A backward pawn is a pawn whose neighbours on the adjacent files have advanced past it, so no pawn can defend it, and the square in front of it is controlled by an enemy pawn.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
A backward pawn needs pieces to defend it. The square in front of it is often the bigger problem: no pawn of the defender can ever attack it, so an enemy knight can settle there.
How to do it
- 1Look for a pawn whose neighbours have both advanced past it.
- 2Attack it along its file with rooks so it cannot advance.
- 3Put a knight on the square in front of it.
For your level
A pawn whose neighbours have moved ahead of it cannot be defended by a pawn. Pieces have to guard it instead.
Common mistakes
- Pushing a backward pawn to get rid of it, and losing it.
- Advancing both neighbouring pawns without noticing the pawn left behind.
Questions
- Is a backward pawn always weak?
- No. If no enemy piece can attack it or use the square in front of it, it may never matter.