to f4, then supports the d4-pawn with pawns on e3 and c3. The other bishop is developed to d3 (or occasionally...
and allowing the move Nc3, to prepare for moving the e-pawn to e4 without blocking the c-pawn with the knight. Black's most popular replies are 2...e6...
by exchanging their d-pawn for Black's e-pawn. Black usually plays 3...exd4, as they have no good way of maintaining their pawn on e5 (this same position...
the pawn from behind. In the ending of a rook and two isolatedpawns versus a rook, it is generally better for the stronger side to protect the pawns from...
does 1.e4, but unlike with the king's pawn openings where the e4-pawn is undefended after the first move, the d4-pawn is protected by White's queen. This...
positional factors, subtracting ½ point for each doubled pawn, backward pawn, and isolatedpawn; mobility was incorporated by adding 0.1 point for each...
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