Pawn Weaknesses
In this article, prominent member H.P.Chavan and chess trainer provides examples from actual play demonstrating how to exploit pawn weaknesses. This is an important article for players of intermediate and advanced levels, though beginners too should read and try to understand the concepts involved. Philidor wrote: “ My main purpose is to gain recognition for myself by means of a new idea of which no one has conceived, or perhaps has been unable to practice; that is, good play of the pawns; they are the soul of chess: it is they alone that determine the attack and the defense ”.
Theory
When a beginner or a club player improves and moves into a stronger league, they need something more than just tactics and traps. They require a long-lasting advantage that they can continue grinding for and eventually convert into a decisive material advantage. As outlined by the great Jeremy Silman in his famous book, ‘How to Reassess Your Chess’, there are certain imbalances a player should strive for in order to gain an upper hand in the game. Some of these imbalances are dynamic (temporary), while others are static (permanent). Pawn structure is a static imbalance that cannot be changed easily or quickly. Pawn weakness is a permanent or long-term weakness that can be exploited over time to grind down an opponent to a loss. Let's discuss these pawn weaknesses and how this theory is applied in practical play.
Isolated Pawn
A pawn that does not have any same-colored pawns on its neighboring files is called an isolated pawn. As shown in the diagram below, white has an isolated pawn on the e-file, whereas black has an isolated pawn on the a-file.
An isolated pawn becomes weaker if it is on an open file, allowing the opponent to apply direct pressure with their major pieces through the open file. As this pawn has no same-colored pawns to protect it, all defense must be carried out by the minor and major pieces, resulting in a very passive position that often leads to a loss of material. The square in front of the isolated pawn is also weak, as the opponent can use this square as an outpost for their pieces. In the above diagram, the e5 square is a perfect outpost for black pieces, giving them better control of the proceedings.
Doubled Pawns
Two same-coloured pawns on one file are called doubled pawns. Doubled pawns are not always weak. If they work together as a group, they can provide larger control to the player compared to normal pawns.
In the above diagram, black's doubled pawns are better in comparison to white's due to various reasons. As black's original pawn structure (e5-d6-c7) is on black squares, which can control only black squares, this extra pawn on 'c6' gives black additional control of the d5 square, hindering the activity of white's c3 Knight and making it less effective. Additionally, this new c6 pawn covers the base of black's pawn chain (the 'c7' pawn) and makes the pawn chain more solid. On the other hand, white's doubled pawns are more of a weakness or liability. They do not provide any extra control of the center, weaken the king (if white has castled short), and the 'f3' pawn, which is the base of this newly created pawn chain (e4-f3), is exposed and can be targeted by black's forces easily.
Backward Pawn
A pawn that is not supported by any same-colored pawn and cannot be pushed ahead is called a backward pawn. The weakness created by a backward pawn is similar to the weakness created by an isolated pawn. It forces the position to be passive, as pieces have to defend the backward pawn, also giving the opponent a nice outpost.
As we can see in the above diagram, white's d3 pawn is a backward pawn. It is not supported by any other pawn and cannot be pushed ahead. Additionally, it provides black with a comfortable outpost on d4, further adding to white's problems.
Pawn Island
A pawn or group of pawns separated by an open file is called a pawn island. More pawn islands mean greater weakness, as there will be more base pawns / unsupported pawns.
In the diagram, we can see that white only has 2 pawn islands, whereas black has 3 pawn islands. 2 pawn islands result in 2 base/unsupported pawns (a2 & h2), whereas black’s 3 pawn islands give them 3 base/unsupported pawns (b7, e7 & h7) to defend. More pawn islands make it more difficult for a player to defend in the endgame with very few available pieces.
Hanging Pawns
Two pawns standing on adjacent files, with no other pawns being able to protect them. Hanging pawns can either be a weakness or a strength, depending on the position of the pieces for both players and how they handle them. Normally, hanging pawns arise from d4 – openings.
In the diagram, black has hanging pawns on c5 and d5. These hanging pawns can be used as an advantage, as they give black extra/extended control of the center squares, which can be further used to launch an attack. On the other hand, white can treat these as a weakness since no pawns can support them. White will have to either exchange/capture these pawns or force them to move ahead, creating holes/weak squares that can be exploited by white pieces to achieve equality/advantage.
Examples from Actual Play
Isolated Pawn
The position given below is a classic example of how to turn a seemingly healthy isolated pawn into a glaring weakness.
Doubled Pawns
Backward Pawn
Pawn Island
This next game is played between Ivan Sokolov and Peter Leko in the Tata Steel Championship, Wijk Aan Zee. Leko gets comfortable play in this Isolated Queen Pawn (IQP) position and then converts his advantage into material.
Hanging Pawns