Isolated pawn
Encyclopedia
In chess
, an isolated pawn is a pawn
which has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. An isolated queen
's pawn is often called an isolani. Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. Many "textbook" openings
create at least one isolated pawn but are nevertheless accepted as orthodox because they create advantages, such as improved development and associated opportunities for counterplay, that offset or even outweigh the weaknesses associated with the pawn's isolation.
because they cannot be defended by other pawns as with connected pawns
. In this diagram, the white pawn on the e4 square and the black pawn on a7 are isolated.
Isolated pawns are weak for two reasons. First of all, the pieces attacking them usually have more elasticity than those defending them. In other words, the attacking pieces enjoy greater freedom to do other things (threaten to win pieces, checkmate
, etc.), while the defending pieces are restricted to the defense of the pawn. This is because a piece that is attacking a pawn can give up the attack to do something else whereas the defending piece must stay rooted to the spot until the attacking piece has moved. The defending piece is thus said to be "tied down" to the pawn.
The second reason is that the square immediately in front of the isolated pawn is weak because it is immune to attack by a pawn (often providing an excellent outpost
for a knight
). Thus an isolated pawn provides a typical example of what Wilhelm Steinitz
called weak squares.
However, the presence of open file
s in the important king and queen's-bishop (e and c) files as well as the outposts at e5 and c5 enable the player with the IQP very favourable attacking chances in the middlegame. Once the game reaches the endgame the isolated nature of the pawn becomes a greater weakness than these strengths. Therefore the player with the IQP must take advantage of the temporary strength before an endgame is reached. With four minor pieces each, an IQP is an advantage; with three minor pieces each, it is about even; and with two or fewer minor pieces each, it is a disadvantage . Sacrifice
of the pawn by White and blockade of the pawn by Black are common themes.
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
, an isolated pawn is a pawn
Pawn (chess)
The pawn is the most numerous and weakest piece in the game of chess, historically representing infantry, or more particularly armed peasants or pikemen. Each player begins the game with eight pawns, one on each square of the rank immediately in front of the other pieces...
which has no friendly pawn on an adjacent file. An isolated queen
Queen (chess)
The queen is the most powerful piece in the game of chess, able to move any number of squares vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Each player starts the game with one queen, placed in the middle of the first rank next to the king. With the chessboard oriented correctly, the white queen starts...
's pawn is often called an isolani. Isolated pawns are usually a weakness because they cannot be protected by other pawns. Many "textbook" openings
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
create at least one isolated pawn but are nevertheless accepted as orthodox because they create advantages, such as improved development and associated opportunities for counterplay, that offset or even outweigh the weaknesses associated with the pawn's isolation.
Weakness
In the endgame, isolated pawns are a weakness in pawn structurePawn structure
In chess, the pawn structure is the configuration of pawns on the chessboard. Since pawns are the least mobile of the chess pieces, the pawn structure is relatively static and thus largely determines the strategic nature of the position.-General observations:Weaknesses in the pawn structure, such...
because they cannot be defended by other pawns as with connected pawns
Connected pawns
In chess, connected pawns are two or more pawns of the same color on adjacent files, as distinct from isolated pawns. These pawns are instrumental in creating pawn structure because, when diagonally adjacent, like the two rightmost white pawns, they form a pawn chain, a chain where the one behind...
. In this diagram, the white pawn on the e4 square and the black pawn on a7 are isolated.
Isolated pawns are weak for two reasons. First of all, the pieces attacking them usually have more elasticity than those defending them. In other words, the attacking pieces enjoy greater freedom to do other things (threaten to win pieces, checkmate
Checkmate
Checkmate is a situation in chess in which one player's king is threatened with capture and there is no way to meet that threat. Or, simply put, the king is under direct attack and cannot avoid being captured...
, etc.), while the defending pieces are restricted to the defense of the pawn. This is because a piece that is attacking a pawn can give up the attack to do something else whereas the defending piece must stay rooted to the spot until the attacking piece has moved. The defending piece is thus said to be "tied down" to the pawn.
The second reason is that the square immediately in front of the isolated pawn is weak because it is immune to attack by a pawn (often providing an excellent outpost
Outpost (chess)
An outpost is a square which is protected by a pawn and which cannot be attacked by an opponent's pawn. In the figure to the right, c4 is an outpost, occupied by White's knight...
for a knight
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
). Thus an isolated pawn provides a typical example of what Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz
Wilhelm Steinitz was an Austrian and then American chess player and the first undisputed world chess champion from 1886 to 1894. From the 1870s onwards, commentators have debated whether Steinitz was effectively the champion earlier...
called weak squares.
Isolated queen pawn
An isolated queen pawn (IQP), called isolani is often a special case. An isolated queen pawn is one in the queen's file (d file). The weakness of such a pawn's isolation arises from two factors associated with the absence of both neighboring pawns:- Because the pawn is on one of the board's two central files (i.e., the d- or queen file), it blocks the opponent's control of that file and attacks or defends the other central file (i.e., the e- or king file). Given the strategic and (usually) tactical importance of control of the center, the pawn is important enough that the player must consistently defend it, but with no pawns available for its defense, the player must "tie down" a minor or major piece (in the opening, usually the king's knight or the queen) with that task.
- Similarly, when the isolani is on the third or fourth rank, such that the square ahead of it is on the fourth or fifth rank (i.e., d4 or d5 respectively for White and the reverse for Black), the absence of adjoining pawns prevents the player from attacking or defending that square with pawns. Because each square is one of the board's four central and most important squares, the player will frequently be required to keep one or more pieces committed to the square's attack or defense.
However, the presence of open file
Open file
An open file in chess is a file with no pawns of either color on it. In the diagram, the e-file is an open file. An open file can provide a line of attack for a rook or queen...
s in the important king and queen's-bishop (e and c) files as well as the outposts at e5 and c5 enable the player with the IQP very favourable attacking chances in the middlegame. Once the game reaches the endgame the isolated nature of the pawn becomes a greater weakness than these strengths. Therefore the player with the IQP must take advantage of the temporary strength before an endgame is reached. With four minor pieces each, an IQP is an advantage; with three minor pieces each, it is about even; and with two or fewer minor pieces each, it is a disadvantage . Sacrifice
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
of the pawn by White and blockade of the pawn by Black are common themes.
See also
- Outline of chess: Pawn structure
- backward pawnBackward pawnIn chess, a backward pawn is a pawn that is behind the pawns of the same color on the adjacent files and that cannot be advanced without loss of material, usually the backward pawn itself....
- doubled pawnsDoubled pawnsIn chess, doubled pawns are two pawns of the same color residing on the same file. Pawns can become doubled only when one pawn captures onto a file on which another friendly pawn resides. In the diagram, the pawns on the b-file and e-file are doubled...
Further reading
- Aron NimzowitschAron NimzowitschAron Nimzowitsch was a Russian-born Danish unofficial chess grandmaster and a very influential chess writer...
- My SystemMy SystemMy System is a book on chess theory written by Aron Nimzowitsch. Originally over a series of five brochures from 1925 to 1927, the book — one of the early works on hypermodernism — introduced many new concepts to followers of the modern school of thought...