Short answer: A passed pawn is a pawn with no enemy pawns in front of it on its own file or the files beside it. To use one, support it with your king or rook and push it when it cannot be blockaded. To stop one, blockade it, ideally with a knight, and keep your king or a piece in front of it.
A passed pawn is a threat your opponent has to answer on every move. That is why it is so powerful, and why pushing it too early can lose it.
What counts as a passed pawn?
Look at the three files: the pawn's own and the two beside it. If no enemy pawn stands ahead of yours on any of them, it is passed. A few types are worth knowing:
- Protected passed pawn. A passed pawn defended by another pawn, which is very hard to win
- Connected passed pawns. Two passed pawns on adjacent files, which support each other as they advance
- Outside passed pawn. A passed pawn far from the other pawns, which can drag the enemy king away from the rest of the board
How do you create a passed pawn?
Most passed pawns come from a pawn majority. If you have three pawns against two on one wing, exchanging pawns on that side can leave you with an extra pawn that nothing can stop with a pawn. A well-timed pawn break can also leave you with a passed pawn when the pawns are exchanged.
How do you push a passed pawn safely?
- Put a rook behind it. A rook behind a passed pawn, yours or your opponent's, keeps its power as the pawn advances, a guideline often credited to Tarrasch
- Bring the king up. In the endgame the king is a strong piece, and it can both support the pawn and shield it from checks
- Check the square in front. If a piece can blockade it for free, prepare first
- Time it. Push the pawn when it forces concessions, not just because it can move
How do you stop a passed pawn?
- Blockade it. Put a piece on the square in front. A knight is often the best blockader, because it cannot be driven away by the pawn and still controls key squares
- Keep your king close. In an endgame, your king in front of the pawn is often the whole defence
- Attack it from the side. If it is not protected, pieces can win it before it advances
- Trade the pieces that support it. A passed pawn is much weaker when its supporting pieces disappear
Run a checklist before you create or push a passed pawn
The Pawn Mastery cheat sheets include a checklist for creating or pushing a passed pawn, plus pawn race and pawn endgame sheets, and a free book of 2,057 pawn puzzles. Instant download, interactive and printable.
Questions people ask
What is a passed pawn in chess?
It is a pawn with no enemy pawns ahead of it on its own file or the files beside it, so no enemy pawn can stop it.
Should you always push a passed pawn?
No. Push it when it creates a threat or cannot be blockaded, and support it first if it can be stopped. A pawn pushed too early can end up lost.
Where should the rook go with a passed pawn?
Behind it. A rook behind a passed pawn keeps its power as the pawn advances, whether the pawn is yours or your opponent's.
Where to go next
See the full chess pawn structure guide, then learn the king and pawn basics in our guide to the opposition. For a complete course with an Endgame Lab and 2,010 pawn puzzles, see the Pawn Mastery Trainer at £46.97 ($62).
