Games - Passed pawn

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	Games - Passed pawn

A passed pawn is a chess pawn (also see chess piece) for which there are no opposing pawns to prevent it from advancing to the eighth rank, i.e. no opposing pawns on a higher rank on the same file nor the files to either side. A passed pawn is sometimes called a passer. In the diagram on the right, the white pawns on b5, c4, and e5 are passed pawns. Black's pawn on d4 is a passed pawn. Passed pawns are an advantage because it requires the intervention of an opponent's piece to stop them from promoting. Often a piece must be sacrificed to prevent a passed pawn from promoting. The play of passed pawns is often of fundamental importance in endgames.

A passed pawn that is protected by its own pawns is called a protected passed pawn. In the first diagram, the pawns on the b and e files are protected passed pawns. Two or more passed pawns on adjacent files are called connected passed pawns, and they are very strong. The b and c pawns are connected passed pawns. A pair of connected passed pawns is sometimes called a steamroller. It is strategically advantageous for the side with connected passed pawns to keep them on the same rank because this makes them more difficult to blockade.

An outside passed pawn is a passed pawn that is one that is on the opposite side of the board as the kings, e.g. the pawn on the a file in the second diagram. The Black king will be diverted to stop White's passed pawn and in the meantime, the white king can "mop up" Black's pawns, and win the game.

Passed pawns are one of the most crucial aspects of the endgame. The way that the pawns are managed and dealt with can be the deciding factor. Since passed pawns have no opposing pawns to stop them, the threat of queening forces the opponent to use a piece to block or capture the pawn, wasting valuable time and possibly pieces.

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