Pawn Breakthrough
EndgamePawn EndgamesGoal: promote a pawn
The position
| ♚ | |||||||
| ♟ | ♟ | ♟ | |||||
| ♙ | ♙ | ♙ | |||||
| ♔ |
White to move and queen a pawn. Count the squares and the moves: endgames like this are decided by a single tempo.
The idea
Pawn breakthrough is a tactic: with several pawns against several pawns, you can sacrifice a pawn or two to clear a path and make one passed pawn that cannot be stopped. A famous example is three pawns against three on neighbouring files.
How to do it
- Look at the pawn chains. A breakthrough needs your pawns to be ahead and the enemy king to be far away.
- Push a pawn between the enemy pawns, offering it. Whatever they capture with, a second pawn follows.
- Offer a second pawn on another file, so a third pawn is left with a free road.
- Count to be sure: the new passed pawn must reach the last rank before the enemy king can catch it.
Common mistakes
- Starting the breakthrough without counting the race.
- Sacrificing in the wrong order, so the enemy pawn is not drawn away.
- Forgetting the enemy king's distance from the pawn.
Remember
Sacrifice pawns on purpose to create one that cannot be stopped.