Strong and Weak Pawns

Not all pawns are created equal, some are strong and some are weak. Let’s see what these small but mighty pieces can do.

Your Move

(You play white)

Lots of pawns to take in the center! Find the right exchange for White to create a strong protected passed pawn.

Correct!

Good, first White forces Black to recapture with dxe5. After the d-pawn moves, White can create a protected passed pawn.

Your Move

(You play white)

What else?
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Follow up and create a powerful protected passed pawn!

Complete

Correct. This pawn on d5 is now passed and solidly defended. It will not win the game on its own, and the game was a hard fight, but with this long-term advantage White was in good shape.

Your Move

(You play white)

How can White use a clever tactic to create a very advanced, very dangerous passed pawn. HINT: One of Black’s pieces is far from home and undefended…

Correct!

Excellent! The square e5 was well guarded, but thanks to the discovered attack from the queen on the bishop on g4, White is able to push the pawn through.

Your Move

(You play white)

Black has to save the bishop, which was attacked by the queen on d4.
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Now what was the point of all that? How can White establish a passed pawn?

 Complete

Good job! The restricted, “backward” (we will learn about that in a bit) pawn on e4 has leapt up to the e6 square, where it is a strong protected and passed pawn in Black’s half of the board. It also stops the black knight from developing to d7.