Doubled pawns

Doubled pawns
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 7
6  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black pawn 6
5  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  white pawn 5
4  black king  white pawn  white pawn  black king  black king  black king  white pawn  black king 4
3  black king  black king  black king  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  black king 3
2  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
White's pawns on the b-file and on the e-file are doubled

In 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. The pawns on the e-file are doubled and isolated.

In most cases, doubled pawns are considered a weakness due to their inability to defend each other. This inability, in turn, makes it more difficult to achieve a breakthrough which could create a passed pawn (often a deciding factor in endgames). In the case of isolated doubled pawns, these problems are only further aggravated. Several chess strategies and openings are based on burdening the opponent with doubled pawns, a strategic weakness.

There are, however, cases where accepting doubled pawns can be advantageous because doing so may open up a file for a rook, or because the doubled pawns perform a useful function, such as defending important squares. Also, if the opponent is unable to effectively attack the pawns, their inherent weakness may be of little or no consequence. There are also a number of openings that accept doubled pawns in exchange for some prevailing advantage, such as the Two Knights Variation of Alekhine's Defence.

Contents


Tripled and quadrupled pawns

Tripled pawns
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black rook  black king  black bishop  black king  black king  black king  black king  black rook 8
7  black king  black king  black king  black king  black bishop  black king  black king  black king 7
6  black pawn  black king  black pawn  black king  black pawn  black king  black king  black king 6
5  black king  black king  black king  black king  black pawn  black king  black king  black pawn 5
4  black queen  black king  white pawn  black king  black pawn  black king  black king  black king 4
3  black king  white rook  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 3
2  white pawn  black king  black king  white queen  white bishop  black king  white pawn  white pawn 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  white rook  white king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Position after 19... fxe4
Kavalek–Fischer, Sousse interzonal 1967
Quadrupled pawns
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 7
6  black king  black king  black knight  black king  black king  black king  black king  black pawn 6
5  black king  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 5
4  black king  black king  white pawn  white bishop  black king  black king  black king  white king 4
3  black king  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 3
2  black king  black king  white pawn  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Final position, black to move, draw
Kovacs–Barth, Balatonbereny 1994

Of course it is possible to have tripled pawns (or more). The diagram shows a position from the Lubomir Kavalek versus Bobby Fischer game in the 1967 Sousse interzonal. The pawns remained tripled at the end of the game on move 28 (a draw).

Quadrupled pawns occurred in the game Alexander Alekhine versus Vladimir Nenarokov in 1907, in John van der Wiel versus Vlastimil Hort in 1981, and in other games. The longest lasting case of quadrupled pawns was in the game Kovacs versus Barth in 1994, lasting 23 moves.[1] The final position was drawn, demonstrating the weakness of the extra pawns (see diagram).

Types of doubled pawns

Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8 a8 black king b8 black king c8 black king d8 black king e8 black king f8 black king g8 black king h8 black king 8
7 a7 black king b7 black pawn c7 black king d7 black king e7 black king f7 black king g7 black king h7 black king 7
6 a6 black pawn b6 black king c6 black king d6 black king e6 black pawn f6 black pawn g6 black king h6 black pawn 6
5 a5 black king b5 black king c5 black king d5 black king e5 black king f5 black king g5 black king h5 black king 5
4 a4 black king b4 black king c4 black king d4 black king e4 black king f4 black king g4 black king h4 black king 4
3 a3 black king b3 white pawn c3 white pawn d3 black king e3 black king f3 white pawn g3 black king h3 white pawn 3
2 a2 black king b2 white pawn c2 black king d2 black king e2 black king f2 white pawn g2 black king h2 white pawn 2
1 a1 black king b1 black king c1 black king d1 black king e1 black king f1 black king g1 black king h1 black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Different types of doubled pawns (from Berliner)

There are different types of doubled pawns, see the diagram. A doubled pawn is weak because of four considerations:

  1. lack of mobility
  2. inability to act as a normal pawn
  3. likelihood that it can not be exchanged for an opposing normal pawn
  4. vulnerability to attack, as the front pawn cannot be defended from behind by a rook

The doubled pawns on the b-file are the best situation, the f-file pawns are next. The h-file pawns are the worst situation because two pawns are held back by one opposing pawn, so the second pawn has little value (Berliner 1999:18–20). See Chess piece relative value for more discussion.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ longest quadrupled pawns

References


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