Questions tagged [pawns]
Questions relating to pawns in chess
151
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When and why was en passant invented?
Other than castling, the only "strange" move that chess pieces can ever make is en passant. It seems a little odd to me that someone thought that such a "different" move was so important to include ...
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answers
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Why would one promote a pawn to a knight?
I know that it is makes no sense to promote a pawn to a bishop or a rook as the queen can compensate for both but a knight is something different. However, the queen is still much more powerful. So ...
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votes
10
answers
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Why struggle for a single pawn?
I've seen many chess games, where after a certain point, one side maneuvers their pieces (like doubling the rooks) to target a single point. Most of the time it's a pawn on the wing and the other side ...
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Pawn to Queen probabilities chart
Statistically speaking, which white and black pawns are most likely to be queened?
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Is rotating a pawn so that it faces a different direction and then moves in that direction technically permitted according to the 2018 FIDE Laws?
While browsing the Chess and Puzzling Stack Exchange sites, I've come across several instances where people have found loopholes in the rules of chess, causing these loopholes to be patched out ...
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votes
4
answers
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Can a pawn put a king in check?
I am only an amateur player, but have been playing for many years. Every now and then I come across people who are adamant that a pawn cannot put a king into check.
The last person who I discussed ...
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4
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What is a pawn break?
I did some research (Google), but it still unclear to me on exactly what a pawn break is.
I was reading this question: The theory of pawn breaks
It is about the theory of pawn breaks, but before I ...
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21
votes
3
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How to deal with an opposing pawn storm?
During some recent games I played, I have lost because my opponent advanced their pawns very far, attacking my pieces and forcing them to retreat. In some cases the pieces became trapped as well. ...
- 1,167
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4
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Alekhine's Defense variation, understanding white's overextended pawns, black's multiple early knight moves
I'm a casual, semi-serious chess player and have been an active player for over 10 years. In my time playing, one of the most unusual openings I have had the pleasure of playing against is known as ...
- 1,245
19
votes
1
answer
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Was the value of thorn pawns fully appreciated in decades past?
Many videos on YouTube channel "Kingscrusher" which discuss the play of new neural-net engines like Leela Chess Zero focus considerable attention upon the development of "thorn pawns" which are pawns ...
- 1,152
18
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5
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Are pawns pieces? [duplicate]
I thought I heard somewhere that pawns are not pieces but just called pawns. Then, I heard from some other places that they are. I think they are but what is the exact definition of a pawn?
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Is the pawns only variant a draw?
In the pawns-only variant of chess, each side starts with 8 pawns and a king on the usual squares, no pieces,
with other rules being the same as in regular chess, including promotion.
While general ...
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1
answer
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How did a pawn appear out of thin air in “P @ e2” after queen capture?
I was playing chess against the computer and captured black’s queen. All of a sudden, a black pawn appears out of thin air, one space behind the captured queen for a total of nine pawns, and moves ...
17
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2
answers
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The theory of pawn breaks
Does there exist a theory of pawn breaks?
Of course, there exists a theory of static pawn structure and good bishops; but I was thinking of rooks rather than bishops, and of aggressive pawns that ...
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15
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8
answers
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Why can't a piece (that isn't a pawn) capture en passant?
Why can't a piece (that isn't a pawn) capture en passant? When a pawn makes a two-square move, the en passant rule says that on the next move, any pawn that could have captured it on the single-...
- 161
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9
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Is pawns supporting pawns a good opening strategy?
For my opening strategy in most chess games I play, I usually move my pawns forward two, then one in an alternating strategy, until I have a sort of WWW shape with my pawns. That way, if anyone takes ...
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3
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Is the "Pawn Box" possible in standard chess?
Is it possible to create a "pawn box" as shown below (using legal moves and the help of black) in standard chess?
The positions don't need to be exactly as shown, and there can be more pieces on the ...
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3
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How to decide when is a3/h3 needed?
a3/h3 are frequently used to prevent the bishops from pinning the knights.
I always have a hard time deciding whether to play them or not. Playing them loses moves and tempo while not playing can ...
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13
votes
5
answers
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Why are side pawns better than center pawns in this position?
So center pawns are usually regarded as more powerful than side pawns, which is why I have a question about this position.
After 1. d4 d5 2. Bf4 c5 the engine and theory recommend playing 3. e3 to ...
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13
votes
2
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What is the the idea behind this popular double pawn sacrifice line In the Evans Gambit?
I am learning a bit of Evans Gambit theory lately, and when exploring a Master level games database, I have found this surprising
line.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. ...
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13
votes
6
answers
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Are isolated passed pawns good or bad?
I frequently face situations in the late middle game (perhaps only a one minor piece and a rook or two on each side, no queens) where I can force a position (via exchanges) where both players are ...
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4
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What sense does promotion to queen make? [closed]
When a pawn finally reaches the eighth rank, then it can be promoted to rook, knight, bishop or queen. It is not hard to imagine that a soldier who has achieved a lot could be promoted to an officer. ...
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What is the shortest number of moves from the starting position required for Black to mate White with a pawn?
Interesting puzzle that is quite hard to stop.
- 139
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answer
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Pawn confrontations: capture, push past, or leave the tension?
When your opponent moves a pawn to a position where it can be captured by one of your pawns, how should you determine whether to capture it, push past it or leave the tension on the board and make a ...
- 1,847
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3
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What's the point of early a2-a4 in the Modern Italian?
It seems that just every top GM is now playing the modern interpretation of the Italian Game (with c3 and d3) with an early a2 to a4 Pawn move, something that only a few years back was considered a ...
- 6,816
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World Cup: passed pawns vs extra piece
[fen "N7/P3pk1p/3p2p1/r4p2/8/4b2B/4P1KP/1R6 w - - 0 34"]
[white "Max Illingworth"]
[black "Pentala Harikrishna"]
White to move.
In this World Cup game, Black demonstrated the power of pawns and won ...
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12
votes
6
answers
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Why do I need to notate the file when capturing with a pawn?
As we all know, in algebraic notation, we usually suppress the notation for pawns. That is, unless they are capturing something. Then, for some reason, we must notate the file of that pawn. For all ...
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2
answers
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Games where a pawn checkmates the king
Could you please refer some examples of game where, on the last move, a pawn checkmates the king (preferably from grandmaster's games)?
- 553
12
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2
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Did any authors ever try to adopt Hans Kmoch's pawn structure terminology?
In response to an earlier question, I mentioned the 1959 book Pawn Power in Chess by IM Hans Kmoch. One of the book's most well-known aspects it that it introduced a glut of less-than-useful ...
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11
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2
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How can I to hold on to the pawn plus for black in the Queen's Gambit Accepted?
A few years back I used to play with a player who always accepted the queens gambit pawn and used to hold on to it and sometimes win with the pawn plus.
Is there any specific variation that can be ...
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4
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Why is d5 the best move in this position?
What is the thought process behind playing d5 in this position?
10
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3
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What is the importance of pawns in the endgame?
How important is it to have more pawns in the endgame phase? Does the power of the individual pawns decrease or increase as the game progresses and why?
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What are the motivations behind pawn moves on a and h files?
Sometimes when there are no clearly optimal moves, a computer or a human master player would push their pawns on a and h files (the edges of the board), for no clear reasons. What would be the ...
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1
answer
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How to quickly calculate two pawns facing two pawns
A situation that often seems to confuse me is when I push a pawn alongside two pawns that are head-to-head and my opponent pushes the opposing pawn, such as when Black plays c5 to my c4.
rnbqkbnr/...
- 3,057
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Exact definition of a blocked pawn
What exactly is a blocked pawn? Is it a pawn with any of the opponent pieces in front or does it have to be an opponent pawn? Will the pawn be considered blocked if it can capture?
Add any other ...
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9
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8
answers
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Would there be more decisive games if we began to see stalemates as checkmates? And hence more "interesting" chess? [closed]
I think it is up for debate as to whether a stalemate should be a win or a draw. I agree stalemates make beginner chess more interesting but we rarely see games at international level end in stalemate....
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2
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What is the maximum number of passed pawns in a position?
Something I have wondered about recently is the maximum number of passed pawns that is theoretically possible. What is the answer, and the fastest way to achieve that result?
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Why is c4 a better move in this position?
The computer analysis on a game I played tells me that in the following position, White should have played c4 instead of e5:
[fen "r3qrk1/pppb1ppp/1nn1p3/6B1/3PP3/P1P2N2/4BPPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 0 1"]
...
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votes
2
answers
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Why is e5 the strongest move here for white?
[FEN "rnb1kb1r/pp1pp2p/2p2ppn/q7/2BPP3/5N1P/PPPN1PP1/R1BQ1RK1 w kq - 3 8"]
I'm a noob at chess, as I just started playing a week back. I played
as White here, and Stockfish recommended e5 ...
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3
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"Pawn Power in Chess" by Hans Kmoch vs "Pawn Structure Chess" by Andrew Soltis
I have Pawn Power in Chess by Hans Kmoch, but I can hardly understand what he is trying to convey in the book. Maybe this has to do with my level of play or maybe it has to do with the way Kmoch ...
- 16.7k
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answers
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Can a pawn move 2 spaces if doing so would cause en passant mate?
You cannot place your King in check, the en passant could be refused and because you are not placing your King in check directly it seems you can move your pawn 2 spaces. However, just like castling, ...
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4
answers
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What is it called when opposite colored pawns up against each other?
When a white pawn and a black pawn are touching on a file, what is it called?
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What's up with the doubled pawns?
There's another question on this SE, which asks the question in reverse:
What are the reasons why I should not try to take a Knight with my Bishop if it'll result in doubled pawns?
The answers do ...
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Understanding The Isolani Pawn
After reading Chess structures of Mauricio Flores Rios, I have some initial questions on the Isolani (or isolated queen pawn).
The author shows this diagram:
Later, he proceeds to giving White and ...
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4
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Pawn theory / exercises
I am not a very strong positional player and I thought I could work on my pawn theory a bit. Are there common exercises or internet resources I could look into for how to play better pawn structures ...
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3
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As Black, how do you deal with the double pawns in the Ruy Lopez exchange variation?
How does Black deal with the double pawns c7 and c6 on the Ruy Lopez exchange variation? In other words, after:
[FEN ""]
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. ...
8
votes
3
answers
354
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Capture towards the center vs. undoubling
There is a spoken advice to capture with the pawns always towards the center. This situation let me think for a while. Is undoubling here not better?
- 1,963
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6
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Pawn Promotion Endgame Problem-White to move and mate in 1
So I have not been this interested in chess for a very long time indeed. This problem was posed to me by someone who has recently become experienced in chess and also participated in a chess ...
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5
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What are key squares and critical squares?
What is the best definition of key squares in king and pawn vs king endgame theory? Please provide graphics if possible. Is there a difference between "key squares" and "critical ...
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3
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When should I play f3/f6?
For context, I've been playing chess for around two years now, and my rating on Lichess is ~1850.
When I first started playing, I learned a lot of heuristics for playing well, e.g. rooks are better ...
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